Movie Review: The Greatest Showman

What a wonderful escape.

The Greatest Showman wasn't particularly the greatest, but I found the film hugely entertaining and quite spectacular. Sure, the highly inaccurate depiction of P.T. Barnum's life was a bit of a let down as it made the entire narrative a bit watered down with a screenplay that left a bit to be desired, but everything else was pretty spot on. I adored the blazing style and energy of the choreography, the art direction was vibrant and vivid, the pace was kept up through appropriate doses of charm and humor, and the music sounded strangely current and contemporary but it never sounded out of place.

And yes, the acting and musicianship of some of the actors were excellent as each brought something to the film. Hugh Jackman, in particular, had a certain physicality that was astonishing to watch and Keala Settle's stunning performance stole the entire show - she had star power and great screen presence. As for Zac Efron and Zendaya's romance subplot, I didn't buy it and it was incredibly unnecessary and complete waste of time.

Quite frankly, your like or dislike for this film may very well depend on how well you respond to the simple fact that the film almost had nothing to do with P.T. Barnum. If taken out of that context and just let one get lost in the music and craziness of it all, The Greatest Showman was exceptionally entertaining and was more than easy to sit through. Brash. Colorful. Quick. Stylish.