The Greatest Showman Review

The Greatest Showman

Release Date: 26th December 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

20th Century Fox

TSG Entertainment
Chernin Entertainment

Bona Film Group

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Musical/Drama

Rating: PG

Runtime: 105 minutes


Budget: $84,000,000

Box Office Gross: $438,550,306 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

After losing his job in the office, P.T. Barnum gets himself an idea. He hires different and talented people and creates a show like nothing has ever seen before. Thus, the travelling Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, a.k.a. "The Greatest Show on Earth", was born. Audiences are intrigued by the dazzling spectacle and celebration of his vivid-like imagination that awaits them.

During his travels, Barnum becomes infatuated with the

singer known as the so-called

Swedish Nightingale, Jenny

Lind.

Cast

Hugh Jackman - P.T. Barnum

Michelle Williams - Charity
Barnum

Zac Efron - Phillip Carlyle

Rebecca Ferguson - Jenny Lind

Zendaya - Anne Wheeler
Austyn Johnson - Caroline Barnum
Cameron Seely - Helen Barnum
Keala Settle - Lettie Lutz
Sam Humphrey - Tom Thumb
Yahya-Abdul-Mateen II - W.D. Wheeler
Eric Anderson - Mr. O'Malley
Ellis Rubin - Young Barnum
Skylar Dunn - Young Charity
Daniel Everidge - Lord of Leeds
Radu Spinghel - O'Clancy
Yusaku Komori - Chang
Danial Son - Eng
Paul Sparks - James Gordon Bennett
Will Swenson - Paul Barnum
Linda Marie Larson - Mrs Stratton
Byron Jennings - Mr. Carlyle
Betsy Aidem - Mrs. Carlyle
Damian Young - Mr. Winthrop
Tina Benko - Mrs. Winthrop
Fredric Lehne - Mr. Hallett
Kathryn Meisle - Mrs. Hallett
Timothy Hughes - Strong Man
Gayle Rankin - Queen Victoria

Crew
Director - Michael Gracey
Story/Screenplay - Jenny Bicks
Screenplay - Bill Condon
Executive Producers -

Tonia Davis and James Mangold

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Donald J. Lee Jr.
Producers - Peter Chernin,
Laurence Mark and Jenno Topping
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Deb Dyer
Co-Producer/First Assistant Director -

Peter Kohn
Production Designer - Nathan Crowley

Production Designer: Additional Photography,

Los Angeles - Francois Audouy

Supervising Art Director - Laura Ballinger

Set Decorator - Debra Schutt

Property Master: Additional Photography,

Los Angeles - Andrew Pretrotta
Costume Designer - Ellen Mirojnick

Head Makeup Artist - Nicki Ledermann

Head Hair Stylist - Jerry Popolis
Director of Photography - Seamus McGarvey

Director of Photography: Additional

Photography, Los Angeles - Phedon Papamichael

First Assistant Director: Additional Photography,

Los Angeles, Second Unit - Jason Roberts

Second Unit Director - E.J. Foerster

Second Unit Director: Additional Photography,

Los Angeles/Film Editor - Spencer Susser

Aerial/Circus Coordinator - Mathieu Leopold

Choreographer - Ashley Wallen

Stunt Coordinator - Victor Paguia
Special Effects Coordinator: Additional

Photography, Los Angeles - Garry Elmendorf

Special Effects Coordinator - Jeff Brink
Visual Effects Supervisor - Mark O. Forker

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lightstream

Studios - John Helms

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor - James E. Price

Visual Effects Producer - Lauren Ritchie

Compositing Supervisor: Lola VFX - Edson Williams
Film Editors - Tom Cross, Robert Duffy,

Joe Hutshing, Michael McCusker and

Jon Poll

Supervising Sound Editor - Lewis Goldstein

Production Sound Mixer - Tod A. Maitland

Re-Recording Mixers - Paul Massey

and Lewis Goldstein

Songs/Production Music Supervisor - Benj Pasek

Songs/Production Music Supervisor/

Vocal Arrangements/Music Producer - Justin Paul

Score - John Debney
Score/Music Producer - Joseph Trapenese

Executive Music Producer - Alex Lacamoire

Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review

The circus has come to town in THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, an exuberant period musical film with fun and magic that everyone will appreciate. There are inaccuracies in the portrayal of historical events. This movie is based loosely on the infamous exploits of the real P.T. Barnum. He was an immoral figure in real life, not a flawed human being the film portrayed as such. His legendary circus in America may have been closed down permanently. It wouldn't affect this film, which was supposed to be a stunningly ambitious big-top musical rather than an accidental tribute. Audiences warmly responded to THE GREATEST SHOWMAN for its sheer delight, while critics barred it for its artistic license and historical inaccuracy. The musical numbers were poppier and had been sung and choreographed in a big-top showcase set in the 19th century.

The all-star cast was a huge part of the movie's success, especially Hugh Jackman, who is getting well-adjusted to his post-Wolverine career and nails the role of the aforementioned visionary Barnum. Not only was he capable with his splendid acting, but Jackman did the singing, reliving the experience from his previous stage musical performances. Michele Williams was lovely as Hugh's on-screen wife, Charity. Zac Efron was the business partner, and Zendaya, the trapeze artist, had romantic chemistry. Even more surprising, the interracial romance subplot gets added to incorporate into the movie's themes of diversity and acceptance despite the bigotry of 19th-century society.

Circus-goers will be dazzled by the experience of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, as it is the most anticipated movie that audiences have ever seen. It's a great film. I recommend all of you viewers to give it a try.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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