Monday, March 31, 2008

In Theaters: U2 3D

I'm not sure if it was even better than the real thing, but this abridged U2 concert will definitely thrill fans and non-fans alike. Shot at an Argentinean soccer stadium packed with what looks like 80,000 people, the film provides a unique view of U2's most recent concert set. From the top-down camera angle on Larry Mullen's glimmering drums to the camera-in-his-face Bono solos, U2 3D surpasses any music video I've seen before. While the 3D experience simply cannot replicate the feeling of being there firsthand (as I was for the U2 "Elevation Tour" at the Boston FleetCenter in '01), just think about all the upsides: no waiting in bathroom lines, no beers spilled on your head, etc.

Probably the most confusing part of the U2 3D experience: am I supposed to sing along? to applaud? I watched the film at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ with about 100-150 people, and it seemed that the consensus was: applause = okay, singing = frowned upon. Ditto for standing up (which, thankfully, only a few people on the aisles ended up doing). There was one guy in the row behind me who decided to add an off-key harmony to "With or Without You"; needless to say, I gave him the Seinfeldian quarter-, half-, and three-quarter head turns...but to no avail. It was the last song of the show, so I decided to let William Hung have his moment while I enjoyed the final 3D images of this amazing concert.

U2 3D: 2.5 PB Jars

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That sounds awesome dude. I gotta check it out.

How does this compare to the Walt Disney World Michael Jackson Thriller 3-D movie thing? Just kidding.

I like the Seinfeld reference. I do take offense to you referencing him to William Hung though- that guy is a good singer! Give him a break! (This would be the case in the bizarro Seinfeld world)