4K/Blu-ray Review: "Hamilton" Finally Gets Its Shot on 4K Ultra-HD

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton broke all kinds of Broadway records when it opened in 2015, including sweeping the Tonys and producing a chart-topping cast recording that won a Grammy. With a star-filled original Broadway cast that in turn made stars of its unknown performers, the producers had the foresight to professionally film the production before too much turnover occurred. Following its 2020 Disney+ premiere and last year’s big screen release for the show’s 10th anniversary, Hamilton is finally yours to own, albeit only on 4K Ultra-HD.

Described by Miranda as “about America then, as told by America now," Hamilton uses hip-hop music and non-white actors to tell the story of the birth of the United States. The rivalry between Alexander Hamilton (Miranda) and Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.) takes center stage, along with his dual loves of Eliza (Phillipa Soo) and Angelica (Renée Elise Goldsberry) Schuyler, and his role in the American Revolution under George Washington (Christopher Jackson).

Coming home as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, there’s no better time to revisit this instant Broadway classic. Disney’s 2-disc release comes in deluxe packaging with exclusive souvenirs (sheet music for “Alexander Hamilton, a fabric poster, and 4 art cards), making it feel like you attended the show and visited the merch booth. One of the two discs is a Blu-Ray disc containing a sing-along version of the filmed performance, but unlike a typical 4K/Blu-ray combo pack, this disc doesn’t contain the other bonus features or a way to enjoy the film without the on-screen lyrics, ignoring fans of physical media who don’t have a 4K setup. This is also Disney’s slightly edited version of the show, omitting a few f-bombs to achieve a PG-13 rating, although the (unrated) bonus features contain a few more.

Bonus Features

4K Disc

• Spark into A Flame (16:00): Hip-hop and Broadway ignite in this story of the Hamilton Mixtape.
• Reuniting the Revolution (10:09): The original Broadway cast looks back at Hamilton’s early days and meteoric rise.

Blu-Ray Disc

• Sing-Along Version of Hamilton (2:40:18): Follow the bouncing star with on-screen lyrics for all the songs.

Video

This high-quality filmed version of Hamilton looks great on 4K Ultra-HD in 1.85:1. From fabric details on costumes to woodgrain texture of the sets, it’s as close as fans can get to being on stage without going through the process of becoming a member of the cast. The show has a deliberately muted color palette, but when patriotic colors are utilized, they don’t throw away their shot in this transfer. Similarly, black levels are deep and gorgeous in unlit portions of the stage, allowing solo spotlight moments to really pop.

Audio

The Dolby Atmos mix of Hamilton is fairly faithful to a live theatrical experience, with music and audience sounds filling the rear channels while live voices almost always come from the front speakers. The hip-hop sounds get a nice boost from the subwoofer, leaning into Miranda’s mixtape aesthetic. The only other audio option is a 2.0 descriptive audio track.

Packaging & Design

Disney calls this a “Collector’s Edition,” and the packaging certainly leans into that moniker. A shiny golden slipcover features Hamilton’s silhouette on the front, Burr’s on the back. Inside is a matte-finished inverse of the cover, a chipboard magnet-clasp case that opens to reveal song titles on the inner surface and glossy photos in the quadrants. Discs slide into slots, which hold them well and seem designed to be scratch-proof, although taking the discs out does require touching the bottoms to tug them free. The souvenirs are stored in the outer sleeves.

Both discs feature artwork. The menu is a glittering background with the Hamilton star illuminated from behind, revealing some of Miranda’s features that are typically cast entirely in silhouette in the logo.

Final Thoughts

Fans of Hamilton with a 4K Ultra-HD player will want to add this souvenir release to their collections. The superior picture and sound quality gives it an edge over the streaming version on Disney+, plus it comes with exclusive behind-the-scenes bonus features and some fun physical goodies. The lack of a comparable Blu-Ray release is a curious decision, edging out fans who have collected merchandise from the show and would’ve jumped at the chance to own the filmed version, but hopefully it’s one that Disney will remedy in the future.

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