For anyone who hasn't heard of Led Zeppelin, these talented, British dudes (who reigned supreme throughout the psychedelic 70s) were, at the height of their careers, the undisputed Gods of Heavy Metal/Rock'n'Roll, bar none.Back in those days of songwriting glory, Led Zeppelin's concerts broke world records for attendance and their albums sold-out by the millions.Now, in 2007 (nearly 40 years after their inception), Led Zeppelin reunited at 02 Arena, London, to treat their ever-loyal fans (young & old) to a trip down memory lane as they delivered 16 of their best remembered tunes (including Stairway To Heaven) to an enthusiastically cheering crowd.With the 3 remaining original members of Led Zeppelin now being 60+ years old, I honestly have to say that I found their performance on stage to be noticeably tired and lacking in any youthful vitality. Even though Plant, Page & Jones were obviously well-rehearsed for this concert (and Plant even got a new perm just for the occasion), I couldn't help but notice that (between all of the robotic, rock-star gestures and posturing) there was a decidedly bored look on all of their 3 faces.This, in turn, made it quite difficult for me to watch these dudes with any real enjoyment while they (rather listlessly) strut around on stage like peacocks at only half mast.Anyways - I'd say that this DVD titled "Celebration Day" was at least worth a view. But, personally speaking, I'm one who prefers to remember Led Zeppelin as they were in the days of their youth, rather than as I saw them now as stiff, old men trying (desperately?) to retain an image of who they were 30+ years ago, that has long ago faded away into the past.

Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day (2012) *** 1/2 (out of 4) I'm sure when the four current movies of Led Zeppelin walked off the stage of this 2007 concert, all but one figured that there would be more shows to follow. As of me writing this it hasn't happened but we can always hope. If this concert does turn out to be the final Led Zeppelin show then it's certainly a good one and thankfully it has perfectly been preserved in this concert film. There's no question that all three original members and Jason Bonham are at the top of their game as they bring these classic songs to a new generation of fans. While there are certain changes from the last time the group was together, there's still no question that this here is a major achievement with all sorts of classic tunes. I think the highlight of the night would have to be the amazing version of "Stairway to Heaven," which perfectly captures the mood and spirit of the studio version. "Kashmir" is another masterpiece as is "Rock and Roll," "Black Dog" and "Whole Lotta Love." In fact, there's really not a weak moment to be found among the setlist as the tunes selected are all fan favorites and the band does a very good job here. I was surprised at how well the band was but it's clear that they were doing a lot of rehearsing in the six weeks prior to this show. Page's guitar playing is as good as ever and Plant's voice holds up extremely well. One just wishes that all the work and effort that went into this gave way to more shows but CELEBRATION DAY is certainly a nice little gem that fans should love.

Plenty of highlights, and like most of their output, has a way of growing on you to an almost uncomfortable degree taking you on a miniature journey. As a rock audience, we've practically seen it all: multiple camera angles, audience noise, high-speed editing, close-ups, cameras in clear plastic balls, helicopter shots from above, giant video screens, wide angle shots, 3-D effects, and even fan-held cameras on the loose. After so many years of technological leaps and bounds finding their way to the big screen, it's downright hard to bring anything new or innovative to this medium.In this concert film we see what we need to see – the concert. And probably all the things that I wanted to see were up close and personal. This includes close-ups of Jimmy Page playing his classic sunburst Les Paul at just the right times, John Paul Jones' fretless bass and Page's skillful slide guitar playing during "In My Time of Dying," Jones' use of the rare 12-string bass during "Trampled Under Foot" and Page's use of the Transperformance guitar during "Whole Lotta Love." Awesome percussion by Jason Bonham throughout and Robert Plant's vocals hold up well. And those were just the technical/musical close-ups of real value. Add in the human emotion of Jones, Page and drummer Jason Bonham looking at each other, nodding and smiling when they were locked in to a tight groove. Not a dull moment, completely engrossing all the way through.This is definitely a film that is a must see.

This is more of a technical review on each musician rather than of the concert as whole as there are enough of those already.Robert Plant Well he did a remarkable job considering it was almost 40 years ago that he recorded the most well know Led Zeppelin tracks. His voice with its age can't hit the high notes anymore and he changed the articulation in several songs as he may just not have the muscle memory of what they used to sound like.Jimmy Page Not sure if it was his finger or just age but he was struggling to keep up to tempo on several songs. His fingers were not as nimble along the fret board as they used to and thus there was not the resonance from the guitar parts that is in example on other live Led Zeppelin titles like Song remains the same or How the west was won.John Paul Jones By far the standout from this performance. The tone and sound he gets from the bass guitar is amazing for a guy over 60. Maybe the road fitness he would have built up touring with Them Crocked Vultures a few years back is part of it but from the first song till last when he has a bass in his hands he fills out the whole bottom end of the sound beautifully. Sadly I found his keyboard a little, rushed maybe. No quarter which should have been a highlight for me kind of just came and went for me.Jason Bonham Well he had massive shoes to fill and sadly it was his feet that let him down. I have no idea why he chose to use a double bass peddle but it was the wrong way to go. Fair enough he may not have the "jack rabbit" right foot that his dad was famed for having but to just create a basic muddy sound where Led Zeppelin was known for having distinction was a massive disappointment. From the opening of Good times Bad times, he was on song with everything above the waste but as a drummer he missed the bass drum parts by a long mark. I also found the choice of Zildjian cymbals a little surprising as they have no where near the cut through and volume that the old Paiste giant beats that his dad used had. I know he is sponsored by Zildjian but seriously this was Led Zeppelin.The overall sound mix I also found a little guitar heavy, but then the same problem happened when Song remains the same was remastered for DVD release. I think Jimmy Page kind of went, make me louder :POverall an awesome show and I can't wait for the blue ray so I can listen properly without the echo that a cinema brings.