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The Greatest Showman
(20th Century Fox)
By Lucas Allen
Whether you prefer seeing them on the big screen or live on television, the musical genre is once again striving in a present era of manufactured pop music. Last year’s “La La Land” has gotten a lot of recognition in spite of hilariously losing the Best Picture Oscar to “Moonlight.”
This awards season, we have another big screen musical hoping to find similar success with “The Greatest Showman,” which is an original take on the life and success of P.T. Barnum.
No matter how it turns out, it’s still going to find a bigger audience than “A Christmas Story Live.”
Barnum (Hugh Jackman) is struggling to make ends meet in 19th century America, supporting both his wife Charity (Michelle Williams) and their two daughters. He has an epiphany one night and builds a wax museum, hoping to attract customers. When he doesn’t make any money, he adds people with strange deformities as the main attraction. Soon enough, his circus becomes the biggest attraction in the city attracting both crowds and protest from the locals.
Barnum also gives his family a better life, with a big house and new opportunities. Naturally, he starts to get in over his head by hiring a talented opera singer named Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) as a new touring attraction leaving his apprentice, Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron), in charge of the circus. But Lind’s presence begins to put a strain on Barnum’s marriage, threatening to tear the family apart. Meanwhile, Carlyle falls in love with trapeze artist Anne Wheeler (Zendaya), causing bigger drama.
It’s hard to say if the movie is faithful to Barnum’s life and success, but this can be seen as another glamorized Hollywood musical that remains more upbeat about the character’s situation than in reality. In fact, it puts the story in the background to focus more on the big musical numbers. The result is less of a classic musical and more of a stylized movie musical similar to the way Baz Luhrmann creates from his imagination. The musical sequences, while impressive in their choreography, each felt like a Bruno Mars music video that only the younger crowd can enjoy.
That’s not to say all the songs are bad, since they’re written by the same lyricists who did “La La Land,” bringing the same level of creativity that worked in that movie. Some of the songs like “The Greatest Show” and “The Other Side” highlight the upbeat modern pop feel the movie was going for. But there’s also some somber tunes like “Rewrite the Stars” and “Tightrope” that takes all the energy away the moment the actors start singing. However, the uplifting middle tune, “This is Me,” balances out the tonal switch without coming off as an afterthought. Overall, it’s another fine example of a soundtrack helping a musical overcome its story flaws.
Besides their singing, the actors all play their roles well. Jackman is a true song-and-dance man that’s far different from his more popular persona as Wolverine, yet his charisma is irresistible and fantastic. Efron finally comes into his own years after his early career appearances in those High School Musical movies by being more genuine with his talents. While Williams and Zendaya are both pretty good, Ferguson’s singing was done by another singer though her acting remains perfectly good for the most part.
Though it’s not ranked with the likes of “Singin’ in the Rain” or “West Side Story,” “The Greatest Showman” will still appeal to audiences everywhere for its likable cast and toe-tapping numbers. It’s also likely that this film will be recognized for only its music, which is probably for the best.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for thematic elements including a brawl)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.25 Stars (Out of Four)
