Jackman's talent propels the show but the songs are weak

Rating: 6/10 (8 January 2018)

It's great that Hugh Jackman has another chance to fill the screen with his singing and dancing talent. And he is truly the star of this interesting biopic of PT Barnum. His strong vocals and energy propel the show on and the story keeps you wanting to see what happens. Michelle Williams plays his wife. Her voice seems thin and weak compared to his and she should have been dubbed. Rebecca Fergusson looks good as the diva Jenny Lind and even though she is lip syncing she moves you when her character is singing. Her face with it's old fashioned beauty is just right for the period. Zac Efron is alright if a bit small sized compared to the rest of the cast. At least he can sing and dance. Not much chemistry with Zendaya.
The weak part of this movie is the music itself. The songs are derivative and the lyrics are banal relying on repetition of simplistic tunes and lyrics over and over again. The composing team is tragically untalented. The style of the music and songs are totally out of place with the setting. What a waste of such singing talent.
Things slow down during the rather forced dramatic climax.
Worth watching for Hugh