The Greatest Showman, a 2017 Musical based on the true events of a man named P.T Barnum and how he created the Barnum and Bailey Circus, premiered on December 8th.

The movie’s cast was an amazing assortment of well-known actors and actresses, along with some new faces that will hopefully continue to show up in more films.The film tells a story of P.T Barnum, played by Hugh Jackman, and how he rose from a poor boy to the successful owner of his very own circus. While creating his circus, he is joined by various “freaks” that will later become famous and loved by all who enjoy the show. The movie also portrays riots made up of people who don’t accept the unique people Barnum was putting in his show. One of these riots would later lead to a major disaster.

P.T’s ego grows rather inflated, which leads him to make decisions that negatively affect the people around him. In the end, he realizes his mistakes and rights the wrongs he made. The plot is quite an inspirational one; preaching equality, showing hard work pays off, and demonstrating that no matter where you start in life, you can always go up.

Many people resonated with the film, loving the music and the message, but, as per usual, there are others who aren’t as fond of the production. These critics thought the movie was too flashy, and didn’t contain enough character development.

The cast obviously disagrees, mentioning that the experience of creating this movie has been both exciting and magical.

Zac Efron, who plays Phillip Carlyle, comments about his take on the musical, “There’s something about, the romanticism, the brightening, the joy in music, and experiencing love and experiencing loss through song. If you can really do it classically, like i think we achieved in this movie…it finds a way to become ultrapowerful…”

Fans of the movie agree with this, adding that the music added an aspect to the film that really couldn’t be expressed through normal speaking.

Zendaya, who plays Anne Wheeler in the musical, also agrees, “music is able to make you feel and so are movies. To me, that’s why musicals are so special, at least through my eyes, because it like almost turns up like the saturation of it.”

All in all, even with some mixed reviews, this film truly is an experience, with music, joy, and a plot that contains both ups and downs. The Greatest Showman is a tale of true events, with true experiences, and a true message.