First Take: The Greatest Showman- let the show commence in style

SYNOPSIS: Inspired by the imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business & tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

And here we go on the rollercoaster that is 2018’s film slate- this film had incredibly high expectations. With the lyricists of the mighty La La Land on board to write the songs, Hugh Jackman returning to his theatrical roots, and the most ambitious musical plan to be concocted for film this century, many thought it would fail. But it certainly delivered on the hype- I am really happy to report that this was a brilliantly executed film.

Holding the fort in the director’s chair is Michael Gracey, who helms his first feature film after years of visual effects work, and surprisingly, he managed to pace it perfectly, stage all the numbers with ease, and deliver the Barnum story in a way for audiences to understand easily- and that’s no mean feat. He’s aided by a really good script from Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon (the man behind the biggest film of 2017 at time of writing, Beauty and the Beast), a great score from John Debney and Joseph Trapanese, some excellent cinematography from industry veteran Seamus McGarvey, and of course, the lyrics for the music provided by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, creating a big screen experience that is truly epic.

Also on form are the entire cast, with Hugh Jackman literally going all out to entertain audiences, Zendaya proving her worth in a fantastic supporting role, Zac Efron going back to his High School Musical days to nail it as ever, and a brilliant ensemble of characters and talents (including Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and so many others) that quite literally put La La Land to shame. It may not be playing in many places at the minute due to the wrath of Star Wars, but what a film to open a stacked year of releases.

THE VERDICT

Come one, come all, and see this film at a cinema- the way it deserves to be seen. Great songs, great performances, great cast, and great direction add up to creating a film that not only is a great musical, but a true feel-good film too. The Greatest Showman gets my seal of approval without fail.

RATING: 5/5