The Greatest Showman - Review
This review of The Greatest Showman is spoiler-free!
As I journey deeper into the rabbit hole that is media everyone will quickly learn something about me: I have a deep routed interest in musicals. Something about creating a unique story through music hits with me well. While I won't necessarily see all musicals that come out in theaters, I do manage to go out to any that stand out to me in any way. Hugh Jackman's latest film in the genre does a lot of things well for audiences to enjoy, but also sidesteps some major keys for all films in order to create a fun experience for them. Let's get started with one of the most divisive parts of the film's overall package: the story.
Let's be honest, most people don't necessarily go to see a movie like The Greatest Showman, they go for the experience of the music. When seeing this movie, I found myself torn between loving and hating what the film did with it's characters. The majority of the film is portrayed through song and while the story does flow, it simply doesn't really connect that well and manages to be put in the background. The film seems to be less focused on telling the story of P.T. Barnum (which is something that initially drew me to the movie) and more about creating an enthralling experience for audiences to enjoy. While I understand this isn't necessarily a bad thing for overall enjoyment, the majority of critics will note this as a reason the film fails from their perspective.
Let's talk about the second part of the film that I believe hits well. Jackman's portrayal of P.T. Barnum is fantastic and while he doesn't look anything like the real thing, he manages to convey the idealistic and hopeful dreams of a man who came from nothing. He is challenged by his own mind in possibly taking his dreams too far by dabbling into a world he doesn't belong and leaving his circus behind. This central conflict plays into the entire film and helps to build up the world around him. Along with him Zac Efron and Zendaya play love-struck members of his circus (Phillip Carlyle and Anne Wheeler). They come from different worlds and feel like they can't be together because of this. While their story takes inevitable story beats I was invested with them because of their powerful performances in their songs.
Speaking of songs, I think it's definitely time to talk about the best part of the film. The music of The Greatest Showman is absolutely stellar. There's only one musical I know of in recent memory that has had as much of an impact on me with it's music as this one (La La Land). The music varies for upbeat and joyful pieces to more lowkey and emotional songs that manages to convey the emotions of characters and their hopes. I can't gush enough about this music, and some of it's standouts for me without saying why as it would spoil the story are as follows: The Greatest Show, This Is Me, and Rewrite The Stars. They all play a major role in the story and I thoroughly enjoyed each of them. But let me note, all of the music was fantastic.
While Michael Gracey's musical about the founding of the circus and the life of P.T. Barnum isn't necessarily historically correct, it does something that many other films can only dream of: create a memorable experience for it's fans. When I was in the theater there were multiples pieces that had the audience clapping and singing along, and they were intended to do so they just worked so well and hit with them on that level. While the story isn't necessarily the film's strongest point I am inclined to let that go because of how much a good time this film is. I cannot stress that enough and I will make it my final thought. The Greatest Showman isn't as much a movie about developing character and creating a deep story, it's an experience that needs to be had in theaters while it still can be.
