User Reviews

Greetings again from the darkness. You know what it's like when people start talking about some great new restaurant that just opened (think back to pre-pandemic)? And then you start to hear your friends and co-workers raving about it ... best 'steamed broccoli' (ok, insert your favorite entrée) I've ever tasted! Having been burned many times with high expectations, you remain skeptical, but make the reservation. Well, that's been me with "Hamilton." For almost 5 years, the hype was just too much. Surely folks were caught up in the frenzy, and peer pressure was such that no one would admit it wasn't all that. So, now I'm here ... throwing myself at the mercy of the Theater Gods. Thanks to Disney Plus, I only needed to invest a little (ok, a lot) of time, rather than a few hundred dollars for a ticket. This is me humbly admitting I was wrong. The show is fantastic, and I only wish my first viewing had been a live performance.

Unfortunately (because of what I mentioned above) this can't be a comparison of a live stage performance and the film version. Instead, this will briefly outline what I noticed in the movie. First, and I believe this is key, the original stage director Thomas Kail is back to direct the film. It should be noted that the film version is a blend of a couple of recorded live shows, plus some recorded songs seamlessly edited in. This is the original cast doing what they do best, and the edits are imperceptible. Second, the main cast is filled with dynamic performers. In many stage shows, one or two actors are head and shoulders above the others. Not so here. At a minimum the top seven actors are as skilled and fun to watch as any you've seen. Third, this is a true musical in that the songs drive the story. Some of the early songs require serious concentration to catch the lines, but even if you miss some lyrics, the gist of what's happening is pretty clear. These aren't so much catchy sing-along types, but you'll easily recall the scenes when you hear the songs again at a later date. We see a perfect melding of music-performance-story.

Of course most everyone knows that Lin-Manuel Miranda is the creative force behind the show. He credits writer Ron Chernow's book on Alexander Hamilton as the inspiration for the production, but it's Mr. Miranda that appeared on every talk show for a couple of years, and he also performs as Alexander Hamilton. Daveed Diggs has dual roles as the flamboyant Marquis de Lafayette and the equally flamboyant (at least here) Thomas Jefferson. Renee Elise Goldsberry takes over the stage with her powerful voice as Angelica Schuyler, and Chris Jackson is a dominating physical presence as George Washington. Jonathan Groff (from "Mindhunter") is absolutely hysterical and unforgettable as King George III, both through song and strut. Everyone will have their favorite performers, and truly they are all exceptional, and I'd like to point out the two that took my breath away. Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton has a pristine voice that will bring tears to many eyes. She may not be as involved with the political elements of the story, but in the most emotional moments, she is front and center. Lastly, the passion Leslie Odom Jr brings to his role as Adam Burr is beyond description. He may be the "villain", but he makes Burr accessible and easy to understand ... plus Odom is a terrific singer and performer, and he lights up the stage.

It's easy to overlook the dance and stage choreography since it's never over-the-top, but the dancers are terrific and the performers make great use of the single set - although props are regularly brought in and taken away. Perhaps what really makes this click as movie entertainment is the expert use of cameras and editing. We see the full stage when we should, and we are offered close-ups when it's most effective. I do hope to catch the live show at some point, but if my Hamilton experience is limited to this cinematic version, well ... "that would be enough."

I started watching this out of curiosity and to say I have seen it, being the cultural touchstone that it is. At first, I was a little detached, not liking the songs too much, and thinking I would probably just skip through to end in a minute. I couldn't stop watching and it really sucked me in. I have to say, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it at all, live in the theater. I benefited greatly from the captions and the ability to put it on pause to consult Wikipedia from time to time. The lyrics were so clever and really told the story. I ended up very moved and almost cheering at the end. Of course, now that I am familiar with the story, I would love to see it live and would enjoy it immensely. But I would strongly recommend this for a first time viewing. I will definitely re-watch. And probably again and again.

Just fantastic cast, fresh music and amazing set and choreography

Although many musical adaptations have flopped this may have proved that best way to do it is simply film the play. What you get is one of the best musicals available to watch whenever you like at an affordable price. Great work by everyone involved especially Lin Manuel Miranda.

I'm a mexican boy who has never got the chance to go to Broadway, all I've seen are bootlegs, and they're fine but not like this. This is a beautiful shot of the great spectacle Hamilton is, the flawless music of Lin Manuel Miranda, the production, the photography, costumes. And the acting, Leslie Odom Jr., Renneè, Miranda and Daveed Diggs shine on their roles, I don't know is this can be nominated for any award, but damn it deserves it

I've been lucky enough to catch the show on tour in Minneapolis and it was amazing. As another reviewer said, this is how all Broadway productions should be released - not all Hollywood stylized - but a live filmed production of the original cast before an audience. About as close to perfection as you can get it.

