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.
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.