The Beatles went from garage band (before garage bands existed) to the world's biggest act, and invented stadium concerts while doing so. But were they any good as a live act?Ron Howard's documentary cobbles together excerpts from most of the surviving sources of live Beatles performances and, accordingly, doesn't contain many surprises for anyone who has followed their story in any great detail. But for younger viewers, who may well be familiar with the music but not necessarily with the hysteria which surrounded it, this film is likely to be something of an eye-opener.In the early stages, as it becomes clear that The Beatles are gaining a following beyond their local fans in Liverpool, they are delighted. When they go to America to be greeted with screaming hysteria on a vast scale, they are pleased, but shell-shocked. And when, less than 4 years later, they finally stop performing to live audiences, they clearly hate the whole thing. This film shows that transition happening.But even now, and even to someone who knows the story inside out, there is something jaw-dropping about the spectacle of seeing the four of them step on stage in front of 56,000 young girls who are delivering sound beyond the volume of a jet engine.The cinema was full. This was personal history for much of the audience, fascinating documentary material for the younger members. The sound and images have been remastered, though much of it still reflects the limitations of 405-line TV and standard 8 home movies etc.The music still works, though, yeah. Yeah yeah.

This is running on PBS, and it is worth seeing, even with pledge breaks. Ron Howard really did a great job directing this. The script was well written by a couple of solid writers. The stock footage used is top notch. The facts are as amazing as the group. What did the Beatles Years all really mean?Howard, a baby boomer might have understood the Beatles the best because he was 9 years old in 1963. Kids that age were in awe of what the group did, they grew up with them. The portrait here of how things were done by the group as they started out and grew is really a story that might not ever happen again today. Our society structure is so much different now. How did The Beatles work?Up until the right 4 guys were together, the early Beatles did not get anywhere. To approximately quote Ringo here, "When the 4 of us got together, the chemistry just seemed to fit. It was magic." It sure was, and because it was, the group rose to the highest of heights, and then broke up. This film focus is that rise.The point made late in the film is very true. When anyone gets too successful, the competition comes after you, and you become complacent and grow apart from yourself, losing sight of your original goals. This happens to everyone, who is young enough to live a long time after being this successful. It is not a spoiler to go over their success. This film goes beyond and actually digs into the personal feelings of the band as they got to the top, and then tried not to fall off. The film does note when those falls began, and why. It is told better here, than any other film including the Beatles own films.Rare footage is used here, including the groups last concert together, a unique and totally unplanned event. It is stunning. Even folks who are not Beatles fans should really appreciate this master piece of the telling of this story for what it is and what they were, phenomenal.

...and in some ways, they still are.This is a group that played their last live (paying) show over 50 years ago, and they get still get a documentary movie made about their formative years which is released in theaters in 2016 and does respectable business.I was all of seven years old when they quit touring, and don't remember it happening in real time. So even though I've seen a bunch of these clips "snippeted" in the last half-century of my life, many of the behind the scenes day-to-day nuggets were all new, and well worth a viewing.To see the fan-love of the tours (U.S. and around the world) is still pretty unbelievable to look at. It was a different era, so instead of online mass adoration, EVERYBODY (REALLY, EVERYBODY!) JUST WENT OUT & SHOWED UP TO CATCH ANY KIND OF GLIMPSE THEY COULD GET OF THEM!This phenomenon probably wouldn't still be looked at with this much reverence today if the music doesn't stand the test of time. BUT IT DOES.If you like the sixties, or love the Beatles, you gotta' see this one.

Kudos to Ron Howard, Giles Martin and the rest who brought this brilliant and fascinating documentary to life. Nothing earth changing here, just a wonderful look at the greatest band ever, who were world changing, during the days that they toured. As one watches this, look at the primitive state in which they performed, yet perform they did. Starting with Hamburg, they worked hard - were not overnight sensations - to become the band they were. I liken these four getting together to the signers of the Declaration of Independence or the signing of the Magna Carta. The Beatles were brilliant - an no one will ever challenge them. Ever. Just a great, enjoyable documentary that I hope will win a BAFTA and an Academy Award.