By: Jesse Striewski
After more than forty-five years since disbanding after the loss of legendary drummer John Bonham rock royalty Led Zeppelin finally get the long-overdue documentary treatment that so many other contemporaries have since received before them.
The result is nothing short of extraordinary, with surviving members Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals), and John Paul Johns (bass and keyboards) recounting the band’s early formation in great detail (Bonham also provides some post input via some never-before heard unearthed interviews).
Learning the paths that each member took in order to get from point A to point B is nothing short of fascinating, though those unfamiliar with the band might find their attention spans easily wandering. There’s also some early live performances thrown in to add to the excitement, though not one but two takes of the track “Communication Breakdown” is a bit of a head scratcher indeed.
The two-plus hour runtime might also cause some fatigue for non-fans, but overall it’s a well put together (and deserved) piece of immaculately shot cinema.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Try to see it at an Imax theater, the sound is fantastic!