U23D

I've never actually been to a U2 concert. Sure, I've heard them for years on the radio and enjoyed the albums, and even worked with the webmaster of a popular fan-site, interference.com at one point. Still while I've had a general appreciation for their craft, I never got up close and personal.

That all changed today when I went to see a pre-screening of the new U23D movie at the Metreon IMAX in San Francisco. It is the first live action 3D movie, and let me just say -- WOW!

The producers, directors and cameramen did a spectacular job putting you right in the action, feeling like you're actually right there in the action. I even tried to dodge the flying water spray. The musician actors were literally popping out of the screen in your face as the camera view would launch from the front row, swoop over the drums and land you directly on stage, staring out at the crowd of tens of thousands of screaming fans. If you've ever wondered what it feels like to be a rock star, this movie is for you.

Filmed in Beunos Aries during the band's 2006 Vertigo tour, U23D covers most of the hit numbers over the 80 minute set like I Want to Run, With or Without You, Beautiful Day, Bloody Sunday, Where the Streets Have No Name and One. Beyond the best, most crisp 3D special effects I've ever seen, it's a straight concert film from start to finish gliding from song to song and keeping the flow of a typical show throughout.

Whether you're a hard core U2 fan or a newbie like me, it will be easy to appreciate the intensity, emotion and message that their concert conveys. This is a band that entertains while also trying to bridge worlds and unite people amidst their differences. The extra dimension added to the experience serves to connect the viewer on another level all together, as though you're actually at the show, holding your lighter (or phone) up, clapping along with the songs or giving them a standing ovation at the end of the performance. Bravo!