One Direction: This is Us
Reviewed
by
Nicki Newton-Plater on
September 18th, 2013
Sony Pictures presents
a film directed by
Morgan
Spurlock
Starring:
Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson
Running
Time:
92 minutes
Rating:
G
Released:
September 19th, 2013 |
6/10
|
On
the eve of their Australian tour, One
Direction: This Is Us is the perfect present to the band’s
fanatical fans.
One Direction, which is made up of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne,
Harry
Styles and Louis Tomlinson, are the five young men who auditioned for
the UK's
"The X-Factor" as solo artists, but were joined together to compete
as a group in the television show. This
Is Us documents their incredible rise to global fame after
they
were awarded second place in the competition and life on the road
during the
first half of their worldwide 2013 Take Me Home Tour.
This
is the ultimate for One Direction fans. The advantage of the 3D here
will make
lovers of the British lads feel like they are right next to them and
closer to
the stage at their concerts than they perhaps ever be. For those who
missed out
on tickets to their shows, this may well be the closest thing to the
actual
experience. Live versions of the band's biggest hits including "What
Makes
You Beautiful" and "Kiss You" should please all the fans who
missed out and tide over those until they have the chance to see them
in the
flesh. The personalities of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis
also shine
through in the film, as does their boyish sense of humour.
The
only complaint that fans may have is that the documentary is not quite
as
comprehensive as what it could be. It would be wrong to say that there
is not
much about where the boys come from in the film, but these details are
skimmed
across during the 92 minutes and more of the time is donated to the
boys'
antics and their live performances.The key word so far here has been
"fans". However, the big question remains will you will enjoy This Is Us if
you are not
a One Direction fan? Not as much. Although This
Is Us will still be a bit of fun for people who are not
admirers,
it will not make you become a fan of theirs. The footage of the boys
clowning
around is great for giggle, but there is nothing to save you from being
bored
or wanting to switch the station over like you do when you hear them on
the
radio.
If
you didn't know anything about the band beforehand then it does provide
you
with some information about them, but as the five members of the boy
band
remind us various times during the film, this is for their fans to say
thank
you and remind them how much they mean to them. It cannot be reiterated
enough
that this is a film purely for the fans, and not for the enjoyment of
those who
are outside that target audience. The Australian release of This Is Us is
timed
perfectly for the upcoming concerts and is a must see for any
fanatic
beforehand. For everyone else it is a hit and miss.
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