On the whole, quite good. Ambitious, for sure, clocking in at a whopping 02:23:00.
Main problem is DENSITY. No restraint, just wall-to-wall singing and dancing for, I dunno, maybe two hours and twenty two of the twenty three minutes?
Would be nice to have a break every once in a while; let things settle in for a beat or two rather than launching into another 15 minute song and dance routine! It's the equivalent of eating 45 ice cream flavors back to back, no water, no palate cleanser, no nothin'! I mean, I love ice cream as much as the next guy, but lemme take a breath, would ya?
Second nit is Lin-Manuel Miranda himself. I guess he has to be in everything he creates? I'd prefer the Hitchcock approach: once, and fleetingly. Instead, Lin pops up nearly a dozen times, completely interrupting my suspended disbelief and jarring me back to, "Oh yeah, this is a movie by Lin, and there he is AGAIN!" We know, we know: you're a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient. Got it. Now get out of the way already so someone else can sparkle, would ya?
Anyway, restraint again...or lack thereof.
But like I said, quite good.
Coulda been magical, though. Instead, it feels more like the 2018 Mary Poppins remake with what's her name: good, but not enduring, not classic.
p.s. Saw it a second time tonight with my bride, and now that I accept Lin is, in her words, "Playing an actual character, not just making a cameo," well, I agree, so maybe last night I was too harsh.
Here's hoping it DOES become a classic. We sure need one.
