It's hard to come up with something that hasn't already been said. Are critics are wrong? Yes. Does it have great music? Absolutely. Will you want to watch it again and again? Almost certainly. The entire cast does phenomenally well singing and dancing and for many, this achievement will be the first line in their biographies. It's a musical that is generally inspiring and evokes good feelings, but still takes you on an emotional journey. It's far from a documentary on P.T. Barnum, but that's not it's purpose. As someone obsessed with Hamilton to the point where I listened to the soundtrack everyday for 2 years before seeing it live on Broadway, I avoided watching this one because I just assumed it couldn't even come close. I was wrong. I'm not saying it's better than Hamilton or even as good because I don't think anything will ever be, but The Greatest Showman is definitely a modern classic that earns a place on the list of must-see musicals. Despite its 19th century setting, the songs are fresh, modern, up-beat numbers that can only be described as instant classics. Just try NOT singing along, I dare you. This is not an old school musical like West Side Story or The Sound of Music; it's very modern in the best sense of the word. The choreography and dancing are also first rate and the movie engages you and sweeps you along so well that by the end, you won't even believe it's been an hour and forty-five minutes. I could watch this weekly and never tire of it. Rather than the critics, trust the viewer reviews, the box office numbers, and the fact that it stayed popular in theaters for so long, they had to forcibly pull it before it's popularity waned because the DVD was about to drop and the streaming deals were about to kick in. If you've ever seen a single musical you liked, you're sure to love this one. If you've never enjoyed a musical before, the. this may be the one to bring you into the fold.
