tick, tick...Boom!

Tick, Tick…Boom! packs a great deal of joy into a story that pushes a more modern and darker take on the make-it-or-break-it mantra of classic ‘40s musicals. The songs are engaging and staged with a feel-good choreography that consists less of formalized dance (for the most part) than it does gleeful bursts of movement.

With Tick, Tick … Boom, Miranda celebrates the power and the pressure of the world he loves most, and he’s picked a subject who encapsulates those warring dynamics perfectly.

The creator of ‘Hamilton,’ Lin Manuel Miranda, offers a stirring tribute to the creator of ‘Rent,’ Jonathan Larson, whose too short life—as acted and sung by the sensational Andrew Garfield—becomes a love letter to his soaring spirit.

Lin-Manuel Miranda gives us an unashamed sugar rush of showbiz rapture and showbiz solemnity in this heartfelt tribute to Broadway talent Jonathan Larson, played here by Andrew Garfield.

A film so calibrated when humming forward starts to lose its tonal footing when Jon’s creative spark dims to a too-faint flicker.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s translation of the late Jonathan Larson’s semi-autobiographical musical, a cult hit off-Broadway in the early 1990s, asks a lot of even the most indulgent audience.

Garfield is fine, if a bit one-note in his show-must-go-on energy. The real issue is that the film is maniacally focused on Larson as the uber-struggling artist in a way that eventually feels monstrous, devouring any other character or concern that happens to cross its path.

One of the best musical performances I've ever seen. Andrew delivers all of himself in the most perfect performance of his career. The script follows the songs very well and the viewer easily identifies with the character's frustrations. Perfect tribute.

Based on the Jonathan Larson musical by the same name, director Lin-Manuel Miranda's debut feature tends to frustrate more than it entertains. With an almost totally absent back story about the play, the production's semi-autobiographical protagonist and most of the key figures in his life (both on stage and in real life), viewers who aren't already familiar with the source material come in at a distinct disadvantage. Is this supposed to be a cinematic translation of the stage production? A film biography of the musical's composer? Some combination of the two? That, in itself, is never made especially clear, leaving audiences wondering exactly what the picture is trying to be. And, when the narrative veers off in an array of different, often-unexplained directions, the story wanders aimlessly, focusing more on attempting to create a series of "memorable" musical numbers, an elusive feat given how eminently forgettable and pretentious most of the compositions truly are. The screenplay's repeated treatment of such recurring themes as "the pain of the tortured artist" and "the anguish of time escaping us" grows progressively tiresome after multiple iterations, leaving viewers anxious to see the picture get on with the story. To the film's credit, it features fine performances by Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp and Judith Light, all of whom valiantly attempt to make the most of what they have to work with; it's just a shame that they didn't have a better script at their disposal. In the end, for those who are ardent fans of Broadway musicals and the work of Jonathan Larson, this reverential tribute might make for worthwhile viewing, but, for the casual movie fan, this one leaves much to be desired.

This film is two things: a touching tribute to Broadway and quite forgettable. There are very few surprises here, and the portrayal of Stephen Sondheim as a near god-like figure comes off as comically over-the-top. However, a flexing performance by Andrew Garfield and solid direction from Lin-Manuel Miranda combine to make an otherwise mundane plot into something worth watching.

Why on earth would they make a film about a guy that's supposed to be really brilliant and artsy but then make him out to be a daft miscreant milksop annoying grating childish selfish bum? I have no idea who the guy was but surely he wasn't this annoying and glib. Andrew Garfield is a terrible choice and looks lost. Not his fault

The music starts off moderately catchy, but the deluge of music quickly becomes annoying... then straight-up headache-inducing. I had to turn it off halfway through because the grating, pretentious music was just too much. +1 star for Garfield, but this is the most unfortunate train wreck he's ever been in. Sad.