I've thought about doing the same thing, but have avoided the job so far. I think that bending the flange open to release the two parts will open up a can of worms when trying to bend the flange back in place, potentially leaving it looking way worse than when you started. Depending on how bad your front side looks, and the results you expect, it might be better to just replace the door with a repop. Let us know if you attempt it and your results.
