Hugh Jackman brings his considerable box office clout to this biopic musical about the legendary showman, P.T. Barnum. Even though his presence is the dominant force, his energetic performance never ignites inspiration. It doesn’t help that the story is written in broad strokes with rudimentary motivations and cursory emotions. There are a LOT of songs and most of them have catchy, yet generic pop melodies with interchangeable lyrics about love or empowerment. The choreography is sometimes clever and there are snazzy directorial touches, including a steady energy throughout. Still, the combined effect is rather lackluster.

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