As a band, U2 has gotten more collective shit, coupled with equal amounts of praise, over the past few years than any other band currently still releasing albums. Bono alone is on many a "worst douchebag" list, and yet it is undeniable that no band has taken bigger risks by being at the forefront of new technology before it is cool, hip, or approved by the general masses.
In the '80s they made wearing your heart on your sleeve, both politically and spiritually, successful. In the '90s they took rock stadium tours to new heights with their massive stage and light productions, and even bigger remote-controlled satellites and TV screens. In 2004, U2 were the first to collaborate with Apple on their own signature iPod (you couldn't escape their ad campaign if you tried) and now, with their latest venture, U23D, the first live-action movie shot, produced, and exhibited solely in digital 3-D, they're making history once again.
U23D is made up of nine different concerts shot in various parts of South America during their Vertigo tour, where the filmmakers took over 100 hours of footage and dwindled it down to a concert that lasts a little over an hour and a half. The result is astounding.
Remember that first time that you rode the Back to the Future Ride at Universal? Remember how insanely thrilling and surreal it felt? Take that same feeling, multiply it by a million, then throw in the thumping of Adam Clayton's bass (who, for my money, is the star of the show here), the pounding of Larry Mullen Jr's drum kit, the electricity of Edge's guitar and the nothing-short-of-theatrical performance by Bono himself and you will begin to get a general idea of just how fucking incredible U23D really is.
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