The Greatest Showman

P.T. Barnum had a difficult life. From his father dying when he was young - leaving him orphaned - to falling in love with a woman whose father disapproved of their relationship, he's had to constantly fight for what he has and to make a name for himself, as well as provide for his family. He does well for awhile, until he's laid off and must look for some more work. During his search he has the bright idea to bring together some of the world's wonders and put on a show that would dazzle audiences around the world. His dream is not without some detractors, however. Many people see the acts in his show and label it a "freak show", calling for the show to be shut down. Despite that, he perseveres with his show and also develops a deep relationship with the members of his show, and gaining an understanding of people who aren't necessarily allowed into "popular" circles of modern society.

The Greatest Showman was a pleasant surprise, as I wasn't expecting it to be a musical. I guess I didn't pay too much attention to the trailers, so when the movie opened with the first song, I was confused at first but then once I settled in and watched the movie, I loved every minute of it. For the first time in a long time, I was able to sit back and just enjoy the story unfolding onscreen and the music without feeling like I had to purposefully look for things to critique. The music is enthrallingly catchy, each of the performances from the actors were wonderful, and I loved the vibrant and extravagant sets. Even though I already knew he could sing from his performance in Les Miserables, Hugh Jackman knocks it out of the park again with his portrayal of P.T. Barnum. It amazes me just how good of an artist he is.

Another thing I appreciated, especially as an individual with a disability, was the overarching message(s) of acceptance regardless of disability, social status, etc. The song This Is Me, though it wasn't my favorite song out of the entire movie, resonated with me deeply. I'm sure that was the intention, of course, but still it was great to see.

Even if you aren't a big fan of musicals in general, it's still completely worth it to check out The Greatest Showman. As mentioned above, it's the first movie in a long time that made me forget everything and just sit back and have fun. That's a feeling I hope keeps coming back in the future from here on out.

Tomb Raider

Long before she became known as the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft was simply a young woman living in London trying to get by on her own without the assistance of her family's estate. If Lara receives her inheritance, then she would have to finally face the truth - that her father is indeed dead, and has been for years. Just as she's about to sign the papers for her inheritance, she comes across an old video of her father explaining his final project before he disappeared. It seems he was on the trail of a treasure involving an old legend of the Japanese queen Himiko, a queen rumored to have supernatural powers, able to even control death itself. Lara's interest spikes, so she follows in her father's footsteps in the hopes to not only succeed in finding Queen Himiko, but to find out the truth about her father once and for all.

I've played the Tomb Raider game of which this latest movie is based on, and I honestly felt like this is one of the best (certainly one of the more faithful) video game adaptation in recent years. I absolutely love the popular Angelina Jolie version of Tomb Raider, but to me Alicia Vikander makes a much better Lara Croft. For starters, Alicia's version of the character is much more fleshed out, more of an actual person as opposed to simply a sex symbol that the original movie version was. The older movies were completely fun and I loved them, but this new version made me actually care for the character and what happens to her. Same goes for Dominic West as her father, Lord Richard Croft. I could feel the father-daughter bond between Richard and Lara, so I loved their scenes together. Unlike the previous movies, we actually get to see Lara grow up onscreen and see just how close to her father she is, and the result is wonderful to see.

As far as how closely the movie follows the game, there are certainly some significant changes (some of which I can't specify because of spoilers), but I liked the direction the movie takes with the material. I can't wait to see where they go from here with Alicia Vikander as the Tomb Raider. I know many are tired of sequels/prequels/remakes, and for the most part I'd agree, but for the Tomb Raider franchise I'd like to see more if they're going to be anything like this movie. Even if I weren't a big fan of the Tomb Raider game(s), I have no doubt I would've enjoyed the movie regardless.