MANILA, Philippines — More than the showmanship, extravagant production, catchy music and a celebrated cast, Michaeal Gracey’s “The Greatest Showman” gives viewers a glorious movie experience.
Inspired by the legend of America’s showman, Phineas Taylor “PT” Barnum, “The Greatest Showman” also celebrated humanity and their successes.
Barnum, played by Hugh Jackman, brought together extraordinary characters and built a circus just banked by his self-belief and overflowing vision and dreams.
Expect the the film to be your typical rags-to-riches tale except it is packed with more than two hours of entertainment, drama and surprising talent from a celebrated cast.
It’s good that it highlighted the diverse performers composed of individuals outcasted by society and gave a lesson on hope. However, it could have been better if it lessened its attempt to overly romanticize Barnum’s character.
Apart from Jackman, the musical biopic is also starred by Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Keala Settle.
“The Greatest Showman” features original songs from Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who composed songs from acclaimed “La La Land.”
Viewers would surely feel like singing and dancing into some of the songs, including the Academy Award nominee for best original song “This is Me” and the heartwarming “Rewrite the Stars,” performed by Efron and Zendaya.
Jackman, Efron and Settle were among the standouts in the film while Zendaya also stunned as she showcased her trapeze skills.
“The Greatest Showman” is from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros. It would open in cinemas nationwide on January 31.