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U2 3D

EMAILPRINTNational Geographic Cinema Ventures

U2 3D reviews
83
7.8 User Score:

Movie Info

Genre(s): Documentary

Written by:

Directed by: Catherine Owens
Mark Pellington

Release Date:
Theatrical: January 23, 2008

Running Time: 85 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.

U2 3D transforms a series of live concerts by one of the world's most acclaimed bands into a completely new entertainment experience that takes viewers on an extraordinary cinematic journey, a quantum leap beyond traditional concert films and traditional 3-D. U2 3D captivated an international audience as a work-in-progress during the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. (National Geographic Cinema Ventures)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

U2 3D takes the well-traveled concert film to exhilarating new heights.

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100

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

Its dazzling blend of rock magic and 3-D technology just may be ushering in a whole new kind of musical theater.

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100

The New York Times Matt Zoller Seitz

Not merely a technical landmark -- shot entirely in digital 3D -- but also an aesthetic one, in that it’s the first Imax movie that deserves to be called a work of art.

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100

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

As the film opens with, predictably, "Vertigo" and its "Hello, Hello" refrain, it's his steady presence and unforced charisma that anchors each performance, allowing Bono to emote for all he's worth.

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100

USA Today Edna Gundersen

In many ways delivers an experience that's even better than the real thing. It brings U2's dazzling rock spectacle to the multiplex with VIP comforts, all-access viewpoints and telescopic close-ups.

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100

Village Voice Jim Ridley

The performances, culled from seven shows on the “Vertigo” tour from Mexico City to Buenos Aires, burn with the old unforgettable fire.

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91

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

The 3-D visuals envelop you, majestically, and that effect fuses with the band's surround-sound rapture to create a full-scale sensory high. U2 3D makes you feel stoned on movies.

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88

New York Post Kyle Smith

The movie all but proclaims U2 the world's best rock band. Somewhere, Mick Jagger's jaws are grinding.

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88

Boston Globe Sarah Rodman

They may not be as cool as Bono's fly shades, but the plastic yellow glasses required for viewing U23D supply an amazing fly-on-the-amp view of the Irish rockers in their natural habitat.

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80

Los Angeles Times Ann Powers

For this longtime U2 fan, the U2 3D experience wasn't quite sensual enough, but to quote another Bono lyric, others may find it "even better than the real thing."

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80

Washington Post Desson Thomson

In many ways, watching the movie is BETTER than concertgoing. We can enjoy that buzzy feeling of community without the fist-pumping biker obscuring our view.

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80

Variety Justin Chang

The title says it all. Compact and exuberant, U2 3D may be no more than a pint-sized concert film with a lustrous surface, but the lensing is so vibrant and the music so buoyant, even nonfans may find their eyes popping and their heads bobbing.

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80

Empire Ian Nathan

It's not for nothing that these guys are the world's finest live act.

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75

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

You have never seen a concert film like U2 3D, and it may change your expectations for the rest of your rocking years.

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75

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

The neatest effects in U2 3D are simple ones. The wow/coolness of watching a revered superstar tilt his mic stand toward the camera creates a simple but irresistible feeling of being there in the flesh, with a phalanx of expensive digital 3-D cameras.

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75

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jennifer Van Evra

The details are astounding. During "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," the camera is in so tight that you can see Bono's hand tremble around the mike as he belts out a long, sustained note.

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70

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

The 3-D element is unobtrusively handled, except when it perfectly re-creates the woman who's always perched on her boyfriend's shoulders in front of you at a concert.

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67

The Onion (A.V. Club) Steven Hyden

The problem with U2 3D is that the U2 part is rarely as thrilling as the 3D part.

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50

San Francisco Chronicle Joel Selvin

What it brings to the filming of a rock concert other than novelty remains to be seen.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 37 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Kat T gave it a10:
Stunning. My absolute favourite 3D experience. Was almost eerie how real it felt, I still get confused sometimes and think I have actually seen U2 live!

Cameron M gave it a0:
If you like U2 (why?) then go see this movie. Everyone else.... U2 sucks and seeing them in 3d makes them suck even more. The popularity of this band is a prime example of how idiotic our world is. There are tons of bands better than U2 (Super Furry Animals) and it's a shame that this ultra crappy "rock" band has sooo many fans. I would hate to be in a room with nothing but U2 fans... I would have to kill myself.

Chris gave it a10:
I've seen this 3 times; it's the only time I've ever gone to see a film more than once. Amazing experience, and simply perfect. It left me speechless.

Tony H gave it an8:
What a wonderful way to experience the concert without having to deal with all the crowds (or ticket prices)! I was most pleased that there were few 3D gimics in the film - perhaps I've seen too many childrens 3D films where that's all they do.

Chris V gave it a10:
If you like U2, you must go see this awesome experience.

Dave M gave it a10:
Absolutely breathtaking piece of work. A must see for any music fan.

Patrick gave it a4:
I don't get why this has been raved about so much. Yes, the 3D is nice and makes the audience look all shiny, but other than that its just a normal concert movie of a fairly average band.

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