The object of any great concert film is to convince you, at least for the span of the movie, that the subject is The Greatest Rock Band in the World. If The Kids Are Alright doesn't succeed in that goal as completely as Jonathan Demme's sensational Stop Making Sense, that's hardly the fault of The Who-- few performers have labored harder in the name of fan service.Though engaging and highly watchable, The Kids Are Alright stays a minor affair, documentary-wise. Here and there it flirts with insight. We catch a bit of Keith Moon palling around with fellow alcoholic Ringo Starr ("We're just taking our medicine, children!") in a bit that foreshadows tragedy without actually catching the weight of it. We get a laugh from Pete Townshend's startled "Eh?" at being confronted with his own lyrics ("...hope I die before I get old..."). But the between-music bits of the film offer little substance; they're just filler.But there's an early clip of the band performing in a club, in which we cut to Moon, drumming his heart out, already in hyperdrive-- and then, impossibly, he starts going faster. His face is upturned in spiritual abandon, his hands simply disappear. And, in a phenomenal rendering of Baba O'Reilly, you see Townshend dancing in genuine and infectious ecstasy over John Entwhistle's thunderous bass line. And in an epic performance of Won't Get Fooled Again, we finally understand the sheer force of The Who-- the lights go out around six minutes in for the synth solo. Then the drums kick in, gathering our heartbeats with it. The lights come on: Roger Daltrey is screaming, and Townshend is in midair, and we are with him, transported, levitating.These were men who enjoyed their work. And for these five-to-ten minute stretches, we are watching The Greatest Rock Band in the World. Worth the price of admission.

I became a Who fan after seeing this movie in the theater. I was 10 and went with my best friend and his mom. After that day, my bedroom wall had only Who posters on it(Oh, and I think Farrah and Cheryl Tiegs.) I went and bought the soundtrack and played those records till my parents could not take it anymore. This is by far, one of the best rock bands ever. You've got the Beatles, Stones, Doors, Aerosmith, but thank god, we had THE WHO. Remastered new 2 disc DVD is by far the best I've seen. So much time and effort went into making this classic piece of history look great. The special features are a detailed documentary on how it all came together. Plus a very insightful, if not sad interview with lead singer Roger Daltrey. Kudos to all those involved. Check it out.

Well, I've been sat here for the last five minutes thinking what I could write about the Greatest Rock 'n Roll band in the World, or more to the point, one of the best Rock Documentaries to come out of the 1970's.Seeing The Who live only four time's since 13th July 1985 to November 10th 2000. The original line up would have been great, but time and history say different.This is where Jeff Stein has a wonderful idea (the film was being made when Keith was still very much alive, but as reference to today's generation) if you can no longer go to the mountain, then he has brought it to you, enter stage right, The Kids are Alright, 109 minutes of pure Rock 'n Roll documented history.The film start's of with some fantastic black and white footage (the early gigs must have been out of this world) of one of the hardest working bands to come out of the Sixties and to continue to World domination, a cliché I know, but it works.Interviewing them must have been a night where you earned your money, poor Russell Harty, (in case of Keith Moon break the glass).The 1970's tracks see them develop into a real tight outfit, if not a "little older" , performing most of their classics without fault. Jeff Stein has done a great job of bringing together this visually collective musical collage to a wider audience. I say lets turn the record over and begin side "B"...Thanks Jeff.

For some people, this movie may just be a nice little retrospective of a couple of British farts who got their rocks off smashing their instruments. For others, it's a document of the place and time of a formidable rock ensemble. For me, and hopefully a batch of others, it's an awe-inspiring mix of rock, humor, and destruction. I first saw this movie when I was at the tender age of three. On the screen, those four men appeared godlike. Each member of the band was their own person: Roger, the throbbing sex symbol; John, the strong and silent one who is possibly the most twisted one of the quartet; Keith, the veritable madman; and Pete, the double-edged dry-witted joker and pensive introvert. One great thing about this movie is that it stops with the 'Who Are You' album, after which point many believe The Who were no longer The Who. I agree. Townshend got too serious with his writing. One interesting point of study is the group dynamic, and how they interact. The editing is done quite humorously: Pete Townshend talks about how his stage persona is hardly the same person he is off stage. "I just- I do my job, and I have to get into a certain state of mind to do it." Cut to: Pete at Woodstock during "Sparks," throwing his guitar around and making sub-orgasmic feedback sounds with his instrument. I love this movie. I encourage all rock fans/students/scholars to check it out. You'll be surprised, amazed, awed, shocked...and you'll miss Keith Moon.