I had my kids convince me to watch it.. and I am so happy they did. It is not your simple musical and that is what makes it unique. Hip hop, R&B and jazz songs, comedy, beautiful songs and the decor and acting is amazing. A must watch!

'Hamilton' was a major surprise for me when seeing and hearing it. Music is such a big part of my life, being now a semi-professional singer and raised into a musical family, and am a fan of musicals, especially the golden age ones. History was also one of my favourite and best subjects in most of my up and down school life, until it didn't work out in sixth form when my confidence went and my comprehension and drive worsened. So having a musical to combine the two immediately intrigued me, despite not being the biggest fan of the dominant styles here (was raised on classical music and opera personally).

That is what was meant when saying that 'Hamilton' was a major surprise. Hearing that a filmed version of a production was coming to Disney+, which has been a much needed distraction, there was no doubt in my mind about seeing it. So that the mix of history and music, the meaningful and relevant lyrics, the brilliant performances and the energy and heart it has can be revisited again. It does play fast and loose with history, blame that on the musical and not the production, sure and the style(s) of music that dominates the score here are not my first choices usually, but actually for its entertainment value, emotional impact and how well crafted it is as an overall whole, 'Hamilton' was a real winner. As was this production. Which was very much needed after suffering through 'Artemis Fowl', a musical surprise adapted masterfully and so accessibly and through a particularly unsettling time in a terrible few years.

It, the production that is, looks great. The sumptuous and true to the respective periods costumes especially and the setting is not too elaborate or overblown while still never looking cheap. Personally thought that the production was very well filmed, certainly compared to other filmed productions of musical theatre, opera and ballet seen and have seen many of each (being a major fan of all three). It made me feel like a member of an audience seeing it live, expect seeing it far more accessibly in terms of money and locations. Which is what is so great about these live/streamed performances and they have proven to be invaluable. Of which 'Hamilton' has been a big highlight.

Musically, 'Hamilton' is on point. Those that don't like the styles are best staying away unless wanting to see what the hoopla is all about, but as someone that saw it with an open mind and wanting to stretch even more my musical horizons 'Hamilton' made me appreciate hip hop and rap much more because they were so well done in their own way. When they are well done and not too repetitive or preachy, yes it is dependent on how they're executed in my view rather than any bias towards the styles, that is when it is easy to appreciate them and that is what 'Hamilton' excels so well in. Also found it very well accompanied.

What also comes over brilliantly is how 'Hamilton' is written. The musical and performance are very song heavy, which some may not like dependent on what your feelings on musicals, hip hop and rap are (some love it, others hate it and it is all down to taste which is fair enough). Found the melodies very clever and easy to remember, amazing considering how many there are and not an easy thing to achieve these days. It was the lyrics though that made a bigger impression on me, these lyrics were vastly entertaining and also at times quite emotional but what is just as admirable are their honesty and how relevant they are. These are lyrics that are likely to connect for many, and from the sounds of it have done. Historically, it is far and loose but that didn't matter for me being somebody that watched not expecting a history lesson. 'Hamilton' does very well at making people more interested in history and the particular time periods depicted, that is from my experience from seeing it with people that felt exactly the same as me. What is great about this production is how it does so well in being true and capturing the spirited energy and heart of the musical itself, which is what filmed adaptations of musicals in my mind should do.

Really loved 'Hamilton's' performances. Have seen both love and hate for Lin Manuel Miranda's performance. Personally loved his work here, he was very heavily involved in making 'Hamilton' work, his dilligent efforts very much obvious here, and he gives the equivalent of the performance of his life here. He is charming and has great authority and comic timing and really do disagree that he doesn't have singing ability, he proved in 'Mary Poppins Returns' in my view that he could and he does great in this regard too. Dramatically he is the stuff of legends as is the joy that was Leslie Odom Jr. Daveed Diggs brings tremendous energy in Act 2 especially and Jonathan Groff is absolutely hilarious here. Phillipa Soo and Renee Elise Goldsberry shouldn't be overlooked either, Soo is especially good. Okieriete Onaodowan has great chemistry with Diggs and holds his own against him when they're together, especially as Madison.

