a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Its not at all bad. The homage that U2 is playing seemingly went over a lot of peoples heads causing the illusion that they were comparing themselves to rock and blues greats when, really, they were thanking them.I think the real dividing line here, however, is Bono. You either love him and almost venerate him as a saint among rock stars, or you hate him for the exact same reason, that is, you hate him for caring. And that is why I believe so many people walked away from this documentary.Then again, honestly, it could be because of U2's later day sins. The Joshua Tree was their main break out and a lot of fans will the the "they were good up until they got famous" line.That's not exactly true, with the exception of the argument over Zooropa, they were good through Pop.The fall back, especially following All You Can't Leave Behind and the lackluster follow-ups that tainted the formerly great band are probably the reason this is viewed with hostility.Give it a short, if nothing else than the film is a love letter to American music and general, and the rock and blues idols that inspired one of the best bands of the 80s

Rattle and Hum is a great movie for both hardcore and casual U2 fans. It's an interesting look at U2's musical exploration in the late '80s, and for younger U2 fans, like me, it's almost a way to experience The Joshua Tree tour. Seeing footage of some of their most popular and biggest songs being performed live is both fascinating and enthralling. U2 is probably the best live band still around today, and seeing them where they are most at home, on stage, is an experience in itself. Emotion is a big factor when it comes to their music, and you can feel it throughout the film. The black and white footage adds a nice touch of rawness, of sincerity. And although Rattle and Hum is essentially a concert film, it's also a glimpse at U2's growing maturity as a band. Rattle and Hum is a fun, fascinating, intense U2 experience. It's quite funny at times--like the first, hilariously awkward interview at the beginning of the movie--but it's also very serious. I think that the most powerful performance in the movie is Sunday Bloody Sunday. Bono's angry, outraged speech both before and during the song are stunning. I was left both in shock and awe at the sincerity and absolute frustration the band displays while they perform it....it's sure to give you goosebumps.My only complaint--and a minor one at that--was the shortage of interviews, but I can understand why they might have left it out to make room for more songs. So even if you're only a casual fan of U2, you should see Rattle and Hum. It's powerful, entertaining, and interesting. It's a look back at a much younger U2 (you might even laugh at both Bono and The Edge's hair, and at Adam Clayton's birdlime strut on stage) and a good one at that. To quote Larry Mullen Jr., "It's a musical journey."

U2 Rattle and Hum focused on the Irish Band's 1987 Joshua Tree Tour in America. There is little plot in the movie, but pretty much "the band tries to figure out America." The movie starts with a nice (some may say egotistical rendition) of the Beatles "Helter Skelter" where Bono tells the crowd "Charles Manson stole this from the Beatles and were stealing it back." The film does have it's low moments such as a Church-inspired rendition of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" which sounds like a total mess and features very minimal vocal interpretation from Bono. We are paying to see U2 sing lead!! Not the Church. Despite this the inspired rendition of "Angel of Harlem" is very exciting, as is "Exit", "Bullet in the Blue Sky" (One of the tracks features in Color), "Pride In the Name of Love", "Desire", "Bad", "Sunday Bloody Sunday" a haunting "With or Without You", "Where The Streets Have No Name", "Silver and Gold" and a nice collaboration with BB King called "When love comes to town" where even BB King even admits that he is amazed at Bono's ability to write songs. As a concert the movie is great but as a movie, it literally follows no sequence but showing the band perform songs with very little transition and sort of makes them look more idiotic as they "Try and Look For America" rather then the rebellious figures of change in the mid 1980's. Still though the songs are probably better then most of the U2 albums and Bono's voice is at a level I don't think it's ever been since which is great for a U2 purist. In a way I feel bad for the band because this was a big budget picture (really a concert) and after this U2 soon lost their puritanical edge of the 1980's as they shifted into a more of darker and deeper sound featured in their next album Achtung Baby. Which is a benefit of this movie being made, but overall it's a great concert flick but not so great as an actual feature length motion picture.

I knew little about U2 in the 80s. I was still a pre-teen, and I was probably listening to what my parents put on like Michael Jackson, Joe Cocker, John Denver, Janis Joplin, and Willie Nelson. However, little by little, I grew to be a fan of theirs, probably especially after I first heard the song "Bad" on the radio as my parents drove me to college for my first year. I bought the DVD of this on a total whim and was greatly rewarded. The opening sequence with "Helter Skelter" establishes a somewhat otherworldly yet gritty intensity for the b&w sequences. I agree that the film doesn't do a good job of getting at the personalities of the singers, and besides these guys are so used to the camera that they'd be able to manipulate the coverage anyway. What Phil Joanou does get wonderfully is the passion for the music in these guys and how they inspire others: those moments when they stop and listen to the Harlem blues man singing "Freedom for My People" or the Gospel choir that takes flight with "Haven't Found what I'm Looking For" are something pure with a hint of magic. This is also well-played in the GORGEOUS transition to color in the Super Bowl-size stadium for "Streets Have No Name." You'd think Jesus himself was about to come on stage. My only qualm: the music and lyrics themselves have enough social meaning of their own. Bono really doesn't need to interject much more on stage. Their performance of Bullet the Blue Sky gets at the social points with greater force, "Pelting the women and children/Pelting the women and children," than Bono's well-intentioned commentary. I give it four stars though because it hits all the right notes. PHIL, WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN YEARS?