JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER (Jon M. Chu). 105 minutes. Opens Friday (February 11). For venues, trailers and times, see Movies. Rating: NNN
You don’t have to be a lovesick tween to get in tune with the Justin Bieber doc, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Mixing exciting 3-D concert footage with the story behind the 16-year-old Stratford, Ontario, native’s meteoric rise, Never Say Never is a vast improvement on similar docs about the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus. Much credit goes to director Jon M. Chu, who completely grasps his undeniably talented subject’s relevance.
Bieber is the first major celebrity who belongs entirely to the social networking age. He was discovered on YouTube (through footage that Chu puts to good use) and maintains his loyal fan base through Twitter, where almost 7 million followers hang on his every keystroke.
Chu even captures the dark cloud that hangs over Bieber, warning that this much fame early in life could lead to the tabloid-ready behaviour now associated with Britney Spears and the late Michael Jackson.
Ultimately, Never Say Never does lose steam, with doctored inspirational moments, some unnecessary drama over the singer’s changing voice and a never-ending parade of performances that only fans could endure.
But, hell, Bieber’s all about the fans. So who are we to badmouth what amounts to the tween-age version of orgasmic joy?
For more about Justin Bieber’s T.O. appearance, with lots of pics, go to now.uz/f220FQ.
