U2: PopMart Live from Mexico City (1997) User Reviews

The Ultimate Test

[J_FONS · 9/10 · 13 July 2002]

No matter how many popularity lists (that can be manipulated) or awards a rock band can be in or get, their ultimate test will ALWAYS BE a live performance. In this video U2 shows the grip they have over their fans and how the fans feed them back by following their songs. If you want to see state-of-the-art tech, check out their stage featuring the biggest screen in the world and the biggest stage ever built for a world tour. U2: Popmart Live from from Mexico City is a great example of the perfect concert. It has the ingredients: Greatest rock band + super stage production + great fans.

The only down for this video is the picture quality (VHS), it is poor by the year it was released (1998) and compared to other live videos like U2 Zoo TV Live from Sidney (1994), or Pink Floyd's PULSE (1995) it kind of leaves you expecting better picture quality. If there is ever a DVD for this concert, I hope they fix those technical problems and round up the quality.

U2 prove they can play in a stadium of any size.

[AndoMando · 8/10 · 26 November 2002]

Just how many people are there at this gig? The biggest screens in the world? Pretty impressive. This is a fantastic concert, not just for U2 fans.

Opening with 'Mofo', coming out of a giant Lemon for 'Discotheque', and starting a screaming encore with 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me', this really is a monster concert that is enjoyable for any music fans. Bono is a superb front man and the band are clearly enjoying a huge set list of oldies and new songs from the album 'Pop'.

This is worth checking out.

Standout tracks: 'Last Night On Earth', 'Pride', 'One'.

Flop (DVD)

[leplatypus · 1/10 · 2 March 2011]

Stuck with my U2 DVDs, each show is now a punishment.

I realized that music is boring on a TV screen.

Music is a nice companion in life, to enhance feelings or other artistic works but isn't made to be watched for itself: Except live with the sound surrounding you and maybe on film screen with "U2 3D" or as a documentary like "Rattle and Hum" it's enjoyable.

But a plain, direct show is painful, all the more than it's always the same songs that U2 play: "bullet the blue sky", "pride", "until the end of the world" should be dropped once in a while!

Their gigantic wall screen is amazing but it's badly used: too much close up of the band and not enough pop-art animation.

Nevertheless, i was moved by the acoustic part (from "all i want is you" to "staring at the sun") and "if you wear that velvet dress". "Hold me, thrill me, kiss me" and "Discotheque" were good but just because it fitted with the flashy production.

The other songs were dull all the more than the band extend endlessly the songs!

For a band who were seen as spiritual and preachers, they now like to me as the french charitable show "Les enfoirés" (no pun)! At the beginning, the biggest talent rejoice to raise fund for those who starve in France and ten years later, it's a who's who of people joking and having fun in a very expensive production!