Dario Argento's Phantom of the Opera

REVIEW
The latest from Italian horror maestro Argento is a disappointment. Dario's beautiful daughter Asia plays opera singer ingenue Christina and Sands is the Phantom in this period adaptation of the oft-filmed classic. The pace is leaden, Argento's trademark visual flair is largely absent, and the film has no spark. There are some bizarre changes to the original story -- the surprisingly handsome, unscarred Phantom has been raised by rats(!), and a pair of comic-relief rat-catchers make their jobs easier by building a rat-catching mobile. Asia and Sands are unremarkable, the music is good, the period atmosphere is convincing, though there isn't any of the bravura setpieces fans have come to expect from Dario. Those unfamiliar with Argento would do well to check out Suspiria, Deep Red or Terror at the Opera, the director's earlier, contemporary take on the tale, which renders this version doubly negligible.