An early promotional poster for "Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience"
The boys make a daring escape! Don't worry, though, they were never in any real danger. It's only a scripted scene made by the film's director, Bruce Hendricks.
Nick, Joe, and Kevin perform during their 2008 Burnin' Up concert tour.
"Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience"
Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience is a Disney “rockumentary” that offers an up-close-and-personal look at the 2008 Burnin’ Up tour. It follows the Jonases as they travel from one appointment to the next, and on-stage during shows.
As a concert film, The Experience certainly delivers. Stunning camera angles capture every aspect of the boys’ performance perfectly, panning in and out to emphasize the show’s matchless moves and most memorable moments (Nick’s gymnastics and the string section were both impressive and entertaining!). The film brings out the best of the concert’s effects which were, to say the least, incredible. Flashy pyrotechnics, foam guns, and a monster-sized stage. What more could a concertgoer ask for?
The answer: nothing. In contrast, a filmgoer might ask for something else, something that was missing. A taste of what it’s really like to be on tour. Not going to a tour; being on tour. Driving in a bus for hours getting only small glimpses of towns as you pass through on the way to the next stadium; arriving at a radio station around 6AM with your eyes barely open; preparing for a Biology test while scheduling your next TV appearance; being a real, honest-to-goodness rock-star.
In their books and the Disney Channel mini-series “Living the Dream,” there is an authenticity, a genuine sense that the boys are hardworking musicians who put all their effort into what they love, that is revealed by those everyday moments in which they’re working out to keep themselves fit for performing, planning the design of their next tour’s stage, or taking a break to race go-carts. In The Concert Experience, that sense is gone.
While removing the nitty-gritty of the pop star life might make for a fun and family-friendly flick, what it lacks is raw emotion. Scripted scenes where the boys jump out of taxis and into helicopters while on the run from screaming fans, an exclusive music video within the movie that was staged to look like a performance in the park, and the absence of both parents and little brother blur the line between reality and fiction as the film progresses. Their effort and artistry shines through only when you see them performing.
The film also fails to reflect the appreciation that the boys have for their fans. Of course, there are always those genuinely crazy moments in which girls dress up in Kevin costumes or sing along with Jonas impersonators, but only twice do the boys stop to look out at the audience and stand in awe of their admiration, whereas in “Living the Dream” their love for their fans is reiterated in almost every minisode.
There were, however, a few candid moments in the 76-minute movie. These were the ones that stood out in my mind: Kevin looking at his cell phone and discussing the day’s schedule, Joe goofing off as he shakes the breakfast table (“Earthquake! Aftershock!”), and Nick trying to get him to quit while doing his best to pay attention to his eldest brother; the Jonas family driving in a limo as they ride up to Times Square for a midnight album release party, the look on their mom’s face when she sees the crowd, Joe’s energetic scream as he holds up the CD triumphantly, and Kevin’s grateful “Thank-you!” to the crowd.
As a real look into the lives of the Jonas Brothers, or even as an introduction to the band, this film is a definite failure. But as an eye-popping, ear-pleasing pleasure ride, Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience is a toe-tapping tune-tastic treat for all loyal Jonas fans and music lovers alike. A must-see movie you won’t want to miss!
To view clips from Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience, you can open the following links, courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes:
“Cut to the Chase” -- One of the film’s, er, less believable scenes (still undoubtedly enjoyable).
“Pushin’ Me Away” -- Joe gives it all he’s got!
