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By: Andy Gadiel
 Edge explodes into color… |
I've never actually been to a U2 concert. Sure, I've heard them for years on the radio and enjoyed the albums, and even worked with the webmaster of a popular fan-site (www.interference.com ) at one point. Still, while I've had a general appreciation for their craft, I never got up close and personal. That all changed when I went to a screening of U2 3D, a groundbreaking new concert film. It is the first 3D multi-camera live shoot, and let me just say, "WOW!"
The producers, directors and cameramen do a spectacular job putting you right in the action. Like any true fan of the live music experience, there's a natural curiosity about what it would be like to be on the other side of things, performing before adoring throngs that sing along to every tune as you conduct their energies with amps and instruments. U2 3D fulfills that fan-tasy and then some. You'll find yourself trying to dodge the flying water spray and while you squint beneath the spotlights. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. literally pop out of the screen as the camera sweeps from the front row, swoops over the drums and lands you directly on stage, staring out at the crowd of tens of thousands of screaming fans. If you've ever wondered what it feels like to be a rock star, this movie is for you.
Filmed in Beunos Aries during the band's 2006 Vertigo tour, U2 3D covers most of their hit numbers over the 80 minute set including "With Or Without You," "Beautiful Day," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "One." Beyond the best, most crisp 3D special effects I've ever seen, it's a straight concert film from start to finish, gliding from song to song and keeping the flow of a typical show throughout. What's especially impressive is how the cameras never intrude on the action, speaking to the careful shot construction and real care behind this project. Neither the crowd or the band seems at all distracted by the filming, which ultimately delivers a very pure live performance of a band still at the top of their game.
Whether you're a hardcore U2 fan or a newbie like me, it will be easy to appreciate the intensity, emotion and message that their concert conveys. This is a band that entertains while also trying to bridge worlds and unite people despite their differences. The extra visual and sonic dimensions added to the experience further connect viewers both with the music and underlying themes at work in this long running band. It truly does feel like you're actually at the show, holding your lighter (or phone) up and clapping along. You'll definitely want to give them a standing ovation at the end. Bravo!
U2 3D is currently playing nationwide in the U.S. at 3D capable cinemas, and just opened on February 22nd in the UK and Ireland
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