So it’s sort of drawing on the “Greek chorus” tradition of singing exposition to jump start the story, isn’t it?
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I’m no musical expert, but I do enjoy soundtracks - wasn’t the opening song to Beauty and the Beast “Belle” the same exact thing as opening number to Encanto? A whole village that sees Belle everyday telling us about her?
(I only point it out because Belle was written by the masterful Howard Ashman and Beauty and Beast was nominated for best picture Oscar).
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I’m on your side. It’s catchy and fun and absolutely feels like LMM’s other work.
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yeah I don’t know much about musicals either but I’d agree (for what that’s worth lol)
I think it’s a pretty common technique
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I agree this seemed kind of shoehorned in to help the audience keep all the people straight. Btw, did you realize you made a rhyme? 
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But this isn’t rap or hip hop. This is straight broadway-style exposition lyrics and just not up to par to the other songs in the movie, which is why it stood out. I mean, this is the same lyricist who came up with “circus” rhyming with “Cerberus” …which was friggin impressive.
And even if you do forgive the repeated word “rhyme”, which is fine, the other cardinal sin is what @Broph1988 stated, they repeated the line “keep the miracle burning” immediately after saying it in the previous line.
Like I said, This song feels like an answer to a focus group issue and was plugged in last minute and didn’t have as much time in development as the others. A Focus group probably saw some rough cut and the kids are a stylized version of the sessions. So Lin and the creative directors were probably like “fine, they wanna know what’s going on? here. we’ll spoon feed it to them” (Which completely fits as that would be something I would totally do to annoying client feedback).
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No, I did not realize that. I’m a poet and didn’t know it. 
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I just watched it today and I was closer to your feelings about it than most others. It was beautiful but I thought the story was really weak and I didn’t love the music. I don’t think I would bother to watch it again.
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My reaction wasn’t as negative as yours the first time, but I will say it is wasn’t until my second viewing and multiple listens of the score that I fell in love with it.
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Same here, although the songs did catch my attention on the first watch. It was just the story that I didn’t quite get to grips with immediately (I needed the grandkid round up). The music (and prettiness of the animation) was a reason I rewatched.
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I’ve seen it, I’m not going to watch it again on the off chance I might like it second time around. I’m ok with not liking it.
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This is how I felt about Moana the first time.
Now I LOVE Moana.
But if you’re okay with not liking it, then by all means!
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I don’t have little kids who are going to beg to watch it again and life is too short and there are too many other demands on my time. I have in fact watched Moana several times and still don’t love it, since you mentioned it.
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You do have liner ‘encouragement’ though 
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Fair enough! But maybe listen to the soundtrack again if that isn’t too much of a imposition. (You can find it on YouTube.)
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Not in my house!
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I’m not gonna lie, I probably won’t 
You never know though!
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FINALLY just got to see this tonight! We have a tradition to watch new releases as a family and — well, that gets harder when they get older and are busy with their own lives and stuff. Thanks to the blizzard we have been “stuck” here at home all day and got to watch this!
I haven’t read this thread on purpose so as to avoid anything being spoiled. I truly had no idea what to expect. I’m going to share my thoughts here at the bottom of the thread and then go back to read what everyone else thinks.
THIS WILL HAVE SPOILERS so if you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t read any further. I’m not blurring. You’ve been warned. And this is post 219 in the thread so really if you’re still reading with expectation of not seeing any spoilers, that’s on you 
First, the music was UNMISTAKABLY Lin Manuel Miranda. He definitely has an identifiable style. And I love it! He is a genius and 42 years old? Just awesome 
To think that, with any luck, we will have this genius sharing his gift with us (only if he wants to!!!) for another 40 years or more is exciting! I can’t wait to see what else he can do!
Also related to the music, we tend to keep captions on for some reason when we watch movies and it was an awesome surprise to be hearing the songs in Spanish and seeing them translated in English on the screen at the same time! The one song near the end was heartbreakingly beautiful - Two Oruguitas. The lyrics I’m seeing online are not quite how they were translated on screen which were more to the effect of knowing you have to let go of one another, create your own futures, and miracles will happen to bring you back together in the end If you haven’t watched with captions, go ahead and go back and do that! It was a neat experience.
The colors and artwork were just eye-poppingly beautiful! Rich and bright and lively! Jumped out of the screen and definitely gave a sense of the whole movie being enchanted!
The characters were pretty deep, actually. Each one burdened but carrying the burden in silence. Everyone living for their purpose and not for themselves, doing what’s expected and what’s best for the family without giving their own needs a second thought. I think that happens a lot, actually. We all have our roles and we stick to them and sometimes that just plain sucks. It’s nice when you get a chance to break free a bit and find a way to have balance between what’s best for you and what’s best for the larger family/group/etc.
Perhaps especially the grandmother, who it was so easy to dislike, but who Mirabel was able to understand more fully in time. It doesn’t excuse how she was but the understanding Mirabel shares gives context to her actions and that brings about a grace that is something I think we far too often don’t give one another.
And oh my gosh we must talk about Bruno (nononono - sorry, had to be done). My heart absolutely broke in a million pieces for him. The “family weirdo” living in the walls and watching his family live on without him while he sat at his own makeshift placesetting so close but so far away. Isolated, banished, his name never openly mentioned. Oy. I’m so glad he’s back in the fold.
I’ll definitely watch this one again!
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Oh my gosh! And she passed on to me her “haven’t seen it but still singing it”
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