A Major Disappointment

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Unbiased review from someone who is not a U2 fan.U2 lead vocalist Bono, recently said "we're reapplying for the job of best band in the world". If so, this DVD should not be their resume. In fact, let's face it, when it comes to the title of most overrated band in rock history, U2 might have a legitimate claim to the title.First, a bit of disclosure so you can see where I'm coming from and rank my review accordingly. I am NOT a U2 fan. I did buy 'WAR', and several other records by them when they came out. And, I do occasionally enjoy listening to their music, but I do not idolize them, and I call it like I see it.I do admit entering this experience with a little trepidation. U2 played nudge-nudge wink wink with the punk and alternative crowd to try to ride those coattails; They played nudge-nudge wink wink with Beatles fandom all but declaring themselves the second coming of The Beatles with 'Rattle and Hum'; They played nudge- nudge wink wink with the burgeoning Christian record market, positioning themselves as the #1 Christian rock band; They played nudge-nudge wink wink with Irish nationalism; They played nudge-nudge wink wink with activism - despite occasional proclamations by Bono in the press, they've rarely if ever outright espoused any political ideology in their music. But they never were any of those things. Or maybe a bland melange of all of them.Now, don't get me wrong, borrowing from various sources and reinventing yourself to maintain popularity is a long standing tradition in rock. Take a band like Motley Crue who started out by swiping all of Ozzy's bats-and-gloom shtick and the N.Y. Dolls glam/drag shtick and grafting them together - later to chop off their long hair and dye it to try to fit in with the post-Metallica/Nirvana hard rock landscape.But sometimes it seems like U2 just keeps throwing out trick after trick, from ZooTV to iPod promotion to keep their title long after they should have hung up their guitars.But, never let it be said I won't give someone a chance to change my mind. I wanted to see U2 again, and after hearing such good things about the 'Vertigo' tour, I decided to see what the lads were up to. I had wanted to watch U2 3D, but alas, my home theater system isn't up to the challenge (whose is?) so I opted for this concert film from the same tour instead.After watching it, I have to say it's a decent enough rock concert, but, if this is supposed to be U2 at the top of their game, I'm not impressed. For one thing, many bands' best music isn't played on the radio - this is not the case with U2 - all the concert's highlights are songs you're already familiar with - even if you're not a U2 fan, songs like 'Mysterious Ways', 'New Years Day', and of course 'Vertigo'.The audio mix is fantastic. The guitars, keyboards, vocals, and crowd noise is all very perfectly balanced to give a sound that is crisp and dynamic, while preserving all the energy of a live show, which results in a sound that blends the best of both studio and live recordings. And if you think it sounds good on your stereo - you should really listen to it with a good set of headphones. Amazing. The DVD might be the best *sounding* U2 recording out there.And the whole thing is quite the spectacle thanks to a legion of electricians and lighting guys, probably at least a dozen cameramen, and THOUSANDS of light bulbs.But, for all the non-stop flashing lights of being inside a 360-degree pinball machine... at the end of the day it's not so much a fine piece of silver as it is a lot of shiny polish on an ordinary piece of tin.It's a shame, The Beatles, The Doors or even Queen came before it was possible to get this kind of audio and video quality, because any one of those bands could blow U2 away on their own stage. And, for all his faults, even a drug-addled and bloated Vegas-era Elvis never stopped and cleared his throat in mid-song saying, "I've got a frog in my throat".When it comes right down to it. If spectacle is your thing, it's here - but, you'd be better off seeing KISS for a flashy stage show; at least they have no pretensions of artistry. If on the other hand, the artistry of the musicians is your thing - that's here too, but you'd probably be better off checking out David Bowie, Peter Gabriel or the Talking Heads for that. Still, as concert films go, the technical expertise of the craftspeople that made this film shows through. As a concert film it is fantastic. We've come a long way since Martin Scorsese's 'The Last Walz'. U2: Vertigo 05: Live from Chicago sets the standard for concert films of the new millennium.Too bad the band's talents aren't equally high.If you're a U2 fan, you'll love it. If you're not, you still might be entertained.

