| U2 3D |
 2008 - USADirectors: Catherine Owens, Mark Pellington
- Reviewed by Linda
U2 3D trumpets itself as the "first-ever live-action digital 3-D film" (whew!). Basically it is a straight-ahead concert film—blown up to mind-boggling IMAX size—that was shot during the band's 2005 Vertigo Tour. The camera team tried to be as unobrusive as possible, breaking up filming over several cities, including Buenos Aires, Argentina; Mexico City, Mexico; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Santiago, Chile. These cities had been starving for years for a visit by U2, so the crowds are wildly enthusiastic (pulsing and throbbing in bouncing waves), and the stadiums are monstrously huge. But unlike being at the concert yourself, where you are more likely craning your neck and fighting for air, or checking your nose-bleed while reaching for binoculars, in U2 3D you've got a front row seat. For old-timer fans like me, a bunch of old hits are present. No, they don't sing "Bad" (sigh), but classics like "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "New Year's Day", "With or Without You", and "In the Name of Love" (sob!) will all knock your socks off. The building swirl of "Where the Streets Have No Name" kills me everytime, as it always makes me think of U2's moving tribute to the victims of 9/11 at their Super Bowl half-time show the year after the tragedy. Instead of scrolling names, however, this time their huge illuminated screen shows scrolling flags of South America. Shoot, that song could make scrolling pictures of small woodland creatures look like the most triumphant thing you've ever seen. And don't worry, you fans of the newer stuff: songs like "Vertigo", "One", "Miss Sarajevo", and "The Fly" are also there. But how about the 3D? Does it enhance the movie? Or is it a gimmick? I'd have to say, it's a little bit of both. The crowd scenes are awesome, and more than once I actually thought that someone sitting in the row in front of me was holding up their cell phone or digital camera. I threatened my cohort that Bono would try to touch her head during the film, and at one point, it seems like he will. But for the most part, when it is just Bono or The Edge or Adam Clayton three stories high on-screen, well, the 3D is kind of pointless. It doesn't add anything except make the fellows look like very large cut-outs. Larry Mullen Jr.'s drumkit is complex and has depth, so at least he always looks cool (not to mention ageless, compared to the others). About 20 minutes before the end of the hour-and-a-half-or-so movie, my snout started to hurt from the 3D glasses. I took them off to rub the bridge of my nose and do some blinking exercises. Unsurprisingly, without the glasses the screen is unwatchable. Since it is a concert though, I suppose at any time you can simply remove the glasses, close your eyes, and at least experience the awesome sound. Heck, I'm sure we've all done that at real concerts anyway! |
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I'm the first to admit that U2 can make me cry at the drop of the hat. Musically, I haven't really kept up with them since Joshua Tree way back when (holy crap! was that album over 20 years ago?), but I've always wanted to see them live since, well, they made me cry at the age of 15 when Bono sang "Bad" to an adoring crowd at Wembley Stadium at Live Aid in 1985. Sucky thing is, their concerts tend to sell out in, like, two seconds. So, as I continue to long to hear "Bad" live some day, I (and other suckers) will have to be appeased by U2 3D while still hoping for the opportunity to see one of the most famous and rightfully enduring rock bands in the world.
