Phantom of the Theatre (2016)
Phantom of the Theatre plot
The vengeful ghosts of a group of performers wander around a theater. They were killed in a fire thirteen years ago. The theater is also the place where a young director, who has just graduated from the film academy, wants to shoot her first film.
Actors and actresses
Meng Si Fan/Kong jin/Kong Lan
Gu Weibang
Gu Mingshan
Kong Shen
Fei Li Shi
Tang Shi Rao
The Adjutant
Pan Ru Yu
Liu Kang
Wei Bang's Mother
Reviews & comments
Onderhond
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- 87715 messages
- 13157 votes
New Wai Man Yip.
While watching, I was already wondering which famous name was behind this film. For although you can no longer recognize the style of many of those Hong Kong directors when they start working with Chinese money, the amount of money available is often a clear sign that someone has already earned their stripes in the business.
So, yep, someone with some experience in the genre, although that doesn't mean much for a director from Hong Kong. They don't really have a great horror tradition there; those 80s/90s horror movies in particular are often very cheap. Consequently, this Phantom of the Theater is certainly not full-blooded horror, but it does borrow from it occasionally.
It is a sort of Chinese version of Phantom of the Opera (surprise!), although the details have been tweaked a bit and the underlying story has taken on a different form. This time, a director wants to shoot a film in a haunted theater, with a revenge story driving the whole thing.
Visually very beautifully made. Gorgeous colors, beautiful sets and costumes, and fine camerawork. The CG isn't perfectly sharp everywhere, though there are a few really beautiful CG moments (like the 360° in front of the mirror). The music is classical but atmospheric; the acting is decent but not really convincing. It is nice to see that Simon Yam hasn't given up yet.
Certainly not a bad film, just not pure enough for a really high score, but anyone who likes Phantom of the Opera and isn't put off by a Chinese film will find a nice alternative in this one.
3.5*
Translated from Dutch · View original
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