Excellent record, OK movie

Rating: 6/10 (5 October 2015)

I'm not here to tell you that, hey, the Beatles are one of the most successful pop/rock groups of all time and that they actually sucked; I realize that the album that the film promotes is nearly flawless, its pretty much a template for every pop/rock album promoted since, but the film just didn't click with me personally.
The main problem is that it constantly employs a standard comedy approach, where the Beatles are young northerners, outsiders representing the youth audience, and in each sequence they outsmart or out-cool the establishment, basically anyone that appears wealthier than them, or in a position of power - its much the same routine as Ivan Reitmans later "Ghostbusters" picture, if anyone notices.
My other issue with the film is that the group don't really appear as themselves, but as slangy, Northern teenagers; they typify a youth culture that they've actually outgrown. The film is for the bands audience, rather than people interested in the band themselves.
I like the idea of comedy, rather than an earnest series of interview segments, and this movie was a massive commercial hit (they were the biggest act in the world at the time), but I found the experience oddly thin and disappointing. Some great use of camera and editing though, which had an influence on the coming of music video.