U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl Blu-ray Movie Review

Shot on October 25, 2009, during the legendary Irish band’s stop in Pasadena, California, U2 360° at the Rose Bowl is arguably one of the most impressive rock concerts to be staged in North America. In front of an audience of more than 96 000, U2 performed a number of songs from their latest studio album, No Line on the Horizon, as well as many of their greatest hits.

U2 started the concert with “Get on Your Boots” and “Magnificent”, both new songs from No Line on the Horizon, and followed up with such classics as “Mysterious Ways” from Achtung Baby, “Beautiful Day” from All That You Can’t Leave Behind and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” from Joshua Tree.

“No Line on the Horizon” and “Unknown Caller”, also from U2’s latest album, are introduced between “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”, “Elevation” and “In a Little While”. Halfway through “Unknown Caller”, Commander Frank DeWinne from the International Space Station also joined the U2 party.

Next are “Until the End of the World”, “The Unforgettable Fire” and “City of Blinding Lights”, the latter arguably being one of the best performances in the entire concert. With “Vertigo” and “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight” Bono reignited the crowds yet again.

Next are wonderful performances of the powerful “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Milk” and “Walk On”. It is “One”, however, and “Where the Streets Have No Name” that reminded everyone that U2 are not only a great rock band but also important proponents of peace, freedom and democracy. “Ultra Violet (Light My Way)”, “With or Without You” and “Moment of Surrender” are the final three songs in this wonderful show.

Technically, U2 360° at the Rose Bowl is indeed a spectacular show, one which as cliché as it may sound is virtually impossible to describe with simple words. I was lucky enough to see the Chicago show, from which there is footage on this Blu-ray disc, and the futuristic stage and lighting/pyrotechnics were truly beyond impressive. The sound quality was also impeccable.

Those of you who are trying to decide whether U2 360° at the Rose Bowl is worth owning should know that this is a concept show, which the Irish band is unlikely to reproduce ever again. Here the music is as important as the band’s admirable efforts to bring together people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

City of Blinding Lights

U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i transfer, U2 360° at the Rose Bowl arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Island Records/Universal Music.

Recorded with multiple strategically positioned HD cameras, U2 360° at the Rose Bowl looks great. Clarity is excellent and contrast levels terrific. The fantastic light effects also look great in high-definition. Mild motion-judder is present but it is never an issue of concern. The color-scheme is fantastic - the reds, blues, yellows and greens are as vibrant and rich as the ones I witnessed during the Chicago show. The actual camerawork is also very impressive, allowing one to get a good feel of what the atmosphere during the actual show was. Finally, while watching U2 360° at the Rose Bowl I did not see any transfer-specific anomalies to report in this review. All in all, this is an excellent presentation of a truly remarkable concept show. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0, English Dolby Digital 5.1, and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very strong. The bass is strong and punchy, the surround channels intelligently used and the high-frequencies pleasing. The separation between Bono's singing and the music is good, though there are some minor balance issues during certain songs ("Elevation" and "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"). The crowd noise is prominent but certainly not overwhelming.

The English LPCM 2.0 track is quite disappointing. It lacks the depth and fluidity of the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, and it also has some noticeable balance issues ("One"). Finally, the Dolby Digital 5.1 track fares slightly better against the English LPCM 2.0 track, but, again, it cannot replicate the dynamic intensity of the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. This is very obvious during" Vertigo", "I Still Have Not Found What I'm Looking For" and "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)".

U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: All supplemental features arrive with optional English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Squaring the Circle: Creating U2 360° - a wonderful documentary about U2's desire to produce a new concept show and the realization of the 360° stage. The technical comments pertaining to the art design of the stage are fantastic. In English. (35 min, 1080i).

U2 360° Tour Clips -

-- Welcome to Milano! (Milan) (3 min, 480/60i)
-- The Spotlighter (Barcelona) (2 min, 480/60i)
-- Dublin Awaits (Dublin) (5 min, 480/60i)
-- Edge Backstage at the Rose Bowl (Pasadena) (2 min, 480/60i)
-- Aung San Suu Kyi (Dublin) (4 min, 480/60i)
-- The North American Launch (Chicago) (3 min)
-- CN Tower (Toronto) (2 min, 480/60i)
-- Red & White (Poland) (2 min, 480/60i)

Bonus Track - "Breathe" (Live). (6 min, 1080i)

Berlin Time - Lapse - raw footage from the preparation for the Berlin show. (5 min, 480/60i).

European Tour Opening: Barcelona - raw footage from the preparation for the Barcelona show (8 min, 480/60i).

North American Tour Opening: Chicago - raw footage from the preparation for the Barcelona show. (11 min, 480/60i).

Videos -

-- "Get On Your Boots" (4 min, 480/60i).
-- "Magnificent" (5 min, 480/60i).
-- "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" (5 min, 480/60i).
-- "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (Live at Barcelona)" (4 min, 480/60i).

-- The Making of "Get On Your Boots" Video (3 min, 480/60i).
-- The Making of "Magnificent" Video (6 min, 480/60i).

BD Live Functionality

Booklet - a 24-page booklet with photos from the Rose Bowl show.

U2: 360° at the Rose Bowl Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

U2 360° at the Rose Bowl is an impressive release, but it is probably for hardcore U2 fans only. Call me nostalgic, but I prefer the band's older shows. Hopefully, we will soon see many of them on Blu-ray. Obviously, you are free to disagree me. RECOMMENDED.