Movie Review: U2 3D
Posted on 05 March 2008 by Ashleigh Holmes
Hopefully y’all won’t think that I’m impeding on Erin Kennedy’s Friday music blog by blogging about the U2 3D experience. I realize that U2 is a band, which places it in the musical realm, but this is technically a movie, and I just can’t let y’all miss out on how great the experience is, so here goes…
One of my favorite stories to tell people is about the Snow Patrol concert I went to last year. It was amazing. I DID NOT stop smiling for the entire concert and even for several hours afterward. I can’t imagine a more fulfilling experience – except for maybe one…a U2 concert.
I was in my tweens when I had my first encounter with the wonderfulness of the Irish band. I remember going to several music stores looking for a used copy of Joshua Tree, which by this time was at least 6 years old, and I ended up having to buy a new copy. I also bought Rattle & Hum and Achtung Baby and Zooropa. I went all out.
I think the whole fascination started when I saw the video for Numb. The twelve-year-old me wasn’t quite sure how to process the things I was thinking about The Edge in that video, but after re-watching it on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2lbiS1fris), the 26 year-old me totally knows how to process everything, and it’s still every bit as amazing to me 14 years later.
When I heard about the U2 3D movie, I thought to myself, “Hmmm, maybe I’ll catch that.” As much as I love movies, and as often as I see them in the theater, I rarely go see films in IMAX. I guess I just think that my money can be better spent elsewhere, and it’s not like the bigger screen and extra speakers are going to enhance my viewing pleasure THAT much. In fact, V for Vendetta was the last one I saw in IMAX, and that was only because I loved it in the regular theater.
All that being said, I am SO glad that I spent $11.50 to see this. I know this is a bold statement to make, but in its own way, the film is probably a little more amazing than an actual concert.
I know that the concert would be insanely wicked, but in the 3D film, I felt like Bono and The Edge were playing solely for me. There weren’t millions of screaming fans in the audience or hundreds of people sitting around me in the theater. It was me and Bono, and he was singing to me. It was me and The Edge, and he was playing his guitar and piano just for me.
Thankfully, they played all my favorites, but then that wasn’t too hard to do, since, for once, I tend to like their tracks that are showcased on the radio. Vertigo and Beautiful Day were phenomenal, but it was my old favorites Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride (In The Name of Love) and Where The Streets Have No Name that really took my breath away and left me smiling until my face hurt.
There are moments when you are “literally” on stage with, arguably, the greatest band ever. Given that the chances of getting seats that are even close to this awesome are slim to none on most of our salaries, I say bite the bullet and pay for the IMAX ticket because I don’t think they have plans to release it to DVD.
Popularity: 2% [?]
March 5th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I won’t get to see it unless it comes out on DVD. I love U2. I just downloaded Sunday Bloody Sunday on iTunes this week. I love that line:
How long? How long must we sing this song?
March 6th, 2008 at 8:24 am
I love movies about music! I will have to check this one out.
March 6th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
They do such a great job of mixing meaningful words with powerfully moving music.
March 8th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Couldn’t agree more. The 3-D actually seemed to add to the intimacy with the band. Additionally I was seeing it with a REALLY hot date so as beautiful an experience as it was; it made the experience almost a cosmic foreplay. Take a date!
March 8th, 2008 at 7:37 am
While I think that U2 is one of the few musical acts that literally change the face of the music industry every time that they fart, I’m just not a fan. I don’t know when they went from being the official band of the IRA to being the Pop icons that they are now, but it was somewhere in there that they lost me. “yeahhhh”
March 8th, 2008 at 7:46 am
Nix,
I’ve wondered the same thing. I am a fan, although I probably like Coldplay better (whoa! don’t throw that at me!). I think the transformation came after a decade or two of benevolent and charitable causes. Bono has gone so far out of his way to help people in need that he’s become a real life hero. Being misjudged by the Catholic church didn’t hurt either. We can all identify with being unfairly judged.
My view of U2 is that they’ve created some of the biggest hits in the past 20 years, but I can only handle them in small doses spread far apart. I tend to think they lack the proper level of angst and rage to truly be the voice of our generation.
March 13th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I saw U2 on the Zooropa Tour at Texas Stadium when I was in college. By far the most amazing concert I’ve ever been to…absolutely incredible. If this is half as good as that I’ll have to check it out.