Movies: Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

Justin Bieber stars in this biopic/documentary/concert film in 3D.

Grade: B+

Director: Jon Chu (Step Up 3D)

Starring: Justin Bieber as Himself, Usher as Himself, Scooter Braun as Himself and Pattie Mallette as Herself

“Oh/saw so many pretty faces before I saw you/Now all I see is you/I’m coming for you/Don’t need these other pretty faces like I need you/And when you’re mine in the world/There’s gonna be one less lonely girl.”

Justin Bieber is an icon. An American icon. An all-American icon reminiscent of Elvis Presley with the way teenage girls fall at his feet when they see him or hear his music. There is no denying it. And whether you, the reader, like it or not, he will be for a long time.

The rise of the guy responsible for what is commonly known as “Bieber Fever” is chronicled in Jon Chu’s biopic-documentary-concert film Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.

The film follows Bieber’s My World 2.0 Tour in the two weeks leading up to his sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, flashing between that, the story of his emergence onto the world stage through YouTube and the show at MSG itself. We learn about Bieber’s mother, who was left by Justin’s father within a year of Justin’s birth, introducing her son to music through friends and later posting him singing on YouTube. We learn about Scooter Braun, Bieber’s manager who found him on YouTube and persisted until he had signed the kid, who was 12 years old at the time. We learn about Usher, who signed Justin to a major record deal at such a young age. But most importantly to Chu, we learn about the 16-year old himself: his life on tour, his life off tour, his family, his friends, his love for music.

The best part about Never Say Never is by far the musical performances taken from that sold-out show at MSG. Not only are the songs beautifully shot, the 3D actually makes you feel like you’re there! Unlike any 3D movie I’ve ever seen, Never Say Never actually puts you on-stage with the Biebs, in the crowd and backstage with Braun and Usher, who attended the concert and made an appearance when Bieber sang his hit “Somebody to Love.”  The music is very well-captured as well; again, it makes you feel like you’re actually there.

The overall presentation of the documentary is great as well. Chu crafts the film so that we see Tweets, YouTube videos, home videos and even a funny mid-film interruption by Bieber and Braun, yet Never Say Never flows smoothly.

What makes up the emotional part of the film is the numerous pre-teen and teenage girls that scream, cry and fawn at the Bieb’s sight or song. This was something that kept me from actually liking the kid when he first got big. But seeing how him looking at them or talking to them made them happy made me realize something. Braun put it best when he said that he and the Extreme Home Makeover guys have the best jobs in the world, making people happy.

So I make this review end with a call to all the haters out there. Yeah, he’s 16. Yeah, he has a somewhat high-pitched voice. Yeah, he may not dress like your normal teenager. But please step off your high horse and realize something. He makes people happy and doesn’t want to let anyone down. Leading up to the MSG concert, he had a throat problem and had to postpone tour dates. It clearly affected him, as he said, “I don’t want to let them down,” “them” being the fans. They showed him going up to a girl playing the violin on the same steps he used to play the guitar and give her money and encouragement. He is still a kid. He still hangs out with his friends from his hometown in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. He plays around with Braun and his security and his posse. He develops relationships with them and his vocal coach, a motherly figure who is firm with him, even though he is a celebrity.

You haters: stop. Please. You make judgements on the kid without knowing. See the movie with an open mind and talk to me again. Until then, I don’t wanna hear it.

Check out Justin Bieber: Never Say Never in theaters now. And make sure to see the 3D, it’s worth it.

Author’s Note: Originally, I gave this film an A-. I changed my grade to a B+ after long consideration. Considering that my top 10 films from last year included 4 or 5 A- films, it only makes sense that I would reconsider.

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