'The Musical' is the latest cinematic genre to undergo a revival in the eyes of Hollywood. Ever since the immense success of LA LA Land, people have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of another to determine whether the return was a one off or if musicals are really back at their best for good. The Greatest Showman suggest its the latter. It may not be "the greatest show", but it is a visually stunning and expertly choreographed movie that is at times joyous to watch.
The Greatest Showman is a much glorified account of the life of Phineas Taylor Barnum (Hugh Jackman), orphaned and penniless but determined to provide a magical life for his childhood sweetheart Charity (Michelle Williams) and his daughters. His desire and innovation leads him to gamble all he has on creating a show in which people "can see things they've never seen before". His collection of oddities are controversial and successful in equal measure. On Barnum's road to greatness, he must decide what is truly important to him.
Undoubtedly, the strongest element of this film is the musical numbers. I didn't personally love them all, but on the whole the performances are vibrant, exuberant and thoroughly entertaining. The original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the award-winning lyricists for LA LA Land, are paired brilliantly with exceptional choreography of the set-pieces to guarantee that each is as entertaining as the last. Every time Barnum's show performs is breathtaking. Visually stunning, with such bright and varied colour pallets and characters. It took almost all of my reserve to avoid stomping and clapping along in the theatre. Zac Efron and Zendaya's rope performance is also great - mesmerising at times and very moving. There are some very obvious moments of CGI in the numbers, many of which look really shaky.
A stellar cast give some great performances, in particular Hugh Jackman. His background in musical theatre really pays dividend here, as their is inherent entertainment in watching him sing and dance. His is the perfect fit for the "greatest showman" on earth. Outside of the music, he offers an expectedly charismatic turn as Barnum. Zac Efron also really shines. He's (almost) as charming as Jackman and his internal conflict of being torn between two worlds is handled really well. Of Barnum's "freak show", Zendaya and Keala Settle both stand out and feature heavily in the best songs. Rebecca Ferguson is also very impressive. Michelle Williams could be accused of over doing it at times. Austyn Johnson and Cameron Seely deserve special mention for never once crossing the line into annoying child actors.
A valid criticism of The Greatest Showman is that the narrative doesn't take advantage of many of the plot that it establishes.The overall sentiment, that it is okay to be yourself no matter what anyone else thinks, is handled well enough and offers a heartfelt balance to the ecstasy of the song and dance. However, there's debate about the ethics of changing the story of Barnum, who in reality was a really awful man who exploited people's physical and mental disabilities for his own financial gain. Yet, this is ever so briefly addressed in the movie. Whilst it would have been quite intriguing to see a more accurate depiction of his life, the true grittiness is sacrificed in the name of keeping the affair family friendly. On the other hand, I would argue that there's more than enough darkness in the media right now (and the world for that matter), so an exhilarating romp such as this is more than welcome. As Barnum himself says "When was the last time you smiled, or had a good laugh?". This movie certainly offers you that.
Entertaining performances and enchanting musical numbers really propel this film. With Jackman at the helm, it's a classy, charismatic and comedic event. It's by no means perfect, yet it offers a delightful spectacle that will keep you hooked throughout. And more importantly it will make you smile.
3/5 Stars
Sunday 28 January 2018
Monday 1 January 2018
Most Anticipated Movies of 2018
Happy New Year folks. Here's hoping it's a good one. For me personally it's set to be a significant one - hopefully by this time next year I'll have A levels, be settling into life at university and have a more physical audience to sit and listen to me blabber on about movies. Speaking of, 2018 promises to be a stellar year for the big screen, so let's take a look at some of my most anticipated releases of the upcoming year.
1) Solo: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One set a pretty solid benchmark for future Star Wars spinoffs to follow. Rumours from within indicate that this movie is going to flop massively - directors being hired and fired seemingly at random, concerns from within that certain cast members "can't act" and even one report that Disney are preparing for this movie to bomb in the box office. Still it will be interesting to see if Alden Ehrenreich can capture the infamous charm of everybody's favourite smuggler.
2) Black Panther
Just when you think that Marvel have played all their cards in terms of what the MCU can offer, they spring a hidden technological utopia masquerading as a barren third world country. Chadwick Boseman looks born to play the role after his introduction in Captain America: Civil War and he's backed up by a terrific supporting cast, made up of almost entirely black actors and directors which is a huge achievement in it self given the 'whitewash' culture of modern Hollywood. Black Panther promises to offer a fresh and exciting take on a superhero origin movie.
3) Mamma Mia: Here we go again!
