Phantom of the Theatre (2016) User Reviews

A mediocre trip to a haunted theatre...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 8 November 2016]

I am a big fan of the Asian cinema, and usually gobble up just about everything that I can get a chance to sit down and watch. I had not heard about "Phantom of the Theatre" prior to finding it by sheer luck. But being a fan of Asian cinema, I of course took the time and effort to sit down and watch it.

I was more than pleased to see that the movie had the talented Simon Yam on the cast list. But I was just somewhat disappointed to find out that he was but a mere supporting actor in the movie, which was a shame, because he could have contributed so much to the movie.

The storyline in "Phantom of the Theatre", which I thought would just be an Asian rendering of the class "Phantom of the Opera" story, turned out to be something else, although it drew inspiration from the "Phantom of the Opera" for sure. It is about a haunted theatre, where an up-and-coming director wants to shoot his horror movie. But the spirits of the old theatre are vengeful and things soon start to turn awry for the film and the film crew.

It was a mediocre storyline, which actually held little or no surprises at all. And it wasn't a particularly riveting storyline that offered much to the audience. So I can't really claim to be much impressed with the vision of director Wai Man Yip in this movie.

The acting in the movie was good, though, and it made it bearable and worthwhile to sit through the movie to the end. Ruby Lin and Tony Yo-ning Yang actually carried the movie quite well and they complimented each other quite well on the screen. It is always a pleasure to see Simon Yam in a movie, just a shame that his part was only a supportive role.

"Phantom of the Theatre" has good effects and good make-up as well. Just as the wardrobe and props were really good. And this all really did help to lift up the movie, which was otherwise hindered by a fairly mundane and mediocre storyline.

"Phantom of the Theatre" is not a milestone in Chinese / Mandarin cinema history, not by a long shot. But it is certainly a movie well worth watching if you have the time and have an interest in the Asian cinema. It just wasn't an outstanding or particularly memorable movie experience.

I believe that "Phantom of the Theatre" is a movie that will come and go relatively unnoticed, and most likely only will find its way out to us fans of the Asian cinema because we are looking actively for movies.

Strange beastie

[jim-man · 7/10 · 16 May 2016]

Started as a slasher film, then took on elements of a supernatural tale. Finally, resolved itself as a crime thriller. Ended as a love-lost romance.

Very high production value. Elegant digital effects, and good cinematography.

Ruby Lin looks amazing good.

In general, the cast gave a strong performance with a crisp pace.

The plot was rather thin but the movie looked really good. Worth 7/10.

It was disappointing to see such a poor turnout at the Cineplex. Should have been better promoted in Richmond, Canada.

Loneliness bound by love and hate

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 11 September 2017]

The production takes place circa 1930s in China. A fire at a theater killed a traveling troupe 13 years ago. Gu Weibang, who has returned from France, wants to make a film in the haunted theater and has obtained Meng SiFan, chosen as China's most photogenic, for the lead. Early into the production, the male lead bursts into flames and dies. No reason to stop. Weibang substitutes for the lead developing feelings for SiFan although he does have a girlfriend, Fei a doctor/coroner.

The early part of the film gives us sparse clues and at 50 minutes into the feature we have our first twist. People then do unexpected things as we await the Agatha Christie ending with all the suspects in a room, or in this case a theater, where the plot twists so much it could snap your neck, in the "see how clever we are" moments.

I watched the film with English subtitles and the tear-jerker ending didn't come through the translation.

Fun, Solid Entertainment

[djhreg · 8/10 · 8 May 2016]

Having just relocated to the Columbus, OH area ... with some effort, I identified one theater playing a Chinese movie. Initially, I was the only one in the theater. Five minutes into the movie, one other couple came in. That set the record for my lifetime lowest number of people in the theater. Which was too bad. The movie, "Phantom of the Theater" was pretty good. The Hong Kong director Wan Mai Yip is much more famous for the "Ip Man" action, kung fu, police series. This one, however, was a ghost story set in a fictional Chinese city in the 1930s. The plot involves a handsome young director who decides to shoot a horror movie in a stage theater known to be haunted. The movie would definitely not win any European Avante Guarde Art awards, but it was great entertainment. Handsome leading man, gorgeous leading ladies, good story, super-saturated colors, gorgeous period clothing, jealousy, intrigue.... It was a great evening. :-)

By the way, other than some normal frightening death and ghost horror scenes, this movie is family friendly. No nudity, no profanity. No controversial social issues.

