Rather Tame Compared to Beatlemania

Rating: 8/10 (29 April 2020)

Even when it was released in 1964, this black-and-white oddity was not what anybody expected from the sensational Beatles. As a result, it is much more interesting years later than anyone could have expected. Instead of adding to the Beatles mythology, it brings the boys down to earth in quirky and eccentric ways, presenting some great songs in the process. Early Beatles was all about silliness, and this is a fine example, although it may leave you wondering what all the fuss was about. It takes forever to get to the songs, so this ends up less a musical and more a study, or a long and rather tedious music video. ---from Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013