I have never been much of a Rolling Stones fan myself, but I've learned a few things about them after seeing this solid performance brought to the screen by Marty Scorsese. The fact that Mick Jagger is in better shape at 65 than say half the youths in the western world is astonishing, and as a result his performance gives us satisfaction (pause for laughter). Keith Richards has no right to be alive but there is still enough life left in him to play masterful guitar, and even sing a little. He is the most alien looking human on the planet. If Michael Jackson was still alive, they would be tied. There is not a whole lot more to say, other than a few guest appearances including Jack White of the White Stripes and Christina Aguilera. This show rocks.

Yes - I was stupid and missed seeing this on the big screen. But even at home on DVD you get the feeling that you're witnessing something very special. I saw the Stones live 2 years ago now, but we were quite a way back and my wife couldn't really see anything. This film is the next best thing to being in the front row of a Stones show - i'm sure of it! I'm a huge fan of 'The Last Waltz' and whilst I found the archival footage that's scattered through 'Shine a Light' to be not as essential to the films experience as the interviews in 'The Last Waltz', it still contributes to making 'Shine' an even more rewarding Stones film than it already is.What is there to say about the Stones that hasn't already been said? Yes they are old - dinosaurs, even. But if there's anyone that's stayed as close to the top of the performance game in the way that Jagger and co. have, than I've yet to see them. Jagger is the real deal - one of the last greats of rock n roll showmanship. Whether he's spitting some nasty harmonica on a Muddy Waters tune, or racing toward the front of the stage to deliver the first line of 'Tumbling Dice' he OWNS the room and the stage for the entire 2 hours that they play. Keith is looking old and yes, he's not as good on the guitar as he perhaps once was. But he too has a level of 'too cool for any ol' school' onstage presence that is completely untouchable. Sometimes, it manifests itself in the form of him dropping his hands down by his sides during a guitar solo and shooting the audience a charming, rougish smile. Mostly, he just stalks around the stage and looks f%*king cool.I think his voice is really good and the 2 numbers he does with the band were real highlights - esp. 'Connection'. I think my favourite bit in the whole film was during 'Champagne and Reefer' when Buddy Guy plays a solo and Keith starts circling him. Magic. Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts are the real engine-room of the Stones - there's no doubt that Ronnie is the better guitar player but he knows his place is back behind Mick and Keith, and Charlie still cracks the snare and crashes those cymbals with all the verve of a man half his age.The film looks great, and the set list is a grab-bag of real gems - I think that the cover of 'Just My Imagination' was almost my favourite song of the whole set. The cameos from Jack White and Christina are OK - Jack does a cool version of 'Loving Cup' and the song suits his high, keening vocals. Christina sure can sing up a storm but the vocal acrobatics do turn me off, sorry. Buddy Guy is without a doubt the best of the guest appearances. When he steps up to the mic to deliver his first line during 'Champagne and Reefer' BANG! - you'll be knocked over on your ass. And then some. It's the only time during the whole set when Jaggers dominance of the stage is legitimately challenged.All in all, highly recommended.

I own many Stones records. Who my age doesn't? So, of course, I knew many of the songs and was looking forward to hearing them. After a few minutes I was cringing in my seat. I thought this was one of the most embarrassing movies I have ever watched. Flat singing by Jagger in his usual exaggerated fake American accent was to be expected, but the guy made no effort whatsoever to sing the melody of the songs or phrase the lyrics in any way that made the song recognizable. Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards sounded like they were playing in different bands and in a time of their own. Charlie Watts did a fair job of keeping time, but after every song looked like he was going to pass out from the effort. I don't even know who is on bass these days, but he seemed to be the only one in the front line-up displaying competence as a musician. The whole effect was like a very bad garage band backed by some excellent backing musicians. Without this large complement of additional helpers they would have sounded very very bad indeed. I was soon thinking that these guys had passed their sell-by date by several decades and stank like a dead beached whale.One high point of the documentary was the historic footage that Scorcese cut in, even if in retrospect it exposes them to be a group of vacuous wasters with nothing interesting to say. The very high point was a great performance by Buddy Guy, showing the Stones up as a group of white boy wannabee pretenders. Jack White's duet with Jagger would have been better if Jagger had left him to sing alone.The Stones are like the Lou Gehrig of rock and roll. They go on playing long past when they should have retired, making an embarrassing spectacle of themselves so they can set some kind of longevity record.

Early in the picture, there's the greatest exchange between director Martin Scorsese and one of his engineers. Talking about the precautions needed with the stage lighting and how hot it might get:Scorsese - "You mean like flames?" Engineer - "He (referring to Mick Jagger) might catch on fire". Scorsese - "We can't do that". I don't know what I got a bigger kick out of, that conversation, or the sight of Bill Clinton getting a hug from Keith Richards. You have to admit, that was pretty bizarre. Now don't take this the wrong way, I've been a Rolling Stones fan right from the get go, but seeing them up close and personal the way they appeared in this concert film, is about the closest you'll ever get to seeing a band of corpses performing live. Sort of on the order of the Crypt Keeper in 'Tales From The Crypt'. Except for Charlie Watts maybe, he looks pretty much like a regular old man. And again, I'm not making fun, just taking liberty considering the fact that I'm not much younger than any of the Stones.But man, that Jagger has energy to spare, and he can pound it out with the best of them. Kind of makes you want to get up out of a comfortable sofa and kick out the jams along with the boys. Every rock number that Mick belts out is raw energy, and when you figure that in forty plus years of performing they must have played "Satisfaction" a few thousand times, it's a blast to hear it like it was fresh and new. I particularly liked the way they mixed their set with a take on a Motown favorite, "Just My Imagination", along with a great bluesy presentation of "Champagne and Reefer" accompanied by the legendary Buddy Guy. It was also cool to hear Jagger reach way back to the early days for a stab at an acoustic version of "As Tears Go By".I was taken aback somewhat the first time an interview clip from the Sixties popped into the picture; hard to imagine that the Stones were ever that impossibly young. Responding to a question about the band's prospects after their first two years of touring, I think you'd have to score Mick's answer as the understatement of the rock era - "I think we're pretty well set up for at least another year". And what keeps Keith Richards going? - "My luck hasn't run out yet". I've never seen The Stones live in concert, but "Shine A Light" is a pretty reasonable substitute. There's no shortage of old favorites and long time fans will know and appreciate every tune. Kind of makes you wish that each performance will set them up for at least another year.