He watches Phantom films down in his lair
And though he's too ugly to e'er get laid
The Phantom Reviewer will watch each version made
The Phantom Reviewer is an internet reviewer who specializes in media relating to The Phantom of the Opera. Within the show, the Reviewer's story is that he was born deformed and lived in a cage. The Shah of Persia held him captive and forced him to watch terrible films. After 1001 nights of torture, he finally snapped when he was forced to watch Batman & Robin. He escaped to Paris, where he lived underneath the Opera House and began to review Phantom films. He often forced his love, Christine (voiced by co-host Biskuits), to watch these films with him.
After two seasons of the show following this formula, the Persian and Raoul went to go rescue Christine. The Reviewer trapped them and forced them to watch Dario Argento's notoriously loose adaptation, The Phantom of the Opera (1998). The film was so bad that Christine chose to blow up the Opera House rather than watch it again. Everyone but the Persian died as a result.
The Phantom Reviewer's corpse ended up in Germany, where he was revived by Dr. Frankenstein. He ended up living under the Adelphi Theater in London, where Andrew Lloyd Webber was putting up a production of Love Never Dies. There he saw Maria Cornetto (also voiced by Biskuits), the reincarnation of his beloved Christine. He at first helped her get the part of Christine before abducting her and forcing her to watch Phantom films with him. The show has followed this format for the last three seasons.
The Reviewer has an extensive collection and knowledge and can really find the great (but mostly the horrible) in all of these adaptations. He allows for an interesting retrospective of the Adaptation Overdose that is The Phantom of the Opera. Can be watched here
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This Work Provides Examples Of:
- Adaptation Overdosed: The Phantom of the Opera, which is why the Reviewer exists.
- Ascended Fanboy: Biskuits, who went from fan, to occasionally voicing Christine, to the Reviewer's cohost.
- Darker and Edgier: The Reviewer prefers this characterization of the Phantom over Lighter and Softer. This is why he prefers Lon Chaney and Robert Englund's interpretations over Claude Rains and Charles Dance's.
- Frickin' Laser Beams: The Reviewer kills The Phantom of Manhattan author Frederick Forsyth with a crow with a laser beam on its head.
- Guilty Pleasure: Love Never Dies for the Reviewer.
- Running Gag: WHAT. THE HELL. WAS THAT?" following a
Big-Lipped Alligator Moment or a Mind Screw.- The Dario Argento review gave life to several gags (including the one mentioned above):
- WIG!
- "DARIO! It's your daughter!" and the "Inappropriate Use of Daughter" counter.
- The "Scenes that make no sense" counter.
- The "Scenes that rip off Batman Returns" counter
- "Christine, it's a freaking dog!" in the Wishbone episode "Pantin' at the Opera."
- Sarah Brightman's acting and crazy eyes.
- "Fireball!"
- The astoundingly bad English subtitles for Song at Midnight, with particular emphasis on "wmake" and "there walksn foxs".
- The Dario Argento review gave life to several gags (including the one mentioned above):
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: WHAT. THE HELL. WAS THAT?
- Shared Universe: Because of the crossover with Elisa Hansen, he is part of the Reviewaverse.
- Stupid Sexy Flanders: Ramin Karimloo, a frequent Lloyd Webber!Phantom who appeared in the 25th anniversary staging and originated the role in Love Never Dies, is this for the Reviewer.
- He also doesn't know what to make of his attraction to the female Gender Bender Phantom in the Takarazuka production.
- Whole-Plot Reference: The first two seasons are one for the Lon Chaney 1925 silent film. The last three seasons are one for the 1983 Maximilian Schell version.
- World of Weirdness: The Reviewaverse. And since the Reviewer is basically a real life Phantom of the Opera, this trope definitely applies.
