MOVIE - The Greatest Showman

PG (1:45)

Wide release 12/20/18

Viewed 1/20/18 with all the Kilkos!
IMBd: 7.8/10

RT Critic: 55   Audience:  88
Critic's Consensus:  The Greatest Showman tries hard to dazzle the audience with a Barnum-style sense of wonder -- but at the expense of its complex subject's far more intriguing real-life story.

Cag:  3.5

Directed by Michael Gracey

Twentieth Century Fox

Hugh Jackman, Zac Ephron, Michelle Williams

My comments:  The music was wonderful, watching the kids' faces was great fun, the storytelling was OK.  I'm betting/guessing that most of the story was fictionalized, so watching it as a piece of fiction ws way more entertaining than trying to think of this as a biopic.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Inspired by the imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business & tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

MOVIE - Eddie the Eagle

PG-13 (1:45)

Wide release 2/26/16

Viewed Sunday, 2/28 at El Con

RT Critic:  73  Audience:  88
Critic's Consensus:  Eddie the Eagle's amiable sweetness can't disguise its story's many inspirational clichés -- but for many viewers, it will be more than enough to make up for them.

Cag:  (5) Loved it!

Directed by Sean Macauley

2oth Century Fox

Based on the true story of Michael (Eddie) Edwards

Hugh Jackman Taron Egerton

My comments: I remember watching him jumping in the Olympices 28 years ago, and vaguely remember his story.  Yes, this was a feel-good movie, and I loved every minute of it!  Both Taron Egerton and Hugh Jacksman were wonderful to watch, great charisma, and I'll highly recommend the movie to anyone that listens.  Loved it!

Fandango Summary:  Sports biopic of Michael "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards (Taron Egerton), whose participation in the 1988 Winter Olympics at Calgary marked the first time a Brit had ever competed in the ski-jumping event. Edwards trains as a ski jumper under the tutelage of a hard-drinking former champ (Hugh Jackman), and eventually finds fame as a lovable loser who's just trying his best
RT Summary:  Inspired by true events, Eddie the Eagle is a feel-good story about Michael "Eddie" Edwards (Taron Egerton), an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself - even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach (played by Hugh Jackman), Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.