To be completely honest, I'd go and see this movie purely for the incredible title. It will most likely be awful but with an amazing cast, a mix with new and returning faces, hopefully it's a least a decent throwback to a better movie. And seriously - give whoever came up with that title a raise.
4) Ocean's 8
Is it a reboot? Is it a continuation? Honestly I have no idea. What I do know is that the Ocean's franchise is very hit and miss. It could be great, could be dreadful. Still on the surface, I do like the sound of an all female led heist movie.
5) Mission Impossible 6
The Mission Impossible franchise is, somehow, on an upward curve at the moment. Very little is known about the story at this point, but at least this movie can market the fact that is host to the most significant and costly moustache in cinematic history Let's hope it was worth it Cavill.
6) Ready Player One
Based on Ernest Cline's 'Ode to Pop Culture' of the same name, the number of references in the trailer alone makes my head spin. Steven Spielberg hasn't made a universally adored movie in quite a while and whilst I'd love for this film to break that streak, I'm sceptical that it will be any good.
7) Avengers: Infinity War
Do I really need to say anything else? What promises to be the culmination of 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It may sound cheesy, but this franchise has been a major part of my childhood and has in many ways shaped the person I am and my love for the big screen. I will no doubt be an emotional wreck upon it's release.
8) Aquaman
I didn't love Jason Momoa's performance in Justice League, but under the direction of James Wan who's been killing it lately, I'm hopeful that his first solo outing will capture the same magic that Wonder Woman did.
9) Mortal Engines
I had no prior knowledge or attachment to this property, but the trailer has gotten me completely on board. The premise is almost painfully vague and I'm desperate to see just what the heck is going on in this movie.
10) Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Jurassic World is one of the most distinctly average movies in recent times. Still if you can get past the paper-thin plot and sub-par characters there is some great dinosaur action to enjoy. I'm hopeful that an erupting volcano populated with dinosaurs will lead to more of the same.
11) Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
As someone who hates Harry Potter and his smug little face, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. The prospect of seeing 'The Great Wizard War' in the sequel is very exciting to me. My only reservation? Johnny Depp. Honestly, you had Colin Farrell and you traded him for Depp? Give me strength.
12) Untitled Deadpool Sequel
The first movie was an unprecedented success. Everybody was expecting it to tank, but it now stands as the highest grossing R rated movie of all time. I'm hoping that they take his character in some new and interesting directions, but to be fair if it was just more of the same I don't think I'd complain.
13) Tomb Raider
One of these days the curse on movies based on video games will be broken. Eventually we'll get a good one. Alicia Vikander is excellent in everything I've seen her in and I can't think of anyone better suited for the role of Croft. Some of the action in the trailers looks disturbingly digital, but I'm quietly optimistic that this movie might just turn out alright.
14) Venom
Tom Hardy as a wild, bloodthirsty and murderous version of Spiderman? Yes please.
15) Bumblebee
With Michael Bay stepping away from the Transformers spinoff movies, there is a small glimmer of hope that Bumblebee could be good. Just keep it short, keep the narrative focused and, for the love of god, actually show him transforming this time.
16) Pacific Rim: Uprising
Speaking of, Pacific Rim made audiences sit up and think "Oh, that's what a transformers movie should be, I get it now". With the loveable John Boyega leading the line, it could even be better than the first.
17) New Mutants
In a desperate attempt to squeeze one last profit out of the X-Men before the rights are sold to Disney, Sony have aimed for a different spin on the characters. A horror movie based on a younger band of mutants trapped in a facility. At the very least, it sounds more interesting than the blandness that has become associated with the franchise.
18) Ant Man and the Wasp.
The sequel to the hilarious heist comedy promises Evangeline Lilly, in double billing with Antman, as the Wasp and further exploration of the psychedelic wonderland that is the micro-verse. I'll watch pretty much anything with Paul Rudd to be honest.
19) Hellboy
Whilst I'm curious as to why anyone felt that this reboot was in anyway necessary, I have been asking for David Harbour to be in more things so I suppose I should be careful what I wish for.
20) Rampage
A giant ape, wolf and crocodile obliterating a city? As far as mindless action movies go, it sounds pretty good.
1) Solo: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One set a pretty solid benchmark for future Star Wars spinoffs to follow. Rumours from within indicate that this movie is going to flop massively - directors being hired and fired seemingly at random, concerns from within that certain cast members "can't act" and even one report that Disney are preparing for this movie to bomb in the box office. Still it will be interesting to see if Alden Ehrenreich can capture the infamous charm of everybody's favourite smuggler.
