This movie is a lot of archived shots of the Stones from (I think, not an expert) about '64 to '72, often overlaid with commentary by the Stones themselves recorded in 2012, with a bunch of unnecessary directorial flourish added on. I'm a big fan of the Stones, but I'm not a super fan, and I was born after the events covered in the film. For me, this movie does a nice job filling in some of the gaps in my knowledge. There are revelatory quotes, the band members are extremely insightful, there are some awesome photos and clips, and the movie does a great job showcasing what makes the Rolling Stones so cool. There's a lot to really like.On the other hand, the editing is hit or miss, the direction is all over the place, it fails to tell a comprehensive, or even coherent story, and the scope is unclear throughout. And the lack of comprehensiveness is significant. Few band members are introduced, some are never even mentioned, and that's to say nothing of producers, managers, girlfriends, Gram Parsons, etc. Important context and parts of the story are completely ignored.If you're obsessed with the Stones there's probably nothing interesting besides some of the interviews, if you don't know them pretty well it will be confusing, but as someone inbetween it stoked my imagination, and the band always radiates.

1/15/18. This was a little above average for a rockumentary about the Rolling Stones. They are not my favorite band, but I did like their really early, early hits (Get off of my cloud, Satisfaction, etc.) But, if you are a millennial, then this may be an educational look at why those old men strutting around on stage STILL these days did have their day some 50 years ago. And, they were big. During the British Invasion of the '60s, there were many British rock and roll bands just starting up and looking for fans. And, they starting crossing the Atlantic for a potentially bigger fan base in the U.S. There were so many "boy bands" at the time, but the cream of the crop were The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It was interesting that The Beatles were originally demonized by the press for their unruly moptops and adults were so afraid that they would be such a bad influence on us kids (at the time). Then for some reason, the Beatles went mainstream and the Rolling Stones took up the mantle of the Bad Boys of Rock and Roll. I am sure that "Sympathy for the Devil" solidified their reputation. So, that's just a little background from a baby boomer who missed those days.

The ultimate Rolling Stones documentary. Captures very vividly their live performances through the years, as well as what making an album was like, plus their private lives. However, don't expect the usual micro- detail stuff, eg no "Mick Jagger was born on..." or the names of their albums and when they were released. In fact, there is very little references to dates.No, the main idea is to get a feel for the chain of events that was the career of the Rolling Stones, and what it was like being the members of the great band.For these reasons, it probably helps being a fan with a decent knowledge of the Stones' albums and songs. Not essential though - one can always fill in the gaps by reading Wikipedia.The live stuff is great, and some of it is quite rare. The behind-the- scenes stuff contains some particularly rare footage.A must-see for any fan of rock 'n roll.

gregwetherall (above) has done an excellent and spot-on job so I'll keep this brief -as a 15-year rock musician (so I actually get "the wobble bit" - though I'm not quite sure I buy all of it) who grew up with the Rolling Stones, while this isn't anywhere near perfect (likely impossible)"Crossfire Hurricane" is still very entertaining and a must for any Stones fan. Some of the remixed live tracks are astoundingly preserved and sound great, though imo some of the interview comments need to be tweaked up a bit (though my hearing is shot, so maybe that's me) Some quick cuts from "Cocksucker Blues" interspersed just at the right moments of some of the live tracks; Keith as usual brutally honest in his comments about drugs, Brian, songwriting, etc - and there's some stuff in Crossfire Hurricane I've never seen before. (no spoilers here) - even Charlie speaks up now & then. The best and worst of Brian is brutally portrayed as well.All in all, a job well done and definitely worth seeing. I've DVR'd it, seen it twice so far, and likely will watch it again. Play it loud through your sound system.