'The Greatest Showman' Review: Jackman Is A Delight!


⭐ The Greatest Showman ⭐ Review ⭐ 8.2/10 ⭐

Exuberant performances propel this musical biopic, which isn't perfect but does occasionally delight thanks to its stellar cast, led by the inimitable Jackman. There's inherent value in watching the talented Jackman sing and get his boogie on, and he's an ideal fit for playing the titular "greatest showman" on earth. The Greatest Showman doesn't really delve into some of the uglier aspects of Barnum's life (like all the hoaxes he was accused of committing), but it does manage to entertain audiences with catchy original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the award-winning lyricists for La La Land.

The soundtrack is in many ways more remarkable than the movie itself, with half a dozen showstopping anthems like Jackman's "The Greatest Show" and "A Million Dreams" and the romantic "Rewrite the Stars" -- a lovely duet by Efron and Zendaya. The songs will stay in your head long after the credits roll, but the plot is unevenly paced. It rushes through the buildup of the Barnums' love story and sugarcoats seedy 19th-century New York to the point that you can't tell it's Manhattan. It's best to appreciate the film as a flashy, colorful Broadway show, where the "book" is less important than the musical numbers, but even still it's rather enjoyable!

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