2008
28 | SHOWCASE |
CHICAGO
SUN-TIMES TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2008 |
| U2 bigger than life in new doc |
| ROCK | ‘U2 3D’ confirms concert as music plus near-religious happening |
BY MIKE THOMAS
|
as they are in person, but they still put on a tight and toe-tapping show. I mean, service. From what I know of U2 blow-outs via friends and diehard fans and filmed footage, the band’s concerts are as much musical per- formances as they are near- religious happenings. “U2 3D,” shot during the band’s “Vertigo” tour stop in Buenos Aires, makes that abun- dautly clear. Sporting his famous de- signer shades, slicked back hair and thick-soled shoes that add some inches to his smallish stature, the godlike Irishman christened Paul David Hewson belts out a string of beloved hits as the capacity stadium crowd crows. When they join in en masse during well-known- choruses (“Oh, oh, oh, oh!”), it’s as much their show as his. St. Bono, as he has been somewhat derisively dubbed, is theatrically on his mark, too, jumping back, crawling |
‘U2 3D’ ***½ National Geographic Cinema Ventures pres- ents a documentary starring Bono, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. and the Edge of the rock group U2. Directed by Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington. Running time: 85 minutes. Rated G. Opening Wednesday at Chicago area IMAX theaters, with late-night screenings tonight at se- Lect outlets. _____________________ forth, whacking drums and manhandling microphones. His bandmates Edge (guitar, keyboards), Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums) are considerably more subdued.- in conjuring their trademark wall of sound. And thanks to a state- of-the-art digital audio sys- tem, that sound is all around. |
Visuals are stunning as well. Shifting facial expres- sions, glistening beads of sweat and even the minute detailing on instruments are rendered lit sharply focused high definition. In “U2 3D,” as ever, Bono is the main attraction, and his stage presence (enhanced by stylized video images that ap- pear several stories high) is positively messiablike. His voice stays strong, delivering a familiar and sonically pol- ished set that includes “Ver- tigo,” “New Year’s Day,” “Bul- let the Blue Sk~” “Pride (In the Name of Love),” “With or Without You” — each Phrase put forth with trademark earnestness abounding. Whether you dig the group’s music or Bono’s preachiness, “U2 3D” im- presses with its virtual im- mersion. ThOse who typically have to settle for nosebleed seats, like I do, might think it’s (gasp) even better than the real thing |
