Elfman takes on Phantom ... and Wins!

Rating: 10/10 (1 December 2013)

Part of my mission on IMDb is to identify films that are not given their due ... this pretty much qualifies. Danny Elfman, in the single most astonishing work of his career, takes on PHANTOM OF THE OPERA .. and beats it. I have seen Phantom both in live theatre and on film. It is brilliant but flawed. There are gaps in the story. Some of the songs don't work. None of that applies here. Plus, Sir you-know-who did not actually sing his own songs in Phantom! Here, Elfman did! Not only is this Elfman's best work but (this is a tougher call, given the quality of the man's output) this could be Burton's as well. Mesmerizing from the first frame to the last. It is a story about hope and ambition, a cautionary tale, a lesson in fixing the messes you make, and even a love story. Catherine O'Hara steals every scene as Sally, a tribute to her voice actressing and to the animation also. Kindly note that TWICE AS MANY IMDb users have penned a review as there were ACTUAL REVIEWERS in the mainstream who tackled this. This should be a high 9+ on the IMDb. For me it is a one-of-a-kind film that defies comparison, and all it knows is how to entertain. Rating 17/10