Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Like 1D, concert docu is clean cut, with tiny bit of edge.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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One Direction: This Is Us
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
What's the Story?
Oscar-nominated director Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) helms ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US, a 3D concert documentary that shows the 1D guys -- Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson -- on their first big international concert tour. In between on-stage sets of 1D performing everywhere from Madison Square Garden to Japan, Germany, France, Spain, Scandinavia, and back home at London's O2 Arena, the film chronicles their rise to superstardom -- from their middle-class beginnings to the fateful day producer Simon Cowell put them together on the British talent show The X Factor.
Is It Any Good?
As Zayn admits in one scene, yeah, One Direction "is a boy band, but it's a cool boy band." The five guys don't try to deny that they were completely manufactured by the music and marketing genius that is Cowell, but they also stand by their actual vocal talents. They're not just good-looking blokes Cowell saw walking down the street: They were already on a talent show, proving they could actually sing. And the guys, seemingly humbled by their remarkable near-overnight success, also acknowledge that they aren't amazing dancers (like Usher and Justin Bieber) or prolific songwriters (like Harry's ex, Taylor Swift).
What One Direction is good at is harmonizing and making even the youngest of fans (usually girls) squeal with excitement ... like that other English boy band that started out singing pop ditties. The mates are ridiculously charming, and, despite their tattoos, are clean cut enough to be even a single-digit-aged girl's first celebrity crush. Although the film does explore the guys' home lives, there aren't any huge emotional revelations like in Katy Perry's film. Sure, there's much more to these guys than what's included here (for example, Zayn recently got engaged), but for a starter look at how they went from singing in their showers to selling out stadium arenas, This Is Us is as catchy and surface-cute as the band's songs.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about One Direction's meteoric rise. Do you think concert documentaries should be reserved for artists with years in the business, or does it make sense to capitalize on popularity right away?
Why is One Direction's music so appealing to even very young kids (especially girls)? How do they compare to other acts with tween appeal -- like the Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry?
Do you think the documentary offers a balanced look at the band members' personal lives and their professional lives? What were you surprised they included? What about 1D do you wish you had learned more about?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 30, 2013
- On DVD or streaming: December 17, 2013
- Cast: Harry Styles , Niall Horan , Zayn Malik
- Director: Morgan Spurlock
- Inclusion Information: Indian/South Asian actors
- Studio: Sony Pictures
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: mild language
- Last updated: June 7, 2024
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