This Week’s Binge 7.10.20

If there’s one major takeaway from binging this week, it’s that sometimes Netflix produces amazing content…and sometimes they definitely don’t.

Watch

Hamilton

Disney +

By now you’ve heard the hype and if you haven’t yet seen the musical or film you are probably wondering if it lives up to it.  Spoiler, it does!

I lived in NYC when Hamilton came out and I so badly wanted to see it but tickets were impossible to get.  It wasn’t until I moved to Chicago, years later, that I was able to get tickets.  They were still super expensive, and not the original cast, so I also wondered if it would be worth it.  It was amazing!  When Disney + announced they would be streaming the original cast version July 3rd I was beyond excited.

The musical, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tells the story of Alexander Hamilton during the Revolution as well as his friends and foes.  The storytelling is done in such a modern way that I think people will open their eyes to what a musical can really be.

Watching a live musical on film is a different vibe than watching it in the theater, but you get to see things you normally don’t, like all the actors detailed movements.  Plus not having to wait in the bathroom line is a big bonus!

There’s been some criticism in how the musical portrays slaveholders, and while that is valid, at the same time we can’t discount what it does address.  With what is going on in the world today, Hamilton is more relevant than ever.  It’s a reminder that we are lucky to be alive right now, and that we need to provide the kind of country that our ancestors wanted…Freedom for ALL. 

I am: Obsessed

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend

Netflix

Full transparency, didn’t finish.  I was that annoyed.

When Kimmy Schmidt started steaming 5 years ago the story felt playful and fun. She was this person who had been locked in a bunker, by none other than Jon Hamm, as a kid and then moved to the big city when released.  She met a motley crew of friends and navigated her naïveté around NYC while finding herself.

The schtick does not hold up.  The good news is the interactive tech seems to work seamlessly, although a small lull when switching to a new scene.  The bad news is it just isn’t buyable that Kimmy hasn’t matured over all these years; the movie starts with Kimmy talking to her backpack.  Also it felt like there was more focus on the gimmick of it being interactive vs. developing an interesting story.

I am: Annoyed

Onward

Disney +

I hadn’t heard much about this Pixar film that takes place in a magical land full of unicorns, pixies and elves.  In typical Pixar fashion they make the unrealistic seem relatable,  even in the magical land they stop practicing magic in favor of using easier things, like electricity.  Taking the easy path when there exists something harder but more rewarding sounds familiar.

It’s a story of rediscovering magic, and who couldn’t use more of that.

Usually Pixar films have the perfect balance of entertaining kids while providing enough hidden adult humor, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that is the case here.  It definitely skews younger.  At the end of the day it was entertaining and sometimes you just needs a feel good film. 

The magical land and its characters have a lot of potential so I wouldn’t be opposed to a sequel.  Or even a prequel. 

I am: Entertained

Space Force

Netflix

You know my love for The Office so when I found out that the creator of The Office developed a new show and it would be starring Steve Carell, I was pumped.

Was pumped, now disappointed.  It has such great writing talent and an amazing cast, but it’s a let down.  Steve Carell has an unnatural accent that I couldn’t get over, and the characters did not entertain me.  I gave it two episodes, but I won’t be finishing.

I am: Annoyed

Unsolved Mysteries

Netflix

This reboot is done really well.  It holds to the same format as the original version which started in the ’80’s.  Each episode is a different unsolved mystery and at the end they ask the audience for help in contributing anything they know that might assist in solve it.

One of the best things they did was keep the original theme song.  When I was little and watched this show (what was I doing watching this show you ask? it was the wild 80’s and we had like 4 channels…there were no TV parental guidelines back then, we had just started wearing seatbelts…sunblock didn’t exist…STOP JUDING!)

Anyway, when I was little and watched this show the music made the show even scarier, and I’m not going to lie, even today the sound of it is a little haunting.  Another thing I distinctly remember from the original is almost every season having an episode that pointed in the direction of extra-terrestrial life.  And the unknown can be a scary thing for small child so it kind of stands out.

I hope Netflix renews for another season.  One of the best parts of Unsolved Mysteries is when they give an update on a previous episode based on tips from the viewers.  The viewers really can have an active part in solving a mystery.   

I am: Entertained