This week, the musical story of P.T. Barnum comes to Blu-ray. It’s quite a show for a lot of reasons, and there are a few ways for fans of this film to enjoy it at home.
Here’s my pick for April 10, 2018.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
20th Century Fox
Written by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon
Based on a story by Bicks
Directed by Michael Gracey
This film was a classic moviegoing experience. It hearkened back to the old MGM musicals of the early 20th century – very showy, genuine, and warm in their presentation. The songs were catchy and the production design was gorgeous. I think this film will live beyond its time, just like most of those great musicals of the past.
The performances were great, for the most part. I could tell this project was a labor of love for Hugh Jackman. However, he’s ironically the weakest part of the film. He tries too hard when he sings, as he did in Les Miserables. In addition to Hugh’s crooning, the dramatic leaps taken with actual history also prevented me from enjoying the film more than I did.
I wasn’t able to see this film during the 2017 calendar year, so I didn’t make it part of my Top 10 of last year, but it would have probably made it. My wife wanted to see it before it left theaters (she’s a bigger fan of musicals generally). I’m glad we did. It was a definite theater-worthy movie. However, I’m sure we’ll enjoy it just as well on the small screen.
Since my wife was a bigger fan of this movie than I was, I asked her which version of the film we should get. First, the choices.
Best Buy: SteelBook
Target: 36-page behind-the-scenes book
Walmart: Official songbook and two-song download
Her Pick: My wife chose the Target version. SteelBook doesn’t appeal to her. She already owns the soundtrack, so the Walmart version doesn’t have any real value. But she’s definitely curious about the Target book. She’s been watching many behind-the-scenes videos on the making of The Greatest Showman on YouTube since we saw it, so hopefully the book will add to her fascination.
Happy Watching!
