I know a lot of folks loved this film....but it just didn't work for me. For me, it was an assault on my senses and painful to watch.

Rating: 2/10 (14 July 2018)

"The Greatest Showman" is a highly fictionalized, colorful and loud bio-pic about P.T. Barnum, the 19th century showman who helped create the circus experience we're all familiar with today. I know some people who absolutely adored "The Greatest Showman" and it has a very respectable score on IMDB of 7.7....yet, surprisingly, I hated the film...so much I eventually turned it off. Perhaps it's due to my age...perhaps I am a curmudgeon...all I know is that the film was too intense, too brash and too loud for me. Now it's NOT because I dislike musicals...far from it. But this one is so in your face and abrasive that you'll likely either find yourself pulled into it OR you'll feel like screaming because it's an assault on all your senses....I am in that second group. The film simply had too few quieter moments and was more like a rock concert by musicians on crack than an enjoyable movie. It looks great...but induces headaches because of the film's intensity. A horrid viewing experience for me and my lovely wife.