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Very well executed

Simply Perfect

Fresh and Exciting

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

It is about bloody time someone turned the microscope on this band, and this documentary ably rides the line between investigation and glowing tribute. In an attempt to examine what makes Rush a noteworthy band (and why it took 40 flippin' years to gain mainstream acceptance), the filmmakers line up interviews from all walks of music; from Jack Black and Gene Simmons, to Billy Corgan and Trent Reznor.And every phase of the group's evolution is paid attention, be it the humble beginnings in a Toronto suburb or the prog and synth eras of the late '70s and '80s. The many celebrities interviewed shed light on what captivated them when they became fans and what it is that makes Rush so hard to define and properly market.It's a highly watchable documentary and as polished as the power trio is musically proficient. Just incredibly engaging and, most importantly, as comprehensive as they come.9/10

I came away wanting more from this documentary, much more. I thoroughly enjoyed the early life stuff and the build up, formation of the band etc.. but what was really missing from this was epic concert footage! Come on! Let's see Tom Sawyer COMPLETE, best concert footage you can find, and blow my eardrums off!! Let's see some of their earlier stuff COMPLETE!! Stretch it out, make it overly long, make it so that only die hard Rush fans will stay till the end, then treat them to something AMAZING!!! In short, make the documentary for RUSH FANS, and us alone.This film instead chooses to give a very complete overview, and overview only, of the life of Rush, from birth to present day. It gives us teasing clips from concerts, and lots of candid humour. Of particular amusement was the joking commentaries from the likes of Jack Black and others attempting to imitate key Rush musical milestones.I have not yet seen a Rush concert, and it is on the bucket list. I was hoping for a taste of that with this movie, seeing it in a theatre at a special screening, and I didn't get that.But for what it was, it was an OK solid doc.

I only "discovered" RUSH 3 short months ago. Before seeing this documentary, I was aware of the few RUSH songs I'd heard on radio - but I would never have name checked them as a great rock band.In the short time since then (a period during which I have picked up almost all their CDs), RUSH has displaced the Beatles as my favourite band of all time. I assure you that's no small feat - I remain one of the most avid Beatles fans you will ever encounter. This said, if you love the Beatles, you won't necessarily love RUSH - and unlike the almost universally appealing Beatles, RUSH's music seems to be a love it or hate it affair.RUSH has many different styles and eras to their vast repertoire of songs, and their level of musicianship is without parallel. It's rarely "conventional" rock, but that's what makes it so interesting.To date, Rush has 24 gold records, 14 of which are platinum (3 multi-platinum). That places them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by any rock band. Amazingly, they've achieved that distinction with comparatively little radio support. This documentary provides insights into how word-of-mouth made that happen one fan at a time.A key strength of this documentary is highlighting the significance of Neil Peart's lyrics as well as it does. I appreciate the written word, and never have I come across musicians whose artistry fuses music and lyrics so well.This film (and RUSH's music generally) is highly recommended to anyone who appreciates intelligent lyrics, highly crafted musical artistry and exceptionally good music.

A documentary about the epic career of Canadian rock trio Rush, who formed in 1968, have had the same lineup since 1974, and are still touring and recording thirty-six years and nineteen albums later.First, an objectivity disclaimer - Rush are probably my favourite band, so I guess I'm maybe not the best person to review this informative and amusing biography of their contribution to rock music. There are certainly a lot of intriguing questions to ask - why are they not better known, given that they've had more consecutive gold records than anyone bar The Beatles and The Rolling Stones ? How did they manage to stay together so long ? How have they have retained such an original sound despite almost constant change and progression in their musical style ? Why don't girls like them ? The film is a conventional but agreeable mix of interviews, performance footage and comments from key collaborators and some of the many artists they've influenced (Billy Corgan from The Smashing Pumpkins is particularly insightful). What's especially nice for Rush fans is that there's plenty of rare material (such as a home movie of a teenage Alex) and lengthy discussions with all three, including the notoriously camera-shy Neil. Whether you like Rush or not, the specific niche they've created is interesting. They're full-on rockers but they are neither tattooed hedonists nor art college politicos. They're consummate musicians and entertainers, but they don't seem to be in the least bit motivated by fame, popularity or wealth. They've never really had any kind of media profile and yet ever show they play is sold out. To borrow a phrase from Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, who are those guys ? Their music seems totally unique to me but I don't think I can really explain why, it's just something I feel in my heart. The documentary (and the band itself) isn't afraid to poke fun at their nerdy image, fashion blunders and frequent savaging by the music press, but it also showcases their originality, commitment to what they do and respect for their audience. For a band who can often be labelled pretentious, that's really the one thing they never are, and that's what comes across here. If I have one criticism, it's the pacing - inevitably for such a long-lived act, it's hard to devote time to all their work and the mid-to-late period (encompassing albums like Hold Your Fire or Roll The Bones) suffer very brief analysis. Engagingly filmed by Banger Productions' Dunn and McFadyen, who also made the equally enjoyable Iron Maiden: Flight 666. I saw this in my local arts cinema and the small venue was packed with Rush addicts enjoying every moment, and that kind of sums this band up - you either totally get what they're doing or you just can't see it, there's no middle ground. If you're any kind of rock fan at all, and especially if you don't know Rush, don't miss this terrific little flick. From the point of conception to the moment of truth, at the point of surrender to the burden of proof, from the point of ignition to the final drive the point of the journey is not to arrive ...