- Originality: It hardly qualifies as a film, but this recording of the stage musical has given audiences everywhere a chance to appreciate one of the greatest musicals of the modern era. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote this musical over the course of a decade and its lyrics, musical, style, and tone make it a masterpiece thanks to his dedication to perfection. [5.0]
- Performances: The original broadway cast is the focus of this recording and there isn’t a bad performance in the bunch. Lin-Manuel Miranda is probably the weakest singer out of everyone, but he surrounds himself with such talent that it doesn’t even matter. Daveed Diggs, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Christopher Jackson all deserve praise for what they’re bringing to this. [5.0]
- Technicality: Since this isn’t a film, in the traditional sense, it’s hard to judge it on it’s technicality. The blocking on the stage is highly effective and the musical makes great use of the set, including massive “turntables” in the floor which create a unique flow in the performances. The actual filming highlights the actors through zooming shots and close-ups which is the closer than you could get during a real performance. [4.0]
- Rewatchability: To describe this film as rewatchable would be a misnomer, what this is, is re-listen-able. The on-screen action is great and certainly deserve a half dozen more views to fully appreciate the scale, but it’s the music that sells this and the millions who downloaded the soundtrack after watching this would probably agree. While not technically a film, this one will be played often in my home, in some capacity. [5.0]
Total – [19.0/20.0]
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