Watch The Magic Flute For Free

I wanted to but couldn't!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Absolutely the worst movie.

A Masterpiece!

First, I must say I am not an opera fan. Other than watching opera in Bugs Bunny cartoons and in the movie Amadeus, I don't do it. I don't do foreign language thingies and have never (I am in my 50's) been to an opera. So, I am a self admitted cultural dolt when it comes to Opera and can't compare this movie to the original intent.That being said, because it was featured in Amadeus, the Magic Flute has sparked a curiosity that never amounted to much more than listening to the overture. Until.....I saw this on Netflix.I watched this and was blown away. Granted, I did add the captions so I could understand the words, came to the IMDb to read about the movie to learn that the actors were the singers.The Queen of the Night?!?! She was excellent in her role. The way it was filmed, she looked insane during her aria. I was blown away. So much, I got my teenage daughter to watch it with me (her exposure to opera was via the same Bugs Bunny Cartoons and Amadeus). She was blown away too. And by reading how it was intended on the internet, I was amazed by the vision of Kenneth B. when he upgraded the setting and translated it into English. Thank you so much for doing so. If your goal was to introduce Opera to the unlearned masses (such as me), you succeeded. I only regret that I did not have the opportunity to see this in the theater as I would have gone to see it multiple times.For the snobs that rue how it wasn't a stage production, I respectfully disagree. I loved this film and would recommend it to anybody to watch it on Netflix. And if you have a rocking home theater system, turn it up to 11 when you watch it. Rattle the windows and rock the house.

If The Lord Of The Rings trilogy has showed us anything, it showed that myth and fantasy have a place in modern cinema. I have long & will still firmly believe that my favorite Mozart piece, Die Zauberflöte, can & should receive a properly reverent modern cinematic treatment, while respecting the original Mozart vision, & adding fantasy aspects that could appeal to the modern masses.This presentation however, is not that treatment I still hope for, primarily due to what I consider to be an unnecessary & unfitting portrayal, in an awkwardly placed period. Plus, The direction tends to be as misplaced as the screen adaptation itself, though still a thoroughly picturesque visage.In & of itself, it's a very enjoyable film to watch. The English adaptation by Fry is suitable, the performances from the cast are wonderful, the casting itself was splendid, & of course, the music is beyond beautiful.I can only criticize the film for being something I'd rather it not be, as I don't believe The Magic Flute belongs set in this way. Why wouldn't you just present this piece in a more reverent way, as an entity belonging purely to the fantasy realm, the way one would expect from A Midsummer Night's Dream or the like? I would expect that someone with such respectable Shakespearean credits to his name would be thoroughly capable of rising to that challenge. The intrusion of a WWI theme only steals from the wonder of a would be mythical experience, in my opinionYou get an A+ for effort, an A for execution, & a B- for intention, which would have been lower had you not tried so very well to make the style & period work. Nonetheless, an enjoyable view, that leaves me to still want for the version I desire, & believe we all deserve

I have been in Opera house three or four times in my childhood and it was quite punishment for me: to keep silence and understand no word. (And watch an over-built heroin dying a quarter an hour with constant screaming, sorry soprano aria.) Although I love classical music I have avoided opera for years. Last week I bought this DVD only from curiosity and was fascinated. For the first time in my life I voluntarily sit and listen to opera. And understand. And love it! I am not expert for opera as others who criticized this performance are but I think this movie was created for people like me - who would have never heard it without this opportunity. So, thank you, a crew of Magic Flute. And hope it is not your last idea. (By the way, when Mozart decided to have this opera in German language experts were shocked because the "official" opera language had been Italian and German was considered quite unsuitable for such sacred piece of work as opera was. But ordinary people understood and it was probably Mozart's target.I do not think he is rolling in his grave because of English version.)

A man behind me commented at the end, 'What a bizarre idea', which I suppose it was, if he was expecting a filmed version of the staged opera. What we get, however, is a proper movie, with all the tricks and all the realism that can offer. The plot is - always was - nonsense, which suits this semi-fantastic treatment perfectly. Branaugh uses his CGI with drama and humour as well as the poignancy of the First World War to hold the story together. The principals were ideal - they looked right as well as sounding perfect. Papageno was a comic delight. Liz Smith - not a singing role - was enjoying herself as much as the audience where I saw the film enjoyed her. The singing would be enough to hold an audience on its own.