Concluding, truly brilliant in my view. It won't be for all tastes but even if one is put off by the first twenty minutes if not knowing what to expect my advice really is to stick with it. It is not worth certainly not bragging about turning it off about 15 minutes or something, that is the equivalent of barely seeing it. One of the easiest 10/10's given recently.

As a daughter of immigrants born and raised in America where our president calls Mexicans like my dad "rapists and criminals." This hit at my heartstrings. Many people will resonate with Hamilton's story as an immigrant and orphan who worked twice as hard to make it and be accepted in society and new country. His insecurity was always there as many other Americans who are questioned and judged. The actors were so talented. I had chills while watching this and cried. I loved that most of the actors were black, Asian, Latino and White. and the fact that this was written, produced by a Latino man makes me even more emotional. The finest piece of art I've ever seen. Watch it!

Very intense! I knew the cast album, but it still was amazing. The performances were better than the album, more emotional. Eliza's sceenes were believable, King George was funny. Jefferson and Hamilton go against each other, and the audience loved it. Even though I knew it was coming, Hamilton's final scene was horrible. The audio describer was good, sometimes describing the action during the applause, before the singers started singing, or describing during a song. For example, before the Skuylar Sisters song starts he says, "Burr." Then, he said "The Skuylar sisters hold up their silk gowns, dancing in the center of the rotating stage." After that song, he describes the next one before they start singing. Thank you, Disney Plus for funding the audio description.

@garcwrites: Going in I knew Hamilton: The Musical was two hours and forty minutes long. What I didn't know, well most likely forgot, is that it's in two acts, and that's important. Not being a Musical Theatre aficionado the run time was daunting, but once I started I was kind of feeling it.

I was totally engaged - I had to be - because this is a little dense. They sing the whole time, I mean the whole time. It feels like one long as song, with tons of information in lyrics that you don't always understand. So I had to be "on" if I didn't want to miss something. At some points of the first act it felt like they were lip-syncing, or as if they put the audio of one performance on the images of another, the sound mixing looked off.

By the time the intermission came, it was like a slapped to my face, because like I mentioned I forgot about it so I thought that it was the end of the musical. I was mildly entertain by what I saw and was ready to move on. It legit made me sweat when I realize I had over an hour to go.

The second act was truly a breath of fresh air. I felt like I learned more in that part then the first. There was a lot of variety in the songs, which were amazing, but I was captivated by what was going on, not because I could miss something important, I was just entertained.

I also appreciated that they didn't sanitize the more questionable aspects of the story. It got me to like the cast even more. I was looking at the performances and soaking in the history.

Hamilton is worth the watch it's crescendo with the first act feels like a intro that's running a little long but once you're in the thick of it, it's fun, and clever.

I cried.

Beautifully filmed, well crafted story structure and an amazing story with awe inspiring music, singing, dancing and acting.

A must watch for everyone.

I never had much interest in seeing a hip-hop Alexander Hamilton. I'm not big on rap (I'm old, after all). But since it came to TV I figured I'd take a look.

It's a bold, brave, revolutionary work that I really admire, but it's also a bunch of people rapping, which meant I found it musically less engaging than something like Cabaret and also that I often had difficulty following the story, since it's actually a rap *opera* in which all the dialogue is rapped (or sung).

The cast is very good, particularly Renée Elise Goldsberry and Leslie Odom Jr., who are electric. The weakest cast member, unfortunately, is the star, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who I don't believe could have landed the part of Hamilton if he wasn't the playwright. He's not awful, but he never catches fire the way others do.

It's a very smart musical. It's beautifully staged (love that eye-of-the-tornado scene). If you like rap it's probably the best musical ever made. I probably would have liked it better with subtitles.

... But I'm not. So maybe thats why I didn't get what was so special about this. I mean, unlike a lot of people who didn't like Hamilton, I was not turned off by the diversity or rap music in this musical. This is obviously a modern take on Hamilton, and for the most part that works quite well. However, I'm not going to declare Hamilton as perfection purely due to the diversity of its cast and music. It seems like coastal elitists have promoted this movie so much in part because of that - due to their virtue signalling and white guilt. Well, I've never used any of that as a basis to evaluate the quality of a musical. Rather, I consider the acting, the writing, the music, the production values, and the message.

And for the most part, Hamilton is pretty solid all around. The acting and production values deserve special mention. The choreography and music, are solid but somewhat inferior to some other broadway musicals.

The writing, though, is a bit of a problem. As far as an adoption of Hamilton's life, the musical is neither accurate nor a very entertaining dramatization of his life. Furthermore, its upsetting that Hamilton doesn't even bother touching on some of the more interesting ideas Hamilton had, and how those could apply to the modern situation in the country. Obviously, such ideas would be uncomfortable to the millionaire coastal elites watching this musical, so they've been left out. But as a result of that, I at least don't view this as being very culturally significant. If anything, it is extremely inoffensive.

This was fantastic. A musical so amazingly done! The characters and singing are fantastic! Auto tune has taken over the music department but not with this! These are their real voices! 10/10!

Wish I could see this live. Absolutely amazing job by everyone.

WOW speechless after watching this. A true masterpiece. After years of curiosity I can't believe it lived up to and surpassed the intense hype. It really is beyond special and I think everyone should see it. Profoundly moving and extremely entertaining.

I am not even a fan of musicals, but this is excellent. The songs are great, as they are upbeat and modern. The production, acting, stage set up and the story are all great. I really enjoyed it.

Never believe the hype. I didn't believe it. For years I had heard so much about a play about of all people Alexander Hamilton-but done to rap or something similar? Can't be good and maybe offensive. But then the noise of its greatness never quieted. So when it finally came to my town I had to see it. But first I listened to the soundtrack. I was hooked. Despite mezzanine seating I was floored how good the play was. I repeated the soundtrack. Day after day and the message became clearer. News of a movie but then a live taping with the original cast. I couldn't wait. Up close made all the lyrics more amazing. The story was better than I recalled. Outstanding performances. I truly loved it.

For 160 MINs , i was like a child discovering cartoon for the first time .

My new favorite musical. Unlike most musicals with one or two showstoppers and the rest being fillers that bore you to tears, Hamilton almost had no bad songs. The story of Hamilton and his compatriots was moving and inspirational. I watched it for the first time on July 4, 2020. In these dark times in the United States, the story of Hamilton feels especially important.

Absolutely perfect. Pure enjoyment! Music is amazing.

That is how long Hamilton can seem at points... there's a theory that Jean-Paul Sartre said that "Hell is other people" only because he'd never seen musical theatre. But any take on the material is, by definition, subjective - the performers are all strong and professional, even if giving one with a prominent lisp lines like "I came to say congratulations" borders on cruelty.

Personal choices don't come into this, though a lot of the material does sound quite "samey". It's notable that the bits that really break away from the somewhat repetitive songs are with Thomas Jefferson and, particularly, King George. King George's songs are a welcome break from the same general rhythms, and the crowd respond very well to his campy character, though others may find it all a bit too twee and prefer the regular songs.

Very much a film for 2020, the interesting thing about Hamilton is what it says for the IMDb Top 250, given that it looks almost certain to remain in the chart by the year's end. The IMDb Top 250 isn't that bad for a mainstream site with a disproportionate male/US/youthful membership. A place where Citizen Kane isn't as good as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Rashomon has yet to reach the artistic heights of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, sure, but there's some decent stuff in there. There's also a lot worse films in the chart than Hamilton, with efforts like American History X, Klaus, Rang De Basanti, and, yes, Avengers: Endgame that are throwaway mediocrities at best, risible junk at worst.

But as a work of CINEMA, then this is the filming of a stage show. A very well shot and choreographed stage show, for sure, but a stage show nonetheless. Should the filming of stage shows enter the same "inapplicable" ruling that now governs shorts and documentaries? As this ruling also extends to TV movies, it means we're living in an age where a stage play can get in the IMDb chart, but efforts like Threads (1984) and Cathy Come Home (1966) aren't allowed.

Quite informative, historically, this is a film you'll either like or won't, down to personal taste - are you the sort of person who likes to watch two-and-a-half hours of musical theatre, or not? But whether this musical theatre should be awarded when transferred to a different medium is another matter entirely.

With all the hype and the fantastic reviews every where, I was excited to start watching this play. I did realize that it was a staged historical musical and I was intrigued what this combination had to offer.

15 minutes through, I was still searching for answers. Sure the Music and the choreography, flashy lights, talented people and... what else exactly? I see forces in action but I don't see any yield!

What I actually saw after the first 15 minutes is: the first 15 minutes of decent performance multiplied by 12: 3 hours of repetitive good stuff.

To prove my point, While I was fast forwarding through, I couldn't even see any change in stage set or backdrops. Not even in the lighting color pallet. Just the same stage setting throughout. No matter how good a story is, no matter how lively and active you cast, a little bit of stage creativeness wouldn't hurt.

Sorry to burst your pink bubble all you mainstream hype fans. But that's not my idea of entertaining history story telling.