Hamilton; The Releasing was not Smart, but at Least It’s Disney Plus’ First Good Film. Grade: B

Where it comes to live theatre I’ve had several experiences. Including a Spider-Man musical in Florida, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at Smith Theatre, and of course supporting friends at Skitzpoolza at my own high school. Perhaps my favorite is Skitzpoolza due to the fact it caters my style of live theatre, as I enjoy comedy skits. Shouts out the legends of Skitzpoolza Aaron Lockhart, Delly Winters, Rebekah, Trevor, and of course my fair goddess Lauren... Where art thou Lauren, where art thou.

The praise for the New York City broadway musical skeptical called Hamilton has been going on for many years, as some claim it to be the best live theatre experience they ever witness. The first time I was introduced to Hamilton is in my friends car, after an advanced screening of The Legend of Tarzan. My friend Aaron I kid you not... Is a Hamilton Super Fan. This dude will recite lyrics word for word towards EVERY song. The music that I heard in that car ride... Wasn’t half bad. That’s rare to hear, as many know I don’t care for Lin Manuel Miranda music at all. Hamilton was supposed to be released in theaters in October, but during these times of depression, Disney thought... Let’s boost our streaming subscription sales, since it’s honestly below mediocrity compared to giants Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, now HBO Max... By releasing Hamilton early on the streaming service. So thanks to our sponsor for helping us secure this review on time, let’s talk about Hamilton.

The production value in Hamilton was honestly pretty awesome. When it comes to the instrumental portion of the music, it really does compliment with the vocals of the performers, as it never once appears shy in giving the audience a extremely loud experience. Costume design was solid as well, it caters towards the time of the Revolutionary War, as it’s kept very simple and accurate towards the time period. I honestly really enjoy the choreography in the many dance numbers, a lot of these cats are extremely talented with sick dance moves, as well as the chemistry between each cast member is spot on. Especially during this one sequence with the King and this woman, as the timing in having the King direct the woman where to put the chair down, so he can sit down was very cool.

The cast is lead by familiar faces in the industry. Including Lin Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs from Blindspotting, Anthony Ramos from A Star is Born and Monsters and Men, Leslie Odom Jr from Harriet... It was cool to recognize people whom I have seen before. I felt the cast as a whole was great, I felt the acting by each cast member was surprisingly much stronger than the singing. Especially when the story offered emotional sequences, where actors had to cry or show a great amount of frustration, I was honestly more impressed in how each one delivered immensely, than any singing number. My favorite performer by far was Leslie Odom Jr as anytime he was performing, my eyes were glued to the screen, as well as he gave my ears a treat. Extremely talented being, as both his acting and singing ability were top notch. Another favorite performance of mine is Phillpa Soo playing Eliza Hamilton, the wife of Alexander Hamilton as I also found her fantastic. She shined in every scene she was in, adored her singing ability and acting ability as well. Best scene for her is simply forgiving Alexander, during the funeral of their son, it was all impactful because of how she performed this scene along side Lin Manuel Miranda. Also Eliza Hamilton is the best character in the entire story easily. The woman does no wrong, she went on to the impact people’s lives due to the legacy of her husband... Kind of wished this story was more centered on her, as she would’ve been a much more proper protagonist.

When it comes to Lin Manuel Miranda, over the years I express that I think he’s overrated. Aside from the couple tunes I heard from Hamilton in my friends car, his other music from Moana and Marry Poppins Returns bores the living hell out of me. Not only the style of music bores me, but anytime he sings... I just tune out, as he sounds like a poor mans impersonation of Kermit the Frog. But I always acknowledge this man was a talented being, just his style and vocals is not a personal preference to me, which that’s perfectly fine. It’s no surprise Lin Manuel Miranda’s performance is my least favorite out of Hamilton, as his vocals and style yet again just don’t work for me. But this may come a surprise: I was honestly a little impressed with Lin Manuel Miranda this time around, as his acting range was pretty good as Alexander Hamilton. But I felt where Lin Manuel Miranda shines in the singing department, is actually his duets with other performers. Especially in the duet with Leslie Odom Jr. where I thought he could potentially butcher this scene, surprisingly complimented with Leslie Odom Jr. very well, as he’s discovering the news he has a son. When Lin Manuel Miranda has a solo performance it honestly doesn’t work at all, as the vocals come off as dry and not impactful, compared to the other performers. But when Lin Manuel Miranda sings with other performers... It’s tolerable and actually good. So despite myself not caring for Lin Manuel Miranda, at least I can say there are actual positives I can give, as long as there is mutual respect I don’t see much of a problem regarding he’s not a personal preference of mine music wise. My favorite song from Hamilton? The King George (Jonathan Groff) song... It’s no surprise this it’s charting on the billboards, it’s a pretty awesome song.