2) Black Panther
Just when you think that Marvel have played all their cards in terms of what the MCU can offer, they spring a hidden technological utopia masquerading as a barren third world country. Chadwick Boseman looks born to play the role after his introduction in Captain America: Civil War and he's backed up by a terrific supporting cast, made up of almost entirely black actors and directors which is a huge achievement in it self given the 'whitewash' culture of modern Hollywood. Black Panther promises to offer a fresh and exciting take on a superhero origin movie.
3) Mamma Mia: Here we go again!
To be completely honest, I'd go and see this movie purely for the incredible title. It will most likely be awful but with an amazing cast, a mix with new and returning faces, hopefully it's a least a decent throwback to a better movie. And seriously - give whoever came up with that title a raise.
4) Ocean's 8
Is it a reboot? Is it a continuation? Honestly I have no idea. What I do know is that the Ocean's franchise is very hit and miss. It could be great, could be dreadful. Still on the surface, I do like the sound of an all female led heist movie.
5) Mission Impossible 6
The Mission Impossible franchise is, somehow, on an upward curve at the moment. Very little is known about the story at this point, but at least this movie can market the fact that is host to the most significant and costly moustache in cinematic history Let's hope it was worth it Cavill.
6) Ready Player One
Based on Ernest Cline's 'Ode to Pop Culture' of the same name, the number of references in the trailer alone makes my head spin. Steven Spielberg hasn't made a universally adored movie in quite a while and whilst I'd love for this film to break that streak, I'm sceptical that it will be any good.
7) Avengers: Infinity War
Do I really need to say anything else? What promises to be the culmination of 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It may sound cheesy, but this franchise has been a major part of my childhood and has in many ways shaped the person I am and my love for the big screen. I will no doubt be an emotional wreck upon it's release.
8) Aquaman
I didn't love Jason Momoa's performance in Justice League, but under the direction of James Wan who's been killing it lately, I'm hopeful that his first solo outing will capture the same magic that Wonder Woman did.
9) Mortal Engines
I had no prior knowledge or attachment to this property, but the trailer has gotten me completely on board. The premise is almost painfully vague and I'm desperate to see just what the heck is going on in this movie.
10) Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Jurassic World is one of the most distinctly average movies in recent times. Still if you can get past the paper-thin plot and sub-par characters there is some great dinosaur action to enjoy. I'm hopeful that an erupting volcano populated with dinosaurs will lead to more of the same.
11) Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
As someone who hates Harry Potter and his smug little face, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. The prospect of seeing 'The Great Wizard War' in the sequel is very exciting to me. My only reservation? Johnny Depp. Honestly, you had Colin Farrell and you traded him for Depp? Give me strength.
12) Untitled Deadpool Sequel
The first movie was an unprecedented success. Everybody was expecting it to tank, but it now stands as the highest grossing R rated movie of all time. I'm hoping that they take his character in some new and interesting directions, but to be fair if it was just more of the same I don't think I'd complain.
13) Tomb Raider
One of these days the curse on movies based on video games will be broken. Eventually we'll get a good one. Alicia Vikander is excellent in everything I've seen her in and I can't think of anyone better suited for the role of Croft. Some of the action in the trailers looks disturbingly digital, but I'm quietly optimistic that this movie might just turn out alright.
14) Venom
Tom Hardy as a wild, bloodthirsty and murderous version of Spiderman? Yes please.
15) Bumblebee
With Michael Bay stepping away from the Transformers spinoff movies, there is a small glimmer of hope that Bumblebee could be good. Just keep it short, keep the narrative focused and, for the love of god, actually show him transforming this time.
16) Pacific Rim: Uprising
Speaking of, Pacific Rim made audiences sit up and think "Oh, that's what a transformers movie should be, I get it now". With the loveable John Boyega leading the line, it could even be better than the first.
17) New Mutants
In a desperate attempt to squeeze one last profit out of the X-Men before the rights are sold to Disney, Sony have aimed for a different spin on the characters. A horror movie based on a younger band of mutants trapped in a facility. At the very least, it sounds more interesting than the blandness that has become associated with the franchise.
18) Ant Man and the Wasp.
The sequel to the hilarious heist comedy promises Evangeline Lilly, in double billing with Antman, as the Wasp and further exploration of the psychedelic wonderland that is the micro-verse. I'll watch pretty much anything with Paul Rudd to be honest.
19) Hellboy
Whilst I'm curious as to why anyone felt that this reboot was in anyway necessary, I have been asking for David Harbour to be in more things so I suppose I should be careful what I wish for.
20) Rampage
A giant ape, wolf and crocodile obliterating a city? As far as mindless action movies go, it sounds pretty good.
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