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The Edge, Jimmy Page, Jack White

Academy Award-winning An Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim focuses his probing lens on a subject that's decidedly less urgent but no less fascinating with this look at the electric guitar f... read more read more...eaturing Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, U2's the Edge, and the White Stripes' Jack White. Growing up, all three guitarists realized their rebellion through music: Page was attempting to subvert the sugary-sweet pop music of the 1960s, the Edge was hell-bent on making the guitar solos of the 1970s a distant memory, and White used his screeching strings to buzz out the droning bass machines of the 1980s. Later, Page makes his way to Headley Grange to revisit the birthplace of "Stairway to Heaven," The Edge digs out the original four-track rehearsals for "Where the Streets Have No Name" in Dublin, and White expresses his exuberance for revered bluesman Son House -- all the while displaying their deep love for their instrument of choice by permitting the viewer a rare chance to see them refining as-yet-unreleased material. When the trio comes together for a landmark jam session, their spectacularly diverse styles and instruments become just as apparent as the shared passion that binds them all together. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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82% liked it

17,313 ratings

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80% liked it

109 critics

PG, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Davis Guggenheim

Release Date: August 14, 2009

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DVD Release Date: December 22, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (1,066)

  • katykern8261
    September 15, 2011
    katykern8261
    Alrighty! It is that time again - Documentary time. It Might Get Loud.

    I saw this particular documentary about year ago but just had to watch it again this weekend. Why? Well, because this one is about music. Although movies are my number one passion, (obviously) music is my s... read moreecond. If I am awake 16 hours a day I am probably listening to music 12 of those hours. Really. Music is playing somewhere when I have my first cup of coffee, getting dressed, in the car, shopping, or even when I am walking. When am I not listening to music? Well, when I am watching movies, of course, but when I writing my reviews - abso-freakin-lutely!! (You ask, what I am listening to now?...Adele)

    It Might Get Loud showcases the guitarists from the following bands: Led Zepplin, U2 and The White Stripes and even has them sitting around together talking and playing. Yeah! See my point on why I jumped at the chance to watch it again? Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White are rock GODS!!! I am not sure you could put three cooler, if that is a good enough adjective, musicians together in a room. It was awesome.

    For more of my review: http://www.tiredofpreviews.com/2011/09/it-might-get-loud.html
  • harrycaul
    April 24, 2011
    harrycaul
    The White Stripes' Jack White, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and U2's The Edge explore the enduring appeal of the electric guitar. With White, on the one hand, bemoaning technology as a "big destroyer of emotion and truth" and The Edge, conversely, enthusing that effects units "have ... read morealways pushed music forward", the opening autobiographical segments whet the appetite for what promise to be some highly entertaining differences of opinion in the group discussion phase. Sadly, mutual respect and natural reticence take over when the three get together, and without a moderator to focus proceedings and to ask some probing questions, nothing gleaned from this portion of the film can match, say, the simple eloquence of Jimmy Page's joyful expression when he's listening to an old Link Wray or Muddy Waters record. There's also something very stiff and perfunctory about the jamming, and the decision to end a documentary about the electric guitar with an all-acoustic rendition of The Band's The Weight felt somewhat perverse.
  • djdemersseman
    October 17, 2010
    djdemersseman
    needs more Jack White
  • blacksheepboy
    April 20, 2010
    blacksheepboy
    It is fascinating to see those three rock guitar legends interacting and talking about the instrument, their personal stories and what inspires them - and even if it could have benefited from a more linear structure, this insightful documentary never stops being interesting.
  • neverteaseaweasel
    April 19, 2010
    neverteaseaweasel
    You know, this movie might actually have been really good had I really concentrated and watched it; but I have my doubts. As it stands right now, I enjoyed the experience I got out of it, but that is very little. It is a pleasent movie to watch and listen too, much in the same wa... read morey of the act of listening to music. There is a surprising amount of visual style, and that is something I very much enjoyed and appriciated. It has a very urban and artistically gritty look and feel. People who actually like all three bands/musicians will get more out of the movie than I did. The only part I am too terribly familiar with is The White Stripes/Jack White. As far as the actual content of the film, I have nothing to say. Supposedly, this was a very information documentary; but I didn't feel the need to pay enough attention to catch on, or really care. This movie is successful in the same way as a concert documentary. There is the meat and "content", but that isn't what anybody cares about. We watch movies like this for the music we love, and to see the faces and lives of those behind it.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    January 29, 2010
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    A very good documentary about the electric guitar, and three legends and their musical journey. It has it's pacing issues, but the real blow against the film is the way in which it eliminates Jack White from a lot of the discussion and really rushed through his story. He was the ... read moremost interesting of the three, yet they kept neglecting him in favor of more Edge and Page.

    It's a shame really, because I could have watched hours of what Jack White had to say. Sadly this film just doesn't do him justice.
  • sononothing
    January 9, 2010
    sononothing
    It Might Get Loud follows the progression of three generations of guitar players and locks them in a room together so that they can discuss their craft and play. The trio features Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, The Edge of U2, and Jack White of the White Stripes. Each goes over thei... read morer stories of coming of age with the electric guitar.

    The thing about It Might Get Loud is that it not show how each player progressed with the electric guitar, but it also gives the audience insights into each mans personality. Jack White is obviously trying to create a legend for himself, but this pseudo marketing campaign he's on reads as almost pathetic at times. Yeah, he may be a great guitar player, but the story he wraps himself with seems almost convoluted and cliched. Sure, you like vinyl. You're trying to be old school. You failed. Sorry. Good luck on the next shitty Bond theme.

