Rated: G
Starring: U2
Directed By: Catherine Owens

• Official Website

U2...need I say more? It's pretty safe to say that just about everyone whose been around since the mid to late 80s knows something about this famously outspoken, Irish band.

Frontman Bono, along with his bandmates, bass player, Adam Clayton, guitarist, The Edge, and drummer Larry Mullen, decided they wanted to do a video of their Vertigo tour in South America—Buenos Aires, Argentina to be exact. The only catch was, they wanted to do something that had never been done before. They wanted to do something innovative, something that carried the "Whoa" factor.

Their timing was perfect. It was around this time that National Geographic decided they needed to go out on a limb and try something truly amazing. Soon after, director Catherine Owens, and 3D effects director, Peter Anderson, jumped onto the project, and, before anyone could sing, "Hello, hello", U2's Vertigo tour was videotaped and transformed into a three dimensional documentary.

Sitting in the Museum of Discovery and Science AutoNation's IMAX theatre, watching this movie, was nothing short of phenomenal. The visual effects were astounding, and the three dimensional sound made it seem as if I dished out the money to go down to South America and be right in the midst of this amazing concert. To start off, the viewers are made to feel as if they are hovering directly over Larry Mullen's drum kit. It's almost tempting to reach out, take one's two fingers and flick his cymbals. The drums look so incredibly solid, it's hard to believe it's a video.

Suddenly, Bono is standing on the arms of the seat in front of you, singing directly into your face. You can see the details of the iris in his eyes as he belts out the lyrics to the song, "Vertigo". Then, quicker than you can blink an eye, you're hurled fifty feet into the crowd.

Hands, arms, and heads are flailing around you, in front of you, to the side of you, and you can hear people cheering and singing directly behind you. The eeriest thing of all is, you can see them, but they can't see you. Welcome to the virtual concert! Of course the concert itself would have been amazing without the 3D effects. Bono's notorious theatrics and ever rivoting stage presence is enough to keep the most cynical of viewers captivated.

Even without Bono's overwhelming grasp of the audience's attention, the music itself can stand alone. A slew of new material, such as "Vertigo", "Beautiful Day", and "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" were interspersed between the old classics: "Pride (In the Name of Love)", "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", "Streets With No Name", and "With or Without You", just to name a few.

The melodies were richly delivered, the band was as tight as ever, and the songs were consistantly sung with the same passionate, dramatic flare—the only way Bono knows how to masterfully deliver them.

This is a must-see for everyone, from the most fanatic of U2 connoisseurs to the average rock fan, looking for something a little different in a music video. The movie is out at the IMAX theatre now. It opens in regular theatres February 15th, but it's definitely worth the extra money to see it at the IMAX.

Final Analysis: National Geographic makes you feel as if you've just been handed the backstage pass of a lifetime, and you didn't have to battle the concert traffic jams or pay any ticket companies the extra service fees.

{etRating 4.5}

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