Before giving my opinion on Hamilton, let’s discuss the releasing of Hamilton: This maybe the dumbest thing, I’ve ever seen Disney do. Dumping Hamilton on Disney Plus, in which is a property in which millions of people love and are willing to spend hundreds of dollars in seeing live... What the hell were they thinking?! I kid you not: This would’ve made at least a half of a billion dollars easily. I bet you can even charge Fathom Event pricing as far as Opera ticketing prices, as people will still go in droves to watch this. Not only was the financial side of it extremely dumb, but Hamilton doesn’t belong on a television screen, it must be fully experienced on IMAX/Dolby theater screens. At the back of mind while watching this in my bedroom, I thought, “Having this live theatre skeptical on a television screen should be illegal, who the hell approve this atrocity?!” I’m actually going to apologize to Lin Manuel Miranda and the rest of the crew... This should’ve never been restricted on television screens. Not only did you lose a great amount of money, you also didn’t get the proper releasing you deserved.

I do have problems with Hamilton. As far as the music goes with Hamilton a solid portion I do really enjoyable, as it’s more towards the singing. There is a problem with the Rapping portion. When the rapping is actually paced, it sounds nice. But when the rapping becomes extremely fast, to the point in which you can’t comprehend it... That honestly doesn’t work well, as it can come across annoying. Also the second half regarding music was a bit repetitive, as it felt like the same formula was being played over and over again. I felt there should’ve been a creative opening, before showing Hamilton. Majority of concert films in the past have a nice setup, that really get the audience hyped up in what they’re about to watch. With Hamilton it just starts as I felt underwhelmed with the fact it didn’t have a cool opening to start with. Lastly Alexander Hamilton as a protagonist... Eh. Now keep in mind: We root for Alexander because of his difficult up bringing, plus he wants to establish bright ideas to help start up the country. Where the problems lie on Alexander is simply women. Especially towards the reasoning behind cheating on his wife... It doesn’t make me want to root on this character anymore. Cheating on a significant other though despicable, can however be understand by reasonable explanation. However with Alexander... He just cheats on his wife for a non legitimate reason. Sure the woman he cheats with is encountering problems of her own, but why doesn’t Hamilton seek justice for this woman, instead of cheating on his woman?! It goes against everything Alexander stands for as a person, making his character more complicated.

I can see why people love Hamilton, as a grand skeptical. It’s a story told in a much more hip fashion, that can cater to younger audiences, as it’s fun to watch. The production value, the choreography, the music, the acting, the singing... There is a fair amount to appreciate and even adore. As far as the story goes... It was honestly fine. I understand this story has some historical context issues, in which now people want to Cancel Hamilton... While we’re on that note, Cancel Human Beings trying to find problems in everything... Bunch of Insecure Twats. However the historical context didn’t bother me to the point of outrage. With Hamilton, it does offer a different perspective of one must felt during the Revolution. I felt Lin Manuel was trying to show everything in life regarding how the country is developing and even Alexander Hamilton, is all flawed. There could’ve been more done, as we can clearly see some of our founding fathers still having difficulties in getting where the country should be. But then again: Without them, where would we all be?! Think about that for a good second. I feel we should appreciate the fact the founding fathers, regardless if their flawed, still brought good in providing a step forward into the right direction. We all know none of them are perfect as surely their flawed, but without them I believe a fair amount of human beings living in this country, would not exist today so... Appreciate the good, rather than dwell on what you can’t change during that time period. I felt the first half of Hamilton was stronger than the first. It offers fresh ideas from the beginning to the end of the first half, as it doesn’t become stale. I feel where this skeptical can be appreciated the most, is the fact you can tell every single person that was apart of it, had a dear passion for it. You can clearly tell by the range of performances, the music, and how these performers perform... You just feel that raw energy rushing through your veins. To me Hamilton is a grand skeptical, done well as there is deer appreciation towards it’s existence. May not be going Gaga over it like others, but it’s something worth admiring, as it could come across inspiring towards others.

Overall, Hamilton is a good film. I recommend checking this one out, at least experience it once. Well now a word from our sponsorship.

Do you enjoy Apple products?! The IPhone in which human beings are more attached to, than experiencing a life of their own? How about the IMac in which you can never afford? The IPad Pro in which these reviews are developed in? Air Pods in which these wireless bad boys can be loved by listening to your beloved fav tunes, while avoiding social interaction?! Would you like to go to a place, in which to pursue a purchase, but need someone to help guide you the significance of having these items?! Look no further than... AARON at APPLE! Aaron not only screams Apple pride, but has been referred as “The Best Customer Service, Apple Can Buy”! He will help guide you through the way of any curiosity you have in acquiring a product, make you feel at home with delightful conversation, and best of all... WILL SING AND DANCE UPON REQUEST! That’s right folks: Aaron enjoys singing classical karaoke tunes, as he enjoys dancing as well. If you’re going to look into purchasing an apple product, make sure it’s with Aaron at the Apple Store at DownTown Summerlin! (Worth Noting: Apple Store at DownTown Summerlin is temporality closed due to Covid-19. No one knows when it’ll reopen). -Mitch Smietana