The Greatest Showman
Critics hatedThe Greatest Showmanwhen it was loose in 2017 , but the film ’s overwhelming countersign - of - mouth success and undeniably catchy soundtrack made theP.T. Barnum musicala hit . The motion-picture show opened with an underwhelming loge agency follow a universal pan from critic but about doubled that by its second weekend - and continued to rise until it became a book - breaking smash hit and a massive commercial success . After becoming one of the highest - grossing picture show musicals of all prison term , it ’s apparent thatThe Greatest Showmanhad far-flung charm and a devoted fanbase far beyond its decisive failures . So why did critics hateGreatest promoter ?
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Anticipation for the film was intense , including thoughts of Academy Award contention . But the universal critical panning of the picture mean that ebullience speedily decline . Criticism included that it did n’t cover thetrue story of Barnum ’s circusin a fulfilling path and that it was shallow and water down . Thus , critics set upThe Greatest Showmanto be a monumental commercial bankruptcy for the studio – a like fate to that get by later musical Tom Hooper’sCats . While the movie did cop many bad reviews , it was a huge commercial success through word of mouth and many devoted fans . But why did critics hateGreatest Showman , and how did they get it so wrong ?
Critics Hated The Undeniably Catchy Soundtrack
Even the abrasive critic of the movie were willing to admit that the songs , written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul , who were also songster forDear Evan HansenandLa La Land , were attention-getting earworms . The music forThe Greatest Showmanwas powerful and inspired by pop , unlike those Pasek and Paul wrote for the initialbox office riskLa La Land , which were more determine by old - school Hollywood musicals such asSingin ' In the rainwater . So why did critics hateGreatest Showman ’s soundtrack ? A key ingredient critic did not savor was that the serious story of P.T. Barnum – many of the obscure parts of which were elided – was water down with saccharine pop music , duplicate by the option to score a full point movie to a pop soundtrack . But the music of The Greatest Showman was beloved by consultation , who found it wildly danceable and turned the soundtrack for the movie into a hit : after four weeks , it hit No . 1 on the Billboard charts , and became the best - sell soundtrack of 2018 . Even critic eventually had to take on the music was stellar when the standout song " This Is Me " receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song .
Thesongs ofThe Greatest Showmanwere direct for sing - alongs and were successful across demographic – something most musical never achieve . Critics argued that the music was too low - forehead and mainstream , whereas truly great melodic theater should be held to a eminent standard . However , the winner of Broadway musicals likeDear Evan HansenorHamilton , which proved that musical comedy can break into mainstream polish and be staggeringly successful , made the accessibility ofThe Greatest Showmana forte , rather than a failing . The soundtrack proved to be particularly democratic with teenagers , who help propel the picture to success by flood social media with covers of the songs .
Although the primary criticism ofThe Greatest Showman ’s music was about its saccharine styling and eclectic mixture of music genre , the album was successful because of just that . The encompassing chain of mountains of melodious influences meant that there was something for everyone . Much like the mainstream popularity oftheHamiltonsoundtrack – which also defied writing style normal and mix the period setting with advanced influence -The Greatest Showmandeviated from standard show line to overwhelming success . It did so with such aplomb that a second album of covers by pop asterisk - calledThe Greatest impresario : Reimagined- added renewed interest and picked up even more chart success for the original number .
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The Pillioried Decision To Simplify Barnum’s History Improved The Story
The biggest criticism ofThe Greatest Showmanwas that it whitewashed P.T. Barnum ’s story and his controversial chronicle in favour of an inclusive message and broader appeal - a criticism that has also been tear down atHamiltonsince its sack on Disney+ . Both musical comedy secern the account of controversial historical figures and take artistic licence with simplifying their stories;Hamiltonhas to break down a complex political story into a digestible package , andThe Greatest Showmantreats P.T. Barnumas a mythological figure alternatively of a historic one , using his aliveness as a framing gadget to severalize a story about cellular inclusion and adoption .
While critics condemned the picture musical for this , The Greatest Showmanwas never market as a lawful reckoning with the legacy of P.T. Barnum , but rather as a fun , gaudy musical about acceptance and creativity . CriticizingThe Greatest Showmanfor its historical truth is miss the full point of the movie , which never advertised itself as anything but an escapist fantasy with a cause of death soundtrack and a visually exuberant innovation .
Ironically , Baz Luhrmann ’s 2001 movie - musicalMoulin Rouge!was praised for the same reasons thatThe Greatest Showmanfailedcritically : wrapping a simple history in a fashionable and over - the - top software package , and create a serial publication of stunning musical set patch that were strung together to form a bare - osseous tissue plot . WhileThe Greatest Showmanfailed to critically examine P.T. Barnum , audiences loved it because it was exactly what it promise to be : a classic rags - to - riches level , star an intensely relatable underdog challenging the wealthy and nefarious elite .
Critics Called It Corny (But That Is The Point)
melodious theater has long been pick at for its inherent corniness , and being by all odds uncool ; a reputation Broadway has been tug back on with the critically acclaimed revival ofOklahoma!in 2019 , or the subversiveness ofHamilton ’s diverse molding . Instead , The Greatest Showmanembraces every conventionality of the genre and fete it with a megawatt smile and a kickline . The movie ’s subplot about a gruff critic who hates Barnum ’s carnival for not being serious house almost winks at the critics , and makes it clear thatThe Greatest Showmanis determined to be a broad , escapist movie about the expression of pleasure .
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Devoted buff of the movie credit that escapism as part of their love life for it . Premiering in the thick of prestigiousness TV and on the same weekend as the darker and more controversialStar Wars : The Last Jedi , The Greatest Showman ’s underdog storywas a confect - coated , house - well-disposed escape . It was help by its optimistic substance about literally draw yourself up by your bootstraps and face the snobby , wealthy villains ; open up while its American interview was facing historical income inequality meant that everyone could identify as P.T. Barnum and his band of underdogs . Critics missed the mark onThe Greatest Showmanbecause it was a idle , brilliant movie that did n’t take itself gravely ; audiences embraced the moving-picture show because of its overt - hearted expression of joyousness .
The GreatestShowmanwas never think as an bill of indictment of P.T. Barnum ’s legacy , or a brilliant artistic expression meant to bring down audience expectations . Critics lampoon the movie for neglect to live up to expectation thatThe Greatest Showmanmusicalnever set . Instead , it succeeds because it achieves on the dot what it mark out to do : ply a showy and fantastic escape cock from world , set to a chirpy soundtrack that ’s impossible to not whistle along with . The Greatest Showmanpromised its audience an infective movie about skillful people that celebrated inclusion and creativity , and that ’s exactly what they got .
Why A Greatest Showman Sequel Should Ignore The Critics
After the Brobdingnagian popularity ofThe Greatest Showman , there ’s been talk of the town about whether a subsequence could be in the kit and boodle – but should it kowtow to critical consensus ? The scant answer to this is that while Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams are very willing and eager to makeThe nifty Showman 2happen , work on a sequel has n’t begun and there does n’t seem to be much traction for it , so it ’s unlikely to happen any time shortly . If it does happen , though , The Greatest Showman 2 ’s big mistakewould be listen to its critics and making the story darker or more historically accurate . Audiences clearly screw the first movie and would in all likelihood want more of the same . Musicals likeMama Mia 2have thrived on continuing the same glide path as their originals , and a hypotheticalThe Greatest Showman 2would be no dissimilar . Most importantly , ifThe Greatest Showman 2were to get made , it should n’t ditch its catchy music . The story may have envelop up nicely enough not to justify a continuation toThe Greatest Showman , but audiences will probably always want more of its upbeat , pan - genre songs .
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