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I recently attended an exclusive screening of the "I Am... World Tour" in New York City, and let me tell you it made my YEAR. Not only does the film capture some of the greatest performances of her career, but it also shows intimate behind-the-scenes footage woven into the concert! From the second Beyoncé's concert began, both the London crowd and even us were cheering louder than ever. It seems strange... we treated it like an actual concert. Well, Beyoncé did tell us to when she went on stage just before the screening. Enough of the screening, let's get to the actual film!
Beyoncé gives us her all in this film. Perhaps the true highlights of the concert are the performances of "Crazy in Love" (which had a special appearance from Jay-Z), "Smash into You," "Broken-Hearted Girl," "Ave Maria"... I could list the entire set-list, but that wouldn't be much of a review, would it? In terms of her performance I give a 100 out of 10! :P
As for the editing and all that good stuff, it was also fantastic. Sure, things got a little grainy at times, but what do you expect to see when a camera zooms in? There was also a lot of times I asked myself, "Is Beyoncé the only one on stage?" I'd like to have seen more of her band, dancers, and background singers performing. A perfect example of this was during "Crazy in Love." Just before the song ends, Beyoncé and her dancers do a heavy routine. I just found it strange how we could only see Beyoncé's FACE as she moved.
One other aspect of editing I want to point out is the cuts after pretty much each performance. Beyoncé isn't faster than the speed of light. It takes her time, like anyone else, to change clothing. The instances where her band does solo performances, as well as the Mamas, have been cut. Of course, there are clips from her personal life during these cuts, and I actually attended the concert, so you really shouldn't notice.
I know it seems like I'm talking more about the negative, but I'd be writing a novel if I mentioned all the good... no, GREAT in this film.
All in all, I give the film HIGHER than a perfect score. Editing, maybe a four and fifteen-sixteenths out of five. I don't actually own the DVD, but the main concert itself is all you need for this thing to sell. I'll probably add more to this review once I actually get my hands on the release, but for now, this will do. If the CD, bonus features, and booklet are anything like the film, I'm definitely sold! :D
"If you're having a damn, good time, say 'yeah!'" ~ Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
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If I'm not mistaken, this is Beyonce's fourth concert DVD. The first was essentially her solo debut, and was excellent, though lacking the refinement which was still to come. The second was a strong contender for being my favorite, presenting us with a full concert recorded in LA, replete with spectacle, yet frequently able to move me emotionally in many directions. The third was a definite change in approach, deliberately intimate, and thus revealing the person of Beyonce with a vulnerability we hadn't seen before.Now this fourth DVD combines some elements from the previous three, while deleting some elements and adding new elements, and is therefore something quite different overall. First of all, this tour has a modern feel, with a crisp looking stage and lighting, aerial acrobatics, a mini stage in the middle of the audience, etc. The DVD itself is actually assembled from more than 100 performances worldwide. This approach has the drawback of creating fragmentation, with many of the songs apparently being incomplete, so the effect is more like watching a mosaic rather than a single coherent and flowing concert. Added to this, interspersed between the songs, we get mini interviews with Beyonce and other documentary-like clips, which contribute further to the sense of fragmentation. Last but not least, we don't get to see as much of her superb band or dancers as I'd like, since the spotlight is more tightly focused on Beyonce than before.
While these are certainly drawbacks, the distinct upside of this approach is that, like a documentary, this DVD gives us a real sense of what it's like to actually be Beyonce, particularly while she's on tour, with all the pros and cons that entails. In this sense, this DVD is even more revelatory than the previous one, displaying a Beyonce who's now secure enough to openly tell us that she experiences moments of insecurity. She appreciates her gifts and success, while also wanting us to know that a lot of hard work and internal struggle goes into creating the externally charmed life that she leads. She looks like a goddess on stage, but she also lets us frequently see that she looks a lot more like you and me without her makeup and styling. She expresses sincere gratitude for her team and audience, but she also tells us that she has moments on tour when she feels very alone. In short, she wants us to remember that, while she's a superstar, she's also human ...
For me, the bottom line is that I remain a huge fan of Beyonce, grateful that this DVD offers us yet another window into her artistry and life, not to mention a concert mosaic well worth watching. If you're also a fan of Beyonce, this DVD is a must. If you're not yet a fan, this DVD (or either of the previous ones) may convert you. And remember that Beyonce's natural niche is stage performance, with all the theatrical elements that entails, so don't think you've genuinely experienced Beyonce if you've only listened to her songs or watched her videos neither of those formats does justice to her.
My next step will be to try to watch Beyonce live in concert, and of course I eagerly look forward to her next DVD as well.
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Beyonce is one of the most talented female musicians of my generation. And it just goes to show that hard work and dedication can lead you into super stardom. And she proves it with this amazing DVD. Although there are some things that I did and didn't like.One thing that the Beyonce Experience DVD got right is that it broad casted the entire show without interruptions or being edited down. The thing it lacked were special features and behind the scenes of the amazing tour.
The I Am World Tour is the exact opposite. It gives us those behind the scenes that we yearn for, but edits and chops the hell out of a good show.
Here are my pros and cons.
Pros:
-Beyonce's performances never disappoint. When you buy a concert ticket, watch her at an award show, or purchase DVD of her concert, you know you're going to be entertained.
-Crazy in Love, Smash Into You, If I Were a Boy and Halo are my personal favorite performances from the concert.
-The special features are pretty cool. You see the hard work it takes to put on a show like this, and how Beyonce doesn't take any crap when it comes to her show!
-The choreography, staging, costumes and overall atmosphere
-Her band is freaking bananas! Every song sounds better then the recording.
-The little interludes between songs help keep the pace of the DVD.
And although I don't have that many Pros, they are all worth enough to make me rate this DVD 4 stars!
Cons:
-The SONGS ARE EDITED! I personally rather see the whole performance of Freakum Dress, Ego, Say My Name, Radio etc. For a concert DVD I would like to see performances in their full. The fact that completing these songs would probably only add just 5 more minutes to the DVD shows how unnecessary the cuts are. Even half of Kanye West's verse in Ego is cut off.
-Beyonce is edited to appear super human. The bulk of the footage is from Beyonce's I am World Tour filmed in London's O2 Arena for two nights. And while watching most of the videos on YouTube from fans you can clearly tell that most of the audio is from the first night and most of the film is from the second night. They even edit her to doing a backbend for 20 seconds when in reality she did it for 5. Or even edit her doing 20 flips when she probably did ten at best.
-Why is Sweet Dreams not apart of this DVD when it was filmed on the same night, yet Upgrade U and At Last appear?
-Its really short. Its only like 1hr and 30 Minutes. And since the show is paced very fast, with 25 different songs, it goes by really fast.
Overall I feel like Beyonce gets it, but doesn't get it at the same time. Its like B'Day all over again. I feel like I'm getting a half assed product so that I'd buy a Super Special Ultimate Deluxe Edition five months from now. Still a great concert, great performance, but its lacking in some areas.
Honest reviews on Beyoncé: I Am... World Tour (2010)
First thing I am a Beyonce fan, in my opinion she is really very talented. I all ready owned Beyonce live at Wembly and the Beyonce experience. This DVD is okay compared to the Beyonce experience. This concert world tour is to choppy for me,only part of performances not many costume changes. I must say I am disapointed.
The home video and life clips could have been seperated from the concert. I really did not like this concert. If you don't have the Beyonce experience "GET IT." I give the Beyonce experience 5* stars compared to 3 stars for this DVD. I will give 3 stars because of some of the performances, the photo book was okay, and the audio CD is included.
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