Darkly romantic drama that unfolds its true magic after a weaker opening third

[kluseba · 8/10 · 8 May 2017]

Phantom of the Theatre is a movie that mixes many genre elements. There are some minor spooky horror influences, a few inspirations from the fantasy genre and some hints at the crime thriller cinema. Despite all these influences, this film is first and foremost a darkly romantic drama set in Shanghai's charming, elegant and lush thirties. Chinese audiences and movie makers seem to have a weakness for this type of movies. The most famous film of this kind is without a doubt the original version of A Chinese Ghost Story. Even though Phantom of the Theatre doesn't come close to equal this milestone of Asian cinema, it's an enchanting and entertaining film for genre fans.

The movie has a few minor flaws. The CGI-ridden special effects look a little bit too artificial. The start of the movie is also quite wooden. It opens with a rather odd scene where a careless thief confronts two scared police officers and ends up dying in an old movie theatre. The introduction to the main characters isn't perfect either as they appear to be quite stereotypical. You meet an abusive investor, an ambitious young filmmaker, an arrogant movie star, an egoistic warlord and an overlooked beauty. The story seems to be quite predictable at first. The young filmmaker will fall in love with the overlooked beauty. The arrogant movie star will be jealous and try to harm the beautiful lady. The greedy investor is also trying to take advantage of her. The egoistic warlord believes the whole world belongs to him and will use his power to get anything he likes. So far, so predictable.

However, as the movie goes on, it develops a certain magic and ends with a climax that I found both emotionally and intellectually stunning. There are several elements that contribute to this rising action. First of all, the settings in the haunted theatre are quite intriguing and become more important than the superficial supernatural elements one gets exposed to in the first third of the film. The costumes are also quite authentic and contribute to an atmosphere that could be borrowed from a fairy tale. The elegant and emotional soundtrack composed of classical pop, folk music and even jazz influences adds to the atmosphere of the movie. The camera cuts become smoother as well and are a welcome change from the numerous contemporary shaky cam productions. The light techniques are even more brilliant and lead from more uplifting moments to more mysterious passages of the film in a coherent manner. The actors and actresses deliver more natural performances and develop a certain chemistry. The most superficial characters recede into the background and only the more intriguing characters remain present throughout the film.

The movie truly starts getting brilliant when a detailed flashback explains us what happened thirteen years before the movie takes place. These scenes are both beautiful and heartbreaking. The showdown leads to a certain twist that could make the audience change its mind about certain characters. The film's ending is quite balanced and neither ends in the most sinister way possible nor as a classic happy end which I found rather creative.

I will let you find out about the rest by yourself. If you like darkly romantic dramas with a nostalgic charm, you will at least appreciate this movie. Don't be discouraged by the negative reviews and the average opening third because you will be rewarded with a soulful rising action and a gripping climax.

Visually Appealing

[Foutainoflife · 8/10 · 29 September 2018]

This film is about a young man making his directorial/acting debut of a film that was made in a haunted theatre. He has a beautiful leading lady, who he finds alluring, a doctor girlfriend, who is investigating mysterious deaths happening at the theatre, and a warlord father with whom he has a less than healthy relationship. The theatre has secrets and an agenda it intends to meet.

This was a beautifully made movie. The film is shot well with vibrant colors, awesome costumes and great settings. The story was a little shaky in certain areas but I would think that some folks would be willing to overlook that. The actors were on point with a script that was well written. It moved a little slow at times but all-in-all, I was pleased with this. I really loved the vibrancy and will probably watch it again.