Another Musical Classic: Don't Mind the Critics

I think critics are missing the whole premise of the film. I never really saw this as a biography to begin with, but a fun, upbeat historical fiction musical. Each musical number had a fitting mood for the scene, especially the opening number where it was especially satisfying to see the visual aspects of the film. I saw this film as a mixture of the pop-style mood of Hamilton, mixed with the visual joyride that was Pippin. It works for me perfectly. I never really felt the runtime at all because the musical parts of the show were enough to keep me satisfied. Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman definitely brought my favorite performances, with Waitress actress Keala Settle delivering some satisfying vocal delivery. You can definitely feel the La La Land levels of genius lyrics here. As for story, I found myself telling the characters "NO DON'T DO THAT" or "YESSS" very softly in the theater. There were even a few moments where I smiled and laughed out loud. In the words of Rachel Bloom, "the modern musical is an American invention, and it is still alive and well." It's rare that we get to see wonderfully crafted theatrical musicals such as this and La La Land. This is also something I think many critics fail to see. This is definitely one of my favorite films of all time.