If you are a collector of all things U2, then you will want to buy this DVD. If, on the other hand, you were wanting to spend your money on the best, then Slane, Zoo TV and Popmart are better choices. But hey, this is still a pretty good watch. It is a fair comment, most would agree, that U2 put on the best live shows. Bono has been quoted on many occasions saying that 'live is where the band lives.' Now a lot of factors go into making these great shows but one that sticks out down the years are the concert openers. 'I Will Follow', 'Where The Streets Have No Name', 'Mofo' etc, are all great ways to kick off the show. And this trend continues here with the majestic 'City of Blinding Lights' in which it is declared that everyone looks 'So Beautiful Tonight'. In what also could have been an opener that night (it was on the European leg of the tour) is what comes next- the highly energetic 'Vertigo', which leaves the crowd jumping for joy and sets up 'Elevation' nicely.Then the band rewind 20 plus years and play an unbelievable version of 'Electric Co'. Watching The Edge during this song is great as he plays terrificly well. What is a little disappointing for me, and this happens in different parts of the show, is that the crowd goes a little bit stale, during the earlier hits. I mean I don't mind new U2 fans, but there are many there in the audience who I bet only owned the Greatest Hits CD's. This staleness continues through a classic like 'Miracle Drug' where I even saw people leaving their seats!! I mean come on people, enjoy it!!The crowd do eventually get back off their seats during the fantastic 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', although it is a bit soured halfway through with Bono doing his thing. Each to their own as they say. The second part of the show is the strongest with an emotional 'Running To Stand Still' being followed by 'Pride', 'Streets' and 'One'.What is so great about the show as a whole are the different depths. So after a speech about making poverty history we are then treated to that fantastic opening of 'Zoo Station', followed by one of the bands best ever songs 'The Fly'. The show finishes with all areas covered. A few more from 'Bomb' and then the classic '40' to finish the show, with each member of the band leaving the stage individually, which is very touching.Overall, this isn't the bands greatest ever live show, but it is a very good one. The set list is amazing with hits young and old, but the crowd are a bit of a let down. (Youtube footage of the gigs from Croke Park and Brazil and you'll catch my drift.) But, it is not a waste of money and you will watch it again and again.

This is a must see for any music fan. It features a band at the peak of their powers and is a very strong performance from the 4 lads from Dublin. I was lucky enough to attend 3 Vertigo Tour shows and the Chicago DVD brings back all those feelings you get when you see U2 live. From the last PA song before the concert begins (a song called wake up by arcade fire) to the end it's arena rock at it's very best. There is a great mix of new and old spanning their full 25 years in the business. The new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is obviously featured heavily and doesn't look out of place among such classics as Where the Streets Have No Name and Sunday Bloody Sunday. The show ends with a fantastic closing song (40) which involves the audience singing the band off the stage. Very powerful stuff 9/10

What makes this concert better than say something from U2's RATTLE AND HUM era is summed up by the first song . Halfway through Vertigo Bono sings " There's a place I go and I am far away " which are the lyrics to Stories For Boys a song that was written away back in 1979 . We're also treated ( And it is a treat ) to The Electric Co a song from U2's first album Boy from 1980 It's a truly great mix of songs from the bands different eras , we hear Sunday Bloody Sunday from War , Running To Stand Still from The Joshua Tree , Mysterious Ways from Actung Baby and Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own from their latest album . This is showing respect for their audience , imagine you've followed every tour from the early 1990s . What would you prefer as a fan ? Seeing Bono and the boys perform most of their latest album or hear an eclectic mix of tunes from the last 25 years ? If this video is anything to go by the Vertigo tour might just be the best ever Respect too on the way the stage is set up . All too often the stage at concerts are very static but here we see an oval stage in the centre of the crowd where Bono , Edge Adam and even Larry swap positions throughout the concert so everyone in the audience has a shot of being near the action . Again the fans are being shown respect by the band If you're a die hard fan you'll want to watch this but perhaps more importantly if you're a casual music fan you'll also want to see this simply because it shows why U2 are the most successful band of the last 25 years . Highly recommended