7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.7 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
The history of the electric guitar as seen from the point of view of three significant musicians: Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, U2's The Edge and The White Stripes' Jack White.
Starring: Jimmy Page, The Edge, Jack White (XV), Dallas SchooMusic | 100% |
Documentary | 46% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The biggest thrill is creating something that has the power to really connect with people.
That's
why I took up the guitar in the first place.
Three of Rock's greatest legends -- and the instrument that defines their careers -- are the
subjects of It Might Get Loud, Director Davis Guggenheim's (An Inconvenient
Truth) 2008 Documentary that injects a lifeblood into and discovers the pulse of Rock's most
recognizable instrument. Though the electric guitar is at the center of It Might Get Loud,
the film weaves a human journey into the tale and, ultimately, its the three personalities
that prove the guitar's worth not as a static, heartless instrument but instead an extension of
their creativity, wants, desires, and, indeed, their very souls. Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, The
White Stripes' Jack White, and U2's The Edge (David Evans) lead the discussion of how the
instrument shaped their lives and careers, but with a surprisingly candid and strongly engaging
examination of their individuality and personal histories while at the same time demonstrating
the
power of music and their appreciation for not only the instrument but one another and the art
form that has richly blessed their lives and, certainly, the music they've in turn and in
conjunction with the fabled instrument given to music lovers around the world.
Three legends, one film.
This Blu-ray release of It Might Get Loud delivers a satisfying 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that's not necessarily the cleanest, smoothest, or most intricately detailed Blu-ray to date, but it shines within the context of its varied looks. The film's segments featuring Page, White, and Evans together are the most strongly realized; detail is sharp, the image is clean, and colors natural in tone. Much of the film, however, has something of a gritty, grainy appearance. Here, textures are a bit rough, fine detail isn't meticulously rendered, and colors can appears slightly muddy. Grain is rather heavy in these scenes, and the occasional white speckle appears over the image. However, one of the film's true treasures comes from various guitar close-ups; there's nothing quite like a well-worn instrument, it being something akin to a broken-in baseball glove. Scratches and dents give it character and show plenty of wear-and-tear that's a sign of both heavy usage and plenty of love, whether a classic Gibson or Jack White's red plastic Montgomery Ward special that served him through 10 years with The White Stripes. While not The International, It Might Get Loud generally looks rather good within the confines of its intended visual tone. Additionally, the film intermixes plenty of archival and in some cases decades-old standard definition material that's not at all visually appealing; scan lines, jagged edges, over-saturated colors, minimal definition and clarity, haloing, and banding are all present. Nevertheless, though the archival footage looks terrible, it's unfair to knock this disc's visual score when there's no improving on the as-is quality of some of the scenes, and they do add plenty of value to the film, just not from a purely visual perspective. All told, It Might Get Loud offers a strong 1080p image that's reflective of the unique visual tone and the compilation of various source materials of varying qualities.
It Might Get Loud bursts onto Blu-ray with a stellar DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. A rich and invigorating presentation, the track shines with every strum of the guitar, and while there's not much else here of note, this DTS offering excels where it needs to, and the result is a grade-A listen that ranks with the best of the best of concert Blu-ray discs for its precision and clarity. Guitar riffs, as expected, are exceptionally rich and lifelike, room filling and soul-soothing, whether lighter, less-intense melodies or harder rock numbers. Every note springs to lavish life, and the film's concert scenes in particular represent some of the finest and most naturally immersive listens available. A brief rendition of a part of U2's Where the Streets Have No Name makes for perhaps the film's single finest listen. The music pours into the soundstage with startling clarity and strength, completely engulfing the listener into the concert and delivering a superb, crisp, and heart-stopping presentation that's practically as good as the real thing. The track also delivers a well-balanced yet suitably hefty low end that's tight and precise, not overbearing and loud for the sake of sheer power. Additionally, several outdoor scenes offer slight but palpable atmospherics, and dialogue reproduction is steady and true. It Might Get Loud will thrill both audiophiles and fans of the music and the musicians contained therein with yet another top-flight lossless soundtrack from Sony.
It Might Get Loud blares out a few extras of note, the collection headlined by a commentary track with Director David Guggenheim, Producer Lesley Chilcott, and Producer Thomas Tull. The track is laid back and easy, the trio sharing a well-spoken and informative mixture of filmmaking tidbits, stories from the production, and information revolving around the film's star guitarists. The track is a solid compliment to the film that fans will enjoy. Next is Toronto Film Festival Press Conference (1080i, 38:26), a question-and-answer piece featuring Director Davis Guggenheim, Producers Thomas Chull and Lesley Chilcott, and musicians Jack White, The Edge, and Jimmy Page. Sony's MovieIQ feature contains the Loud playlist that allows users to collect a playlist of favorite songs as heard throughout the film. The disc will e-mail a link to a personalized web page that's updated with every song chosen by the user throughout the movie. Also included is a collection of 11 deleted scenes (1080p, 26:06); BD-Live functionality; the It Might Get Loud theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:26); and additional 1080p trailers for Soul Power, An Education, Persepolis, Every Little Step, By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, and Michael Jackson's This is It.
An engaging, purposeful, and superbly-crafted Documentary, It Might Get Loud is the sum of both guitar and man, the film showcasing not only a trio of Rock legends' mastery of the instrument and constant desire to improve upon its distinctive flavor, but also how the instrument shaped their personal lives both on the stage and within their souls. Subjects Jimmy Page, Jack White, and David Evans are all equally fascinating as the film pieces together their personal journeys that placed them on the path to musical stardom and the bond they share not only through music and instrument but at a deeper level that's been developed by years of appreciating the musical arts and its impact on every aspect of their lives, both external and internal. A solid Documentary in every regard, all audiences -- fans of the music legends depicted therein or not -- will find something to treasure in It Might Get Loud. As expected, Sony's Blu-ray release is a first-class effort. Boasting a strong 1080p picture quality within the confines if the film's intended look, a soul-stirring lossless soundtrack, and a couple of worthwhile extras, It Might Get Loud deserves a home in every serious Blu-ray collection. Highly recommended.
2009
Led Zeppelin
1976
2007
1981
U2360° at the Rose Bowl
2009
2007
2008
2012
The Rolling Stones
2008
2008
25th Anniversary
2009-2010
1988
Bruce Springsteen
2009
1978
2008
1973
2012
1984
2010
1970