The Greatest Showman Review - Liked it, but a bit shallow

Watched "The Greatest Showman" on the weekend. My 5 point review




Positive




1. Hugh Jackman is quality: In top form as P.T. Barnum. Just about every scene he is in, he steals. Pure magnetism. What ever they paid him, was as they say, "Never Enough". Zendaya has presence for someone with not a lot of big acting experience.




2. The songs are the real stars: From the goose bump instilling opening montage, set to "A Million Dreams", through to the Fred Astair esque "The Other Side" to the belt out chorus "This is Me", back to the romantic "Re-write the Stars"' and then finally to "The Greatest Show" as the climax, its 100% sing-a-long hit making. There is no surprise the soundtrack went platinum.




Negative




3. The movie doesn't really feel like a movie. Feels more like a set of musical numbers set together with basic bridging between them. Because of this, there doesn't appear to be a lot of depth in the movie. I can understand why the critics hated it.




4. The characters of Philip Carlyle (Zac Efron) and Charity Barnum (Michelle Williams) seem wasted. Could have been more opportunities to explore their motivations and relationships.




Overall




5. Enjoyable movie. Lots of repeat watchability in it. Seems like a bit of a lost opportunity though. Having a bit more dramatic flesh on the musical bones in regards to script would have propelled it into a stratesphere