by Peter » Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:47 pm
At the risk of sounding unconventional or cool by Dojo standards (hey, when has that stopped me), but i just cannot get enough of The Greatest Showman. Its a shit movie, it really is, especially when you have the likes of Bill Condon at the writing helm, along with jenny Bicks... so i have to question who had any sort of final say so here... but its just such a sensationally great movie for someone like me who looks for an experience, and feeling in a movie that differentiates and separates itself from the crowd.
The easiest way to do that is a musical, yet no one seems to churn them out like Rodgers and Hammerstein did almost 40 years ago... So whats the problem? Its like its became its own suedo-parody of itself, but modern day musicals like Moulin Rouge, Chicago and Dreamgirls were not only showstopper cinema successees, but also oscar worthy movies. Even the most recent La La Land is an Oscar winner!
And thats what makes this movie something else. Like i said, its shit. The story of P.T. Barnum is barely even covered in the story, i mean its a pure broad stroke if ever there was a definition of the meaning of broad stroke, which REALLY destroy the movie, and deserved of its 50% average score in general critique.
But...
They have done it again. I would go as far as to say Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are getting as close to as The Sherman Brothers did with their Disney scores, in terms of modern day songs with easy to remember lyrics that you will already know halfway by the end of your very first listen. Its a very simple concept, to start mellow or medium, then to raise upward and upward in keychanges to a grandioso finish, but Jesus does it make your hairs stand on end, when delivered by the likes of Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, and Zak Efron.
Dances numbers accompanying the songs are right on the money, as well as the set and costume design, and barring some Michael Gracey lack of bravery in shots, i gotta say, this is one of the most infectious soundtracks to a movie ive ever heard. My Dad, Mum and Sister have also seen it, as well as downloaded the soundtrack, and at the very least, it was great to hear UK film critic Mark Kermode record a second review to say the words, "i was wrong", in response to his first review of the movie.
Still a shite movie like.
(and apologies to all of the posts I've missed that I need to reply to. They will come soon!)
Peter has received 2 thanks from: Axm, KiBa