Review of The Greatest Showman (2017) by Justin Chang for Los Angeles Times — 20 Dec 2017
The Greatest Showman, for all its celebratory razzle-dazzle, in the end feels curiously lacking in conviction. Its pleasures, namely those Pasek-Paul songs, could be removed and repurposed for another story entirely, with no discernible loss in enjoyment or meaning.
..Its failures are rooted in something deeper: a dispiriting lack of faith in the audience’s intelligence, and a dawning awareness of its own aesthetic hypocrisy. You’ve rarely seen a more straight-laced musical about the joys of letting your freak flag fly.
You can read the full review where it was originally posted online.
This review of The Greatest Showman (2017) was written by Justin Chang and published by Los Angeles Times on 20 Dec 2017.
The Greatest Showman has generally received positive reviews.
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