The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman (2017)

Directed by Michael Gracey

Written by Jenny Bicks, Bill Condon

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson

Showman P.T. Barnum (Jackman) is trying to make something special out of his life. His wild ideas soon lead him to international fame.

This film is an original musical written by Jenny Bicks (What a Girl Wants) and Bill Condon (Chicago). The movie uses music composed by Joseph Trapanese (Straight Outta Compton) and John Debney (The Jungle Book (2016)). The lyrics for the songs were written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, both of whom shared an Oscar win for their work on La La Land. This film was directed by Michael Gracey. The talented cast that brings this one to life includes Hugh Jackman (Logan), Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea), Zac Efron (The Paperboy), Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming), and Rebecca Ferguson (The Girl on the Train).

This is a fun original musical, written by a great team of lyricists and screenwriters. The story is a fascinating one, ignoring much of the true story and focusing instead on the exciting showpiece moments throughout the film. Like all good musicals, this one mixes in the right amount of music with dialogue that is very strong. The writing also does a nice job of building nice themes without being in the audiences face about them. The film is charming and rich with emotion. When it comes to the script, there really isn’t anything to dislike about this one.

The huge cast was given a uniquely challenging opportunity with this one. The story told has some very strong emotions built in. On top of this emotion was the obvious challenge of singing and dancing their way through production. Hugh Jackman once again proves his versatility with his incredible performance. He hits all the right emotional tones and seems to hit all the right notes with his singing parts. He also does a nice job with the ensemble of talented people around him. Some of those talented people include Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, and Rebecca Ferguson. Thanks to strong work from all of these actors, this one is a joy to watch.

If Hugh Jackman is the star of the film, the music comes in as a close second. Joseph Trapanese, John Debney, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul put together an incredible score with songs that are memorable and really catchy. The film is stylized wonderfully, with great costumes, makeup, and visual effects. I was a big fan of La La Land, and I like this one just as much. The funny thing is that they are dramatically different films. Either way fans of musicals should make sure to see this one. I would also suggest this one to fans of the stars. I give this one 5 out of 5 stars.