U2 3D

PARK CITY

My ears are still ringing.

Just got out of U2 3D.

Wow.

This is a film I've had on my to-see list since a shorter cut screened at Cannes back in May to rave reviews. Tonight marked the world premier of the final theatrical cut, clocking in at 85 minutes and featuring 14 songs from the South American leg of U2's Vertigo tour.

In many ways I find myself surprised by the experience of this film. Having considered myself a U2 fan since the early 90s (yeah... there are a ton of people who were fans long before I was, but I can still count at least 16 years of fandom), I was hugely disappointed by a shoot from a Chicago show of the Vertigo tour I caught on HDNet awhile back. Energy was flat, Bono's notes were flat and the whole thing really made it feel like the group has lost its luster. The whole thing was hugely disappointing. Considering U2 3D covers that very same tour, I expected more of the same.

But I was completely wrong.

At its core it's a concert film. But this is a concert film like you've never seen before. Totally immersive, both in sound and vision, the filmmakers really use the idea of 3D to the extreme. Over the past few years, the new wave 3D technology has really been coming into its own for filmmaking, and this film is really a poster child for all the format can be. You experience U2 like you never have before, even if you were lucky enough to get front row tickets to see them live. Blending 3D concert footage with occasional animation, the film seamlessly blends arena and stadium gigs together into one set list that reminds you why U2 is... well... U2. My faith has been restored.

While you might expect the 3D to be a bit of a gimmick... it's anything but. Sure you have a few obligatory shots of Adam Clayton and Bono throwing hands and guitar parts into the lens, but overall the 3D is really used more as a compliment to the live show rather than an excuse. The cinematography is absolutely stunning. Pair that with some pretty incredible sound design and mixing and you quickly forget you're sitting in a movie theater (albeit a movie theater absolutely shaking with sound). In fact, it felt extremely strange to be sitting down, passively watching. I found it hard to restrain the urge to jump out of my seat, scream and join the thousands of fans on screen. Numerous times I saw others in the audience (the audience of the film, that is) jump up, wave their hands and even throw their lighted cell phones high in the air during the few ballads in the set. The boundary between the screen and the seat utterly vanished.

Needless to say I'm pretty pumped right now. But... It's almost 3am and I have a 9am screening tomorrow. Time to get some shuteye.