Glee: The Concert DVD Review
“Glee: The Concert” will only appeal to fans of the FOX TV series.
Released as “Glee: The 3D Concert Movie” in theaters, the movie has been transferred into 2D for a DVD (and Blu-ray release). The feature film is comprised of “Glee” characters Artie, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Finn, Rachel, Brittany, Mike, Sam, Lauren, Santana, Quinn, Puck, Holly, and the Dalton Academy Warblers taking to the stage to sing. The tunes/cover songs included in this concert from New Jersey are: “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Sing,” “Empire State Of Mind,” “I’m A Slave 4 U,” “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “P.Y.T.,” “Ain’t No Way,” “Jessie’s Girl,” “Valerie,” “Firework,” “Teenage Dream,” “Silly Love Songs,” “Raise Your Glass,” a duet of “Get Happy” and “Happy Days Are Here Again,” “Safety Dance,” “Lucky,” “River Deep-Mountain High,” “Forget You,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Born This Way,” “Loser Like Me,” and “Somebody To Love”. Scattered throughout the film are backstage interviews with the cast as well as interviews with several fans (AKA Gleeks) whose lives has been changed by the show “Glee”.
“Glee: The Concert” might has well been called “Lea Michele Live” as she not only sings a majority of the tunes, but is one of the few cast members who can genuinely sing. There are a few other talented folks here such as Amber Riley (Mercedes) and Darren Criss (Blaine), but they only sing a couple of tunes each. The majority of the cast, however, sounds like they are either auditioning for “American Idol” or singing for a local play. The worst offender is Kevin McHale (Artie) who is on stage far too much singing cringe worthy renditions of songs like “Empire State Of Mind.” The only time he sounds remotely tolerable is when he sings with the rest of the cast where his voice can be hidden.
The best part of the film has nothing to do with the performers on stage, but with the stories about the 3 young fans. Despite how one may feel about “Glee,” there’s no denying that the show has had a positive impact on people’s lives and for that you can’t knock it.
On a side note, I do have to say the film is incredibly well shot. Unlike many concert films, there are a wide variety of shots and angles here that makes the concert look cinematic.
Summary: As clichéd as it may be, “Glee: The Concert” really is strictly for fans of the series. This movie is not going to make any new fans nor will it change the minds of the show’s detractors.
Video/Audio:
The concert is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen and it looks visually stunning. It should be noted that this title is also available on Blu-ray.
I didn’t detect any problems with the Dolby Digital 5.1. None of the singers are ever hard to hear and the music sounds crystal clear.
Extras:
* “Glee,” “Teen Wolf,” and FOX TV On DVD ads.
* The Shazam app which delivers “Glee” content to mobile devices.
* Extended performances of “Ain’t No Way,” the “Get Happy” and “Happy Days Are Here Again” combo,
* 2 unseen performances of “Dog Days Are Over” and “Friday” (yes, Rebecca Black’s song).
* “On Stage With the Cast” includes 2 Sue Sylvester introductions and a scene with Brittany, Blaine and Kurt. Why weren’t the Sue scenes in the movie? They are actually amusing.
* “Backstage With The Cast”- Very brief extra footage of certain cast members backstage.
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