I can understand why people enjoy this film. Ill start this reviews with the positives. This film does successfully make you feel good. The actors seem to be having a great time during this film and some moments between characters are heartfelt. The dancing is great and the excellent cinematography emphasises this. The director also uses lighting brilliantly. It's hard to describe, but you will notice it during this film and like it. The music is good, and although some weaker than others, and another nitpick that I'll get to later, you will have most of these songs stuck on repeat in your head, "This is me" definitely deserved the nomination.

However when there isn't singing and dancing the film is bland and generic. The characters are very one dimensional and lack character arcs. This was a problem with every character in this film, including the nameless characters. It was very black and white, people either hated the circus or loved it. The director also presented every single rich person as 'snobby and hateful' to the circus. The story of P.T Barnum is an interesting one, however the film didn't do well presenting the struggles of getting a circus, infact, glossed over an entire section of him and the circus late in the film! When it came to the music, it was good, no doubt, however it sounded very present-day for a film set in the 19th century.

To summarise, I wouldn't call it one of the great films of the year, however a fan of musicals will adore this film, and the story will deliver for any casual movie goer. I WOULD recommend this film