Review of The Greatest Showman (2017) by Marymaebennett — 27 Dec 2017

So, back when my sister and I first heard Hugh Jackman was starring in a movie, we were ecstatic. When we realized there was no trailer for a soon to be released movie, we were a bit worried. When we were less than enthralled with the trailer, it was disheartening.

When the critics to some degree panned it, I was hopeless but I still wanted to see it incase I was an outlier. I don't think I was. I think there were many problems with this movie but I took it for what it was with low expectations.

I think the huge issue in this movie was definitely placement. From the opening you go from the traditional 20th Century Fox logo which already is old school, to the screaming Oh's and stadium, back to a black and white style 20th Century Fox, to Hugh Jackman.

It doesn't work. The Jenny Lind plot felt out of the blue. There were so many times when my family and I would jolt back because out of nowhere they would BURST into song. There was also the issue of the style of the music.

It did not fit the tone of the movie and made it felt very cheap. There was also a really weird message/ theme where in almost every other scene a character would call out Barnum, and the response was always something along the lines of "okay, yes, but look at this accidental result that benefitted others.

" None of the good that comes out of Barnum is because Barnum was intending to be good. It would've been a better story if they either said he was doing it out of the good of his heart, made him the villain of the story, or what I think would be best, chose a different protagonist.

This movie isn't perfect but there were good parts, Michelle Williams was so phenomenal in the role that could've gone south if an actor without that much talent played Charity. The actors in general were all a plus and I felt like they all belonged in the world.

I think the thing about this movie is that it is easy, it's not that great, but if you're looking for an easy to swallow family flick, voila.