One out of
Five stars
Running time:
78 mins
This is strictly for fans of the Jonas Brothers and their ultra-safe, occasionally catchy pop stylings, as there's nothing here for anyone over 12, aside from a couple of decent 3D moments.
What's it all about?
The Jonas Brothers (good-looking Joe, shy-looking Nick, serious-looking Kevin) made their big screen debut in last year's Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Concert. Now they get their own 3D concert movie, with Hannah helmer Bruce Hendricks back in the director's chair.
The majority of the film consists of 3D concert footage filmed in Anaheim, California, interspersed with shots of fans and obviously staged, mostly 2D behind-the-scenes footage of the band being woken at the hotel (by burly security dude Big Rob Feggans, who also raps on stage at one point), being chased by screaming fans, jumping in a hastily-arranged helicopter, playing a gig in Central Park and buying their album in Times Square. The Brothers are also joined on stage by fellow Disney stablemates Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift, who perform a song each and don't appear in the backstage stuff.
The Good
The most interesting thing about the film is its enthusiastic adoption of the throw-things-at-the-camera element of the 3D process (very big in the 1950s), with drumsticks, plectrums and various other objects being hurled at the audience on a semi-regular basis.
The Bad
This is essentially critic-proof, since you probably already know whether or not you want to see it and no amount of one star reviews are going to persuade you otherwise. To be fair, the songs themselves are catchy if forgettable, but the film's biggest problem is that you won't know any more about the Jonas Brothers coming out than you did going in – if you’re not sure which Jonas is which, you won’t know until they announce their names on stage at the end.
Worth seeing?
In short, the lack of depth or personality makes Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience a tedious, empty viewing experience for anyone unlucky enough to be dragged to see it. Strictly for fans.