U2 3D has a limited local run and you’re running out of time to see it.
I still remember when I first heard U2 back in the early 80’s. A guy on my high school wrestling team brought his boom box into practice and played a cassette during the warm ups. I was hooked. A few years later, greatest concert I personally ever attended was when in Philadelphia’s Veteran’s stadium during the "Joshua Tree" tour. Bruce Springsteen played with U2 on their 4th encore (Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul had been the warm up band) in a completely unscripted moment.
I say all this not because I led an "Almost Famous" youth. Rather my musical taste and concert experience is probably pretty pedestrian. Also, I never bothered seeing U2’s earlier movie, "Rattle and Hum," after deciding at an even younger age that concert movies were generally pretty darn boring even to a hard core fan.
But take this part to heart. If you’re a U2 fan, you’ll love this movie. (If you’re not, you probably haven’t got this far in the posting.) It’s not quite like being in a live concert, but it’s as close as you’ll get. The 3D action is amazing, the music at just the right level. I almost felt my nose tingle from the dry ice smoke throughout the movie. It was that real. In fact, the geeky economics major in me could make a case that on a per-entertainment dollar basis, it’s better than a concert.
Note: Musical taste is a very personal decision. I say that because this short review isn’t about starting a discussion over U2 being the greatest band ever. In the end, there’s no Super Bowl of music, no clash of arms, and no clear-cut "winner." But I will make this pronouncement — if there was a Super Bowl of concert movies, there’s "U2 3D" and no one else playing the game.
