Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 26, 2008

Recognized by World Music Awards as the “world’s best selling female group of all time” Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams, better known as Destiny’s Child, have achieved the type of success every artist desires. They are famous, loved by the public, and respected by their fellow colleagues. After five albums and an unprecedented success around the world in 2005 the trio embarked on what would be their last tour together.

Titled simply “Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It", Destiny’s Child stop in Atlanta, Georgia was filmed by BMG Music Entertainment and released by SONY on February 20th, 2007. One of the few music shows to appear on Blu-ray at a time when the format war was still raging on Live in Atlanta quickly became a must own disc for those who followed closely the now defunct trio and their output. And for a good reason – breathtaking stage effects, top-notch choreography, and three angelic voices that aren’t easy to forget were captured on film in a manner that would surely impress even those who tend to remain passive when the band’s songs are played on radio, cable shows, etc.

The Diva

Recorded at the Philips Arena on July 15, 2005 Live in Atlanta is a highly-stylized gig offering performances of some of Destiny’s Child’s most impressive hits - Say My Name, Soldier, Bootylicious, Girl, and Survivor amongst others. Complimented by an equally impressive urban ballet-dancing and cameos by T.I. & Lil' Wayne this is indeed quite an eye-candy affair. Especially if you’ve come to appreciate the lush and sexy figure of Beyoncé (why not admit it, right?).

As I have never attended a live show where Destiny’s Child performed what struck me the most here was the fantastic chemistry between the audience and the stars as well as the flawless singing. From the impressive intro where the three divas entered the stage in chic, utterly sexy, outfits to the farewell performance of Lose My Breath there is one word that describes this show best - perfection. Yet, make no mistake about it, this isn’t a mechanical production of pre-recorded posing for the camera. Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle know how to work out the crowd. They tease, provoke, play, and entertain their fans exactly as they should. Without faking anything. And you better believe that the crowd responded to each of the trio's calls.

This being said, it would be truly unfair if I did not mention what apparently was the experience of a lifetime for three lucky fans of the group that were invited on the stage and treated by the three divas with a performance too hot to describe in detail on this site. Suffice to say I am absolutely, positively, without a doubt, convinced that the three chaps will remember the Atlanta show for the rest of their lives.

From a purely technical point of view Live in Atlanta is just as impressive. A massive stage with large neon screens and multiple smaller floaters provides the audience with excellent visibility – no matter where you sit in the arena you are part of the show. The filming crew on the other hand does a great job in following not only the trio and their glitzy outfits but the ecstatic public as well. Last but not least the special effects, a dazzling sea of rich, colorful, lights, are absolutely phenomenal. With other words, this is a top-notch show by a top-notch band.

Full track listing:

1. Intro/Overture
2. Say My Name
3. Independent Women Part II
4. No, No, No (Part 2)
5. Bug A Boo
6. Bills, Bills, Bills
7. Bootylicious
8. Jumpin', Jumpin'
9. Soldier Dance Interlude
10. Soldier Featuring T.I. & Lil' Wayne
11. Dancer Break
12. Dilemma Featuring Kelly Rowland
13. Do You Know Featuring Michelle Williams
14. Beyoncé Intro
15. Baby Boy Featuring Beyoncé
16. Naughty Girl Featuring Beyoncé
17. Band Introduction
18. Cater 2 U
19. Cater 2 U Dance Sequence
20. Girl
21. Free
22. If
23. Through With Love Featuring The Choir
24. Bad Habit Featuring Kelly Rowland
25. Dancer Ballet Break
26. Dangerously In Love Featuring Beyoncé
27. Crazy In Love Featuring Beyoncé
28. Salsa Dance Break
29. Survivor
30. Lose My Breath

Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Live in Atlanta arrives on Blu-ray in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded in MPEG-2, and boasting a solid 1080i transfer that should meet the expectations of even the most demanding amongst you. This being said, colors and detail on this SONY-produced disc are absolutely breathtaking. As the camera zooms over the audience and captures every little move Beyoncé, Kelly, and Michelle make you will notice the tiny little sweat drops on their faces, their heavy breathing. Even the little twitches on the faces of the three lucky guys brought on the stage are visible (see description in the review). The color-scheme is just as rock-solid. The sea of colorful lights playing on the stage is lush, vivid, and absolutely beautiful to behold. The trio's magnificent outfits on the other hand are so sexy you may occasionally find yourself spending more time studying their fabric than you should. I certainly did. Quite frankly, I don't think that there is anything here that one should be unhappy with. From start to finish this is one splendid looking disc.

Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three tracks on this disc: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: PCM 5.1, and English: PCM Stereo. As usual the preferred option here is the PCM. And once again, as I commented in one of my opera reviews, the PCM 2.0 mix sounds much more balanced to me. The 5.1 mix only slightly betters the overall listening experience by adding a bit more of the expansive audience-effect, it is certainly more prominently featured. As far as the actual music is concerned the two PCM tracks have a heavy center-oriented presence with excellent clarity and strong, solid bass. The overall sound quality is very high and I did not detect any issues to report here. The crispness and evenness of a studio release is well imitated but the "live" effect (particularly the crowd's influence on how the voices of the singers reach us)more or less prominent here. To sum it all up, this is a great sounding disc of a live-show that rivals some of the best I have heard so far.

Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The following extras are found on the disc:

Destiny's Child: A Family Affair - A semi-chronological documentary focusing on the group's past history. Each of the members of Destiny's Child speaks about the band, what they desired, what they achieved, and how success changed their lives.

Fan Testimonials – A collage of interviews where fans of the band share their thoughts as they depart the Atlanta venue. The majority of the comments address the show.

Bonus Audio Tracks – Still images are used for three bonus songs.

Destiny's Child: Live in Atlanta Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is absolutely unbelievable how high Blu-ray has raised home entertainment standards. Only a few years ago the spectacular presentations of live pop and rock shows, operas, and ballets we nowadays enjoy were nothing more than a wishful thinking. Yet, as the studios slowly begin to introduce more and more music on BD I find myself more and more enthusiastic about the format. From NIN to Rossini to Bartok and now Destiny's Child, no matter the type of music you prefer, HD has certainly brought entertainment to our homes without any compromising in quality whatsoever. And Live in Atlanta, is yet another example why. Excellent picture quality, top-notch sound, and a spectacular "live" vibe rank this BD release as one of the very best currently on the market.