Great music, but not much else

Rating: 5/10 (15 January 2019)

This movie is essentially just a series of lavishly produced and heavily stylized musical numbers held together by a flimsy and perfunctory plot. Anyone looking for any insight into the life of PT Barnum (albeit with music) or, surprisingly, some emotional depth should look elsewhere.
This movie is simply an assault on your senses, and I don't mean that in a bad way. Visually and aurally it is fantastic. I found it completely lacking in emotional impact however, even though some of the songs are definitely meant to evoke emotion. This is possibly because the movie never slows down or quietens down enough to allow emotion to build. I did not dislike this at all. At the end of it all though, I felt curiously unmoved.
I did enjoy the original soundtrack for the most part and kudos goes to the composers. It will be interesting to see if these songs have a life beyond the run of the movie as many songs from other musicals have.
On a technical level, the production was excellent although some of the CGI animals were obviously CGI. A good number of the actors were quite obviously miming their songs to some one else's voice. Make up was top notch and acting was great too.
Go and see this movie and enjoy it as a great concert, just don't go expecting a great movie.