Kid’s take on movies
‘The Greatest Showman’ By Abigail Zoe L. KIDS FIRST! film critic, age 10
The movie musical The Greatest Showman is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Everything is delightfully fantastic, including the story, acting, music, songs, dancing and costumes. It also has many thoughtful messages.
The film tells the story of the imagination and creations of P.T. Barnum, the successful businessman who brought us the circus.
It begins when Barnum is just a boy and has both big dreams and a big crush on an upper-class girl. Barnum rises from a homeless boy to a very wealthy and successful man. He creates the first museum of oddities and a very entertaining show — known as the circus — full of unique persons such as the Bearded Lady, trapeze artists, the shortest and tallest men in the world and more. Along the journey, he has a lot of ups and downs, but he always seems to triumph over them.
The opening scene with song and dance is my favorite and got me moving in my seat. My other favorite scene is when cups are used to create rhythm in song when Barnum convinces a wealthy young man to partner with him. The costumes are amazing, and my two favorites are Barnum’s colorful ringmaster suit and Jenny’s dress with beautiful, shiny rhinestones.
Two of my most favorite characters are Barnum, played by the multitalented Hugh Jackman, and Anne Wheeler, played by Zendaya. Jackman is believably brilliant playing someone who can win, lose and win again. Zendaya has a wonderful singing voice and does her own amazing acrobat stunts.
Additionally, the perfectly written and woven songs in the movie by composers Justin Paul and Benj Pasek stand out in my mind. In fact, these songs tell the story, on their own, of this wonderful movie musical.
Finally, the message of this film is best summed up in the ending credit quote and by Barnum himself, which is, “The noblest art is that of making others happy.” I personally believe this to be true.
I can say without a doubt that The Greatest Showman is one film you absolutely do not want to miss. I think it also may be one of the best films of 2017. I recommend this film for ages 8 to 18, as well as adults, and give it the highest KIDS FIRST! rating: 5 out of 5 stars! It’s now in theaters, so be sure to check it out!