Movie Review: Shine A Light

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Movie Review: Shine A Light

Quick Overview:

Well...it's a movie, and it's about the Rolling Stones. Honestly, there isn't much more to it than that.

Plot: N/A

I couldn't rate this aspect of the movie, because there essentially was no plot. It was more or less a 2 hour (or so) concert by the Rolling Stones and a few guest artists. There were a few ironic blips thrown in for good measure (like Mick Jagger being asked how long he thinks the band will stay together after two years of success), but the main focus is definitely on their performance.

Visuals: B+

I think the visuals did a good job of capturing the concert experience. There was a lot of movement, and I really appreciated getting views that I might not have otherwise got (like cameras on stage, and the 1st person shots involving the band). I can't really level any complaints in this department...other than that some of the Stones are really showing their age, lol. That's hardly a complaint, though.

Music: A-

This is really where the movie shines. If you like the Rolling Stones, this is definitely a movie to go see. It's definitely the next best thing to seeing them live, and the fact that it's presented in IMax is icing on the cake. The audio (aka the main reason to go see this film) wasn't perfect, though. At times it seemed like the levels were kind of weird, with certain instruments sounding too loud, and the vocals being too muffled. It wasn't a major let-down, but I still found it noticeable. The other complaint I have is that Mick fudged some of the words on some of the songs. This was most obvious on "Sympathy For The Devil," where he almost sounded like he was just making up words...but this is a rare occurrence. Also, I have to give credit where credit is due. After rocking for as long and as hard as the Stones have, that really is a minor complaint.

Overall (Not an average): B+

This movie is a little bit like "Across The Universe." If you like the music of the artist in question, there's a very good chance you'll enjoy the movie. If you fall in that category, you've probably already seen this movie. If you only have a passing familiarity with the band, you'll probably recognize a lot of their best tunes. As far as "concert" movies go, I think this one is well put together. It's worth seeing, if only to see the Stones still bring the house down even after nearly half a century of hard rockin'.

Trailer: