I had another goofy post all lined up for this morning, but it will have to wait. Last night on our date, Bridgette and I saw one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

We went down to the IMAX theater at the Minnesota Zoo and saw U2:3D.

The title more or less explains the the movie was about. National Geographic Films has come up with a new technology for 3D, and this is its first use in a live action film. From the moment the concert began and the Edge appeared to walk 4 feet from me and play the guitar riff for “Vertigo”, we were blown away. I spontaneously uttered, “holy crap…” and smiled for the next 85 minutes.

My problem with “3D” movies in the past is that
a) the colors always seemed to look a bit messed up, and
b) the image didn’t look three-dimensional, it looked like multiple “planes” of two-dimensional images.

This technology suffered neither of those problems. It felt so real and lifelike that it gave me the actual kinetic rush that you feel when you meet somebody famous. The sense memories of the U2 concerts I’d attended in the past came rushing back, except this time I wasn’t stuffed in amongst sweaty men and people obnoxiously texting their friends. Instead, I was sitting there, transfixed by the intimacy and sweep of the film, and counting the hairs on the Edge’s forearm. It felt like what people first must have experienced when sound movies premiered in 1927, and I’m being totally serious about that.

Checking out some review sites this morning, I noted that the film has a remarkable 94 rating on rottentomatoes.com, and USA Today writes:

It’s U2 writ XXL, not just visually and sonically but emotionally and theatrically. In keeping with the band’s tech-savvy tours, high-def never overwhelms high drama, nor does the razzle-dazzle drain the ritual of its intimacy or fraternal spirit.

Now, some of you might be saying to yourself, “Sure you loved it Peter, you’re a huge U2 fan.” Yes, that no doubt played a big part of it, and the strength of those songs added an emotional wallop that made the experience that much more remarkable. However, that could have been Dexys Midnight Runners on that screen, and they would have become my new favorite band. As a matter of fact, the prospect of seeing “Come On, Eileen” being performed in lifelike 3D is enough to make me shit down my pants.

The movie is playing at the Apple Valley IMAX for the next couple weeks - consider checking it out there. If not, it will be opening at a number of other conventional theaters on February 15th. I would be happy to accompany you, so long as you do not tell my wife about this, as she would yell at me again.