Review: "Glee in 3D" gives fans something to smile about
(CBS) -- Gleeks worldwide have something to sing about with the release of "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie."
Best described as cotton candy for the soul, the young and winsome cast of the popular FOX series take it up a notch, recreating on stage the biggest musical moments series lovers first saw on the show.
Pictures: "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie" premiere
All of the cast members fans have grown to love, (well most of them - Jane Lynch who plays the riotous Sue Sylvester is absent, but makes an appearance in the DVD version out later) put their best foot, and biggest voices, forward in what can only be described as a 3D extravaganza that serves as an ode to the popularity of the show.
Though devoted fans will enjoy Gwyneth Paltrow performing to Cee Lo Green's biggest hit and Kevin McHale (Artie) jumping out of a wheelchair, bursting into a killer "Safety Dance" (he did iton the show), the movie's concert gig and behind the scenes moments can just as well be appreciated by novice Gleeks.
Director Kevin Tancharoen takes the "documentary" element of the film further than Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never" backstage concert film.
Tancharoen interjects vignettes of gleeful fans fawning over their favorites, standing in line before show time and even following some diehard fans home, where they are captured reiterating the message of tolerance and being non-judgmental, which are both highlighted in the series.
Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Kevin McHale (Artie), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Heather Morris (Brittany), Darren Criss (Blaine) all perform numbers that will set your feet tapping, but Riley in particular showcases a set of pipes that was destined for Broadway. Michele also shows she has a pitch perfect Broadway presence and is less of a fabrication than some of the other cast members, thanks to slick editing and musical enhancement on the show.
Cast members stay in character during backstage interviews - Rachel gets hyper learning Barbara Streisand is in the audience and "less-than-all-there" Brittany (Heather Morris) rings up her popularity by saying "I think it has a lot to do with my hair."
The only shortcoming of the musical is the film's 3D effect.
Instead of giving viewers the sense of being a part of the concert and getting a true sense of everything happening in the moment, they are instead taken on a larger than life ride, but one that removes them from the immediacy of the actual concert.
Still with the vibrancy and enthusiasm of a cast that has captured the hearts of America and made it cool for families, once again, to sit down to watch the same show together, look for the Fox release to entice a whole new league of parents and kids alike.
