The Greatest Showman

Critics are almost fifty-fifty on whether The Greatest Showman is worth the time, and I know I cannot tip the scales, but I went to see it for my own opinion. What they did well was the dance choreography, the casting for certain characters, and the emotion that shines through each scene. If you do want to see it, you should definitely see it in theaters because the music is made for surround sound and is brilliant on the big screen.

There is a subplot involving P.T. Barnum and an Opera singer, Jenny Lind played by Rebecca Ferguson, and from the first scene involving her all the way to the end, the movie is great. Getting there is when the film has its problems because that’s all it does. The story gets there in a few songs, sits back and shouts, “Finally! Now let’s start the real movie!” At least, that’s how it seemed. One song literally spans twenty to thirty years, and all the struggles and lessons P.T. Barnum learns on the way is almost smothered under the drums and singing. When the story is at its best, there are layers of conflict and emotion that pile up into a beautiful scene, but those moments are too few and far between to consider them as the majority of this film. The subplot involving Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron) and Anne Wheeler (Zendaya) was fantastic, but it deserved more time for development than what it got. They had little moments sprinkled throughout, and an amazing duet, but every time I thought there would be another scene with them P.T. Barnum would steel plot for himself, which is not out of character for him.

There is only one problem with the story, and it bashes this film on its head like a club. The problem is there is too much going on with so little time to show it. The film sacrifices its story for more lights, costumes, and dancing, and that’s what is pulling its quality deeper into the Ocean of forgettable films that came out this year. It had everything: big named stars, the song writer from La La Land, the hype of a possible revival for the musical genre, and the fans of the now dead Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, but it does not capitalize on these strengths.

Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and Zendaya are great but the rest of the circus acts are just extra voices in the chorus. I wanted more from the “bearded lady,” or the “dog man,” or the “Irish giant,” and with an hour-and-forty-five-minute runtime they had room to spare a little more development with these characters. In a film that focuses on bringing every type of person into the light as equal, surprisingly, it only puts the spotlight on a few of them. The quality picks up as soon as the concert for Rebecca Ferguson is being set up, and once your there, the story finally reveals itself. I would recommend seeing this film, but only if you want to experience a spectacle, not a historic drama or an inspiring symbol of equality.

Story Rating: 7/10

Character Rating: 5/10