Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the greatest show on earth! Well, sort of.

The new movie “Water for Elephants” focuses on a man’s life aboard a circus train. While the film offers plenty of spectacle, it differs slightly from the plot of the best selling novel of its basis. Written by Sara Gruen in 2006, Water for Elephants was recently adapted into a full-blown Hollywood movie.

Told in flashbacks to his youth, the story follows Jacob Jankowski, an almost-Cornell-graduate who ends up with nothing after his parents are killed in a car accident. He promptly leaves the home that is claimed by the bank and spontaneously hops the Benzini Brothers’ Circus train.

Once aboard, Jankowski meets an interesting cast of characters, including the ringmaster August, and his wife, Marlena. Since Jacob’s chosen study at Cornell was to be a veterinarian, August welcomes him onto the circus as the resident animal doctor.

Trying to compete with Ringling Brothers,’ August soon purchases an elephant named Rosie. Jacob and Marlena bond over her training and soon, short tempered August begins to unravel.

Surprisingly, Robert Pattinson shines as Jacob, hiding his English accent perfectly and giving the character a well rounded and believable disposition.  Reese Witherspoon also performs well as Marlena, but her age makes the feelings between the two seem a bit strange.

While the two leads have an adequate amount of chemistry, Christoph Waltz’s August steals the show.

Another interesting aspect of the film was the animals. The lions, bears, giraffes, and of course, elephant, helped the atmosphere seem magical and real.

The film’s setting of a circus train provides an interesting foil to the Great Depression era. The extravagant circus life Jacob happens upon wisks him away from his problems, giving him an alternative to the life he no longer can live.

While the film was very entertaining, it made a few changes from the novel that I thought fit together better. It added a couple characters, subtracted a few others, and condensed the plot to fit into the alotted two hours. If you’ve never read the book, the movie will probably seem more pleasant and original.

Despite the changes, “Water for Elephants” was overall an enjoyable movie. The elaborate sets and clothing make the time and place seem real, and everything comes together to bring the big top to life.