    The Edge plays just as you expect the Edge to play in this film. He spends a lot of his time traveling back to the school where U2 was formed and basically reminisces about the good old days of Irish bombings and Top of the Pops. He also shows us a rig that would make anyone except David Gilmour shudder with delight.

    Finally, you get Jimmy Page, who has a tone of history to go through and presents as the most down to earth of the three. This is surprising since Jimmy supposedly worshipped Satan and was the guardian of a 14 years old love slave in the 1970's. To say that Page has mellowed is a mild way of putting it. He sure as hell can play a guitar, even with powers bequeathed by the dark lord himself. He discusses being a session musician and Led Zeppelin (sadly, not much Yardbirds stuff). The most interesting part of the film is Page standing in the foyer of Hedley Grange, discussing how they recorded the DRUMS for When The Levee Breaks. Bonzo even gets a mention in a guitar doc.

    When the film ends, you will wonder one thing: Why couldn't this whole thing have been about Jimmy Page. He's the most down to earth guy in the room, probably because he's Jimmy Page. The legends that both of these guys are trying to build (particularly White) he's had for almost thirty years. Seeing Page play makes me even more pissed off at Robert Plant for choosing an Allison Krauss tour over Led Zeppelin. Of course, he could always use David Coverdale...
  • rubystevens
    December 20, 2009
    rubystevens
    it's a rare gift for rock fans to see three generations of guitar heroes in the same room and to hear them talk about their influences and love for their instrument. jack white is suitably humble in the presence of his elders, the edge seems a bit of a prick frankly, but seeing ... read morejimmy page's enthusiasm at the age of 64 is the biggest treat. who woulda thought he'd even live this long. there's alot of history here, which is great, but more interaction between the three woulda been nice too. still i can't complain too much about this as i mostly enjoyed the hell out of it
  • dunmyer
    August 20, 2009
    dunmyer
    "It Might Get Loud" is a fairly good documentary focusing on two rock legends, Jimmy Page and The Edge, and one legend-in-the-making, Jack White. The three men gather in what looks like an aircraft hangar, where they tell stories from their creative lives, particularly how they f... read moreell in love with the guitar.

    The filmmaker never speaks and is never seen; the subjects of the film do all the talking. But we don't only remain in the hangar. The filmmaker accompanies each man on a tour of certain locales that were particularly important in their musical lives. For example, Page leads us on a tour of the old house where much of Led Zeppelin IV was recorded. The Edge travels back to the school where he first met Bono. We see 1980s Detroit and present-day Tennessee through Jack White's eyes.

    There is very good music all throughout, and I was not bored for a second while watching "It Might Get Loud." But I wasn't greatly inspired by it. All the discussion of music was rather predictable -- nothing you haven't heard before if you've ever talked with a rock musician.
  • gator681
    May 19, 2011
    gator681
    The music documentary "It Might Get Loud" has a brilliant idea to bring together three renowned guitarists from three different generations and countries, Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White, and see what happens. Except the film forgets that they're there for long periods, inst... read moreead following them down memory lane, with some admittedly interesting insights and cool music, learning about music, buying guitars and then figuring out what kind of music they want to play.(Jimmy Page played in the studio orchestra for "Goldfinger" from days he would rather not talk about. And I did not know anything about Jack White going in, having stopped paying attention to pop music around 1991.) At the same time, the documentary can be equally pretentious, forgetting that "This Is Spinal Tap" was not just sending up hair bands. Surprisingly enough, the documentary's best scene is its opening moments as Jack White makes an electric guitar out of scrap which along with an audience is all you need to make great music. That cow especially looks ecstatic.

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Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
September 25, 2009
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Guitar heroes, real or imaginary, will think they've died and gone to heaven. Full Review

Liam Lacey
September 25, 2009
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

The trouble is, once you get past the historical information and chummy interviews, you have to put up with the inevitable risk of any ad-hoc jam session: It Might Get Boring. Full Review

Greg Quill
September 25, 2009
Greg Quill, Toronto Star

Davis Guggenheim's contrived documentary is a largely unrewarding essay on the mystique of the ubiquitous electric guitar... Full Review

Roger Moore
September 23, 2009
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Rock fans and Guitar Heroes in the making will get a charge out of visiting where the happy accidents that put guitars into each man's hand happened. And the playing isn't bad, either. Loud. But good. Full Review

Adam Graham
September 18, 2009
Adam Graham, Detroit News

For guitar geeks, the sight of Page, Edge and White together in one room will be enough. Others, however, can't help but wish it might have gotten a little louder. Full Review

Ricardo Baca
September 4, 2009
Ricardo Baca, Denver Post

While that sounds like a fantasy for rock aficionados, the scenes lack dramatic tension or cinematic enlightenment. It just kind of happens, and then the all-star jam fades to black, leaving few remna... Full Review

Chris Vognar
September 4, 2009
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

The multigenerational threesome gathers in a spacious but cluttered studio to swap riffs, war stories, tips and inspirations.

John Anderson
September 3, 2009
John Anderson, Washington Post

Depicts wood, lacquer and hardware the way Hugh Hefner depicts Miss September. Guitar nuts will be turned on, but everyone else will have a good time, too.

Carrie Rickey
September 3, 2009
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Rockers out there, it's time to turn off Guitar Hero and turn on to the heroes of guitar in It Might Get Loud, a six-string "summit" featuring virtuosos of the '60s, '80s, and aughts. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
August 28, 2009
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

No self-respecting Led Zeppelin fan could hate a movie that contains extended interviews with Jimmy Page. But that can't change the fact that It Might Get Loud is an empty exercise. Full Review

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