In 2009, Hugh Jackman signed to star and produced a musical, but it was put in a seven year hiatus, because movie studios didn’t want to distribute a musical, as the once relevant genre died out many years ago. Due to the massive success surrounding La La Land, Hugh finally embraces his chance to release his personal pet project, thus filming started in 2016. After a year of filming, production and giving distribution rights to Fox, The Greatest Showman has officially gained recognition.
The Greatest Showman was released in December, 2017. It received mixed reviews from critics and it managed to make enough revenue at the box office. Recently, one of the film’s songs, “This Is Me,” won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song at The 75th Golden Globes Awards.
This review doesn’t contain any SPOILERS. Which means you’re allowed to read this article, just in case if you’ve never seen the whole movie yet.
Positive: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Rebecca Ferguson & Zendaya, all did a magnificent job on their respective performances.
Musical Numbers managed to keep me entertained throughout the entire picture. I never looked at my phone to check the time to see how long it’s gonna take to end.
Producers did a bunch of research on P.T. Barnum’s life and the history of the circus he orchestrated.
Choreography/Dance Scenes felt ecstatic without any screw ups nor pratfalls.
Set Pieces were constructed by hand, to bring various sets to life.
Costume Designs were colorfully spot on accurate.
Every Cast Member wasn’t tone deaf. They all did a magnificent job on singing. Thank God Russell Crowe didn’t partake in this film. Does Les Miserables ring any bells? If so, South Park’s depiction of Russell is a reminder on why he’s tone deaf.
Cinematography looked decent featuring no excessive use of Dutch Angles or Shaky Cam throughout.
Musical Director, Bill Condon, (Chicago, Beauty & The Beast 2017) co-wrote the script for the film.
Oscar Winning Muscial Duo, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, (known for La La Land, NBC’s Smash) wrote songs for the picture. Could they be this generation’s Rodgers & Hammerstein? Will have to see in the next few decades.
Filmmaker, James Mangold, (Girl Interrupted, 3:10 To Yuma, Logan) worked as an executive producer for the film. He has some experience from directing the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk The Line. It counts as a musical.
If you’re an animal rights activist, there’s no animal being treated like Dumbo. I’ll give the producers of the movie, a truckload of Extra Points, for making a noble decision on not treating animals so poorly.
Negative: Without giving too much away, one of the main characters develops a relationship with a girl, way too soon. One of the tropes I don’t like, is an early love interest. In reality, it’ll take a few weeks to get the girl, when the time is right.
The Final Verdict: A-
In my opinion, The Greatest Showman has got to be one of Hugh Jackman’s surprising hits of 2017, besides Logan, his Magnum Opus. I highly recommend this film if you’re a fan of musicals, or if your daughter, niece, or granddaughter is into Zac Efron, now is a good time to go give this musical a try. Trust me, you’re gonna have a fun time watching it.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 