Reviews primed me to hate this—I've seen it called "the Avengers for theatre kids" which on paper is something I'd want to stay as far away from as possible. But dang it Miranda this was pretty great. In some ways, it's appeal to me is similar to an Oh, Hello on Broadway, a series of New Yorky references that give me the same satisfaction y'all Cali people get out of something like Licorice Pizza, but it amounted to much more by the end. The primary issues I had with both of the other major musicals this year, In the Heights and West Side Story, were a lack of motivation and a lack of sensible character arcs for the main cast. tick, tick...BOOM! instead makes that its primary focus—both Shipp and De Jesús are pretty incredible with their limited time, and it's clearly demonstrated (but somehow not in an overbearing way) how Susan and Michael's goals complicate Jonathan’s. It’s a simplistic narrative, one told many times since the beginning of the medium… but as I’ve said before, originality be damned. This is an extremely competent film, and can’t ask for more than that, can I! Also I cried a lil bit.
Visually leaps and bounds beyond In the Heights. Very puzzling as they both have the same DP, both shoot G Series anamorphic, both DXL2s. I will need to investigate further as I certainly had zero issue with the digital anamorphic look in this one. Although the visual effects are questionable. Especially the "Come to Your Senses" number with Susan on the roof (I assume it is a digital matte painting; I think it would have been more appropriate if they had painted the wall in the back of the sound stage instead). The more creative effects were pretty neat, though (i.e. the sheet music in the pool).
Somehow, I still never want to see Rent.