Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

U2: From The Sky Down Blu-ray Movie Review

This band moves in mysterious ways.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 21, 2012

Note: this review is based on a check disc, which may or may not reflect the final retail version of this title.

Has it really been twenty years (give or take) since U2 rose from the critical ashes of Rattle and Hum to release Achtung Baby? Bono makes the case that arriving at these patently artificial marking points like a twentieth anniversary aren’t real barometers of anything other than that they provide a fitting reason (and/or excuse) to look back over whatever time the anniversary is commemorating. False barometer or not, U2 From the Sky Down takes the vantage point of the twentieth anniversary of the release of Achtung Baby to allow the band an opportunity to revisit one of their most iconic, albeit troubled in terms of its creation, albums, and to, by extrapolation, see how far the band has come in the meantime. The piece starts with some perhaps pretentious, overly flowery language about bands being something like modern clans, something which men more than women are prone to want to join, and entities which by their very existence define an “us versus them” mentality. The problem in the case of U2, at least in the wake of the critical drubbing Rattle and Hum took back in the day, is that Bono and the boys evidently were engaging in more of an “us versus us” mentality, with tensions rising to the point that Bono at least felt the handwriting was on the wall and the band’s days were numbered. This delving into waters long under the bridge may strike some as unnecessarily sensationalistic, but under the sure guidance of director Davis Guggenheim, who has a long history with the band, the confessional segments, while perhaps a bit too self-aware for their own good, give the casual (and frankly the rabid) fan a really interesting insight into what it’s like to be in one of the most successful bands of all time, and to further give some indication of what it’s like to be in a band which is confronting unimaginable global success while still trying in its own fumbling way to find its artistic sea legs.

Is Bono full of himself? As Bono himself might ask, is the Pope Catholic? But there’s another, perhaps more salient, question: does Bono know he’s full of himself? And the answer is an unmitigated “yes,” which Bono himself addresses when U2 From the Sky Down starts to get into Bono and the boys’ exploits after The Joshua Tree was released, and as they became more and more obsessed with the United States and Americana, delving into the relatively disastrous Rattle and Hum, they themselves assumed aspects of bands they had previously decried as being “the enemy.” Bono recounts with some wryness how the band wasn’t exactly welcomed back with open arms in Ireland after their Rattle and Hum experience, and in fact the band itself, suddenly thrust upon the world stage, seemingly overnight a stadium sensation, just felt in their bones that they were neither consistent nor at a base level good enough, technically speaking.

That very insecurity led to tensions in the band, such that Bono made a rather infamous statement at a New Year’s Eve Concert that it was a “kind of end” for U2, catching at least some of his bandmates off guard. The band splintered rather badly, which From the Sky Down recounts largely from Bono’s and The Edge’s viewpoints. But those who were there for the turmoil, like Brian Eno, also offer some piquant commentary, making it clear that the boys were always surrounded by centered, experienced people who were able not just to collaborate but to help quell the emotional turmoil and keep the band on track.

It was perhaps serendipity that U2 chose to get back into the studio post-Rattle and Hum by working at Hansa, a Berlin studio, just as the Berlin Wall was teetering toward collapse. That spirit of incipient freedom seemed to inspire U2 at a fundamental level, and From the Sky Down features some remarkably fascinating moments when The Edge plays back old DAT tapes of their rehearsals where the band pretty much improvised “Mysterious Ways” into existence. The fact that the band seems to prefer to find a groove first, with Bono then scatting melodies until he finds something he likes, and only then is a lyric attempted may strike some songwriters as the hard way of doing things. But that is why Bono states his band’s art of songcraft is like writing “from the sky down,” certainly an apt and evocative metaphor.

The band is on record as stating that they’re uncomfortable now in retrospect seeing how Davis Guggenheim was able to coax so many confessional elements out of them, but the truth is, there’s nothing really all that shocking here, especially for those who have followed the band for years. What seems clear is that the guys have learned from their excesses, knows what works for them and what doesn’t, and isn’t particularly shy about admitting their faults. What may actually put off more U2 fans than the confessional elements is the fact that this documentary features next to no full, unedited songs. We get close a couple of times, both in archival footage and a number of contemporary elements featuring Bono back at Hansa. But only the supplemental features finally offers three complete Bono solo performances, something of a consolation prize for fans who, watching the documentary and pining for some actual music, still haven’t found what they’re looking for.

U2: From The Sky Down Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

U2 From the Sky Down is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Mercury Records and Universal Music Group with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in both 1.78:1 and 1.33:1. On the whole, this is a sparklingly clear transfer, at least with regard to the contemporary segments, which offer Bono and The Edge (for the most part) waxing philosophical about their history together, as well as some really fun sequences where they listen to old DAT tapes from the Achtung Baby sessions. Colors pop nicely, and there's excellent contrast and fine detail in these sequences. The rest of the documentary is made up of archival footage which varies hugely in quality. Sourced from 16mm (and perhaps even 8mm in a couple of instances), a lot of this footage is (as should be expected) incredibly grainy, fuzzy, and at times damaged. It's still fantastic to see some of this older footage, some of which was just recently discovered when Guggenheim was given full access to the band's private archives. The historical importance of this footage far outweighs and quality issues.

U2: From The Sky Down Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

U2 From the Sky Down features three audio options, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, LPCM 2.0 and Dolby Digital 5.1. (As is often the case with these Universal Music Group releases, the disc defaults to the LPCM 2.0 mix, and the next option if you toggle is oddly the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, with the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 the third choice). The two lossless tracks are boisterous, full blooded affairs, but fans need to understand going in that From the Sky Down is in no real way a concert video. There are certainly snippets of U2 tunes scattered throughout the proceedings, but this is much more a historical examination of a moment in time with the band, and as such a lot of this piece plays out in relatively quiet, confessional moments with just one speaker on screen at a time. Fidelity is excellent, and the 5.1 track does offer some nice spaciousness, especially in the contemporary sequences back at Hansa, though unfortunately a lot of those sequences' musical elements are Bono solo performances, therefore not something that offers discrete channelization for different instruments.

U2: From The Sky Down Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• So Cruel (HD; 2:42)
• Love is Blindness (HD; 3:02)
• The Fly (HD; 2:31)
• Toronto International Film Festival Press Conference (720p; 44:45) has The Edge and Bono, along with Davis Guggenheim, doing a sit down and Q&A session at TIFF after the film screened there.
• Photo Gallery (720p; 1:59)

U2: From The Sky Down Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

U2 From the Sky Down has many of the same pluses and minuses as last year's Foo Fighters: Back and Forth. The pluses include up close and personal interviews with the band, as well as copious archival footage which helps to elucidate the band's history. The main minus is the relative dearth of actual unedited performance footage. Those wanting a concert video would do best to come to this release with lowered expectations, but those wanting more of an insight into the personalities and history of one of the most successful bands of the past several decades will find a lot to enjoy in this piece. Guggenheim keeps things moving along briskly, including a lot of fun elements like animated interstitials and a good selection of interviews and archival moments. This Blu-ray looks and sounds great, and has at least an acceptable level of decent supplements, and it comes Recommended.