Michael C.

This review is cutg and pasted from somewhere else but having just seen the movie on 3/1, I have to say agree with it 100%. The reviwer gave the movie 3 out of 5, I would rate it 3.5 out of 5. Hyperfocused on the band members telling the story of their early days, this documentary offers unparalleled access to the members of one of rock music's most popular and influential bands. In Becoming Led Zeppelin, we get glimpses of their childhoods, early ambitions, and recollections about the writing, recording, and touring of their first few years together, all told in their own words. What we don't get is the wider context of how and why Led Zeppelin became such a phenomenon. Bandleader Jimmy Page's combination of business savvy and unique artistic vision clearly accounts for much of their success, but anyone with a passing knowledge of Led Zep will immediately notice that their reputations as hell-raisers who courted controversy have been gently removed from the frame. Other storytelling devices fall flat, too, such as the filmmakers' decision to frame the era with news footage of wars and other events that bear no obvious link to the band's music. Ending the movie on the release of their second of nine studio albums is another frustrating choice. The power and potency of their music remains compelling, but the narrative presented here feels half-told and half-finished.