Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (2009) Reviews

• A must see for any fan of rock music

  onona2009-04-21

  Honestly, Maiden put most bands to shame. To see a band that's been going for so long, who still puts on one of the largest and most energetic shows around night after night, across the planet, is as exhilarating as it is touching. Maiden have always commanded what is probably the most loyal and rabid fan base in the world, and yet they've never let the fame go to their heads. Here you see six totally down to earth men, playing music because they love it. And the crowds worship them for it. This is an incredible documentary not just for fans of the band, but for fans of rock music in general. I daresay that if you go into this film not knowing much of their music, you're likely to come out a new fan.

• a must have on DVD/ blue-ray

  Opus-162009-06-20

  This is a review of the DVD release, as I was not one of the lucky ones near the limited release screening of the movie. If you are a longtime maiden fan, the film is a love letter to you and your brethren, shot by documentary crew consisting of fans. Not surprisingly, the band is shown in an almost reverent regard. Nothing controversial to see here, folks. For people that have more than a passing interest in the band, unfortunately, there is not much here that you don't already know or have already seen. If you own or have seen the "Death on the Road" documentary disc you will not gain any new insights to the band and what makes them tick. If not, you will be in for a treat if you have an interest in maiden and/or what it takes to bring off an audaciously planned and executed world tour to thousands of dedicated and psyched fans. Shot with high-def cameras and lots of them, the concert scenes are great (more on this later). The fan scenes and band/crew interview scenes are entertaining and well edited. You really get an idea what an undertaking this tour was and how much the fans appreciated the effort. Compared to the dedication shown by some of these fans, my own interest seems trivial, though I have been a fan since I first heard "somewhere in time" back when I was a sophomore in high school. You can tell the band is at times awed of, bemused, frustrated by, and proud of this loyalty they inspire. By the time we make the trip with them from India, through Australia, North and South America, you are exhausted. I can't imagine how Steve and the boys felt after suffering jet lag, food illness, hangovers and sleep deprivation. Yet they still managed to put on kick-ass, crowd pleasing shows. This is why they have the live following and the pro rep they do. As for the bonus concert disc, it alone justifies the price of the DVD purchase. This, friends, in my opinion is their best live concert release yet. Better than the legendary Live After Death you say? Hell yes, I say. High def camera work. Wonderfully captured and mastered 5.1 surround in Dolby and DTS. Consistently great performances from Bruce and the boys. Great crowds. A killer set list. The edits are quick but not dizzying like on Rock in Rio or Death on the Road. Honestly, what's not to like? Overall a must have for maiden fans, and even of hard rock fans in general, if you ask me.

• Aces High

  Robert_Scott2009-04-22

  It's hard to believe 24 years have gone by already since the Powerslave tour which also happens to have been my first concert and one of the most positive memories of my misspent youth. The excitement was overwhelming during that summer back in 1985 as I finally witnessed my favorite band of all time after first being exposed to them in 1982 when a Number of the Beast album caught my eye. Not a knock on the band but a lot of the band's success can be attributed to Derek Riggs who of course is the mastermind behind the artwork that is responsible for converting most fans as mentioned in the film. Ultimately, it is the music that keeps us coming back for more and as far as I'm concerned, the classic era in focus is what Iron Maiden is all about. For those who don't know, it's called Flight 666 because this is the first time any band has taken a tour by air in their own private jet (suitably named "Ed Force One" and designed accordingly) which includes entire road and camera crew and several tons of stage equipment. The best part is, the plane is piloted by someone who to me resembles Daniel Craig with some crazy old school sideburns whose identity I will not reveal as not to ruin one of the film's many interesting surprises. So yeah, this film documents the cities traveled on their record breaking adventure providing further insight and retrospect to this great band's legacy as their way of saying thanks to all their fans that needs to be seen for yourself. I also heard the DVD will feature complete versions of the concert footage of songs like Revelations, Run to the Hills, Wrath Child and Iron Maiden so no need to pirate this with those annoying cell phones. Aside from that rude distraction and lack of the powerful atmosphere present in a live Maiden show, this film was without a doubt, aces high!

• Flight 666... Top notch DVD release !!!

  wyattej20002009-06-09

  This was written by me for a metal forum. I am in no way associated with Iron Maiden, DVD retailers, or any of the like. I am a lifelong Iron Maiden fan going back to 1982, and I wanted to share my take on the new DVD release. = "Flight 666: The Film," came out today, June 9th, and it is worth every penny of its purchase price. For anyone who saw Iron Maiden on The Somewhere Back in Time Tour, or has seen Maiden at any time in the past, I don't have to tell you how good of a show they put on, we all know, already. I wanted to just add my two cents about this DVD release, for anyone who was thinking about buying it, because not only is it an official Maiden release, it is also one hell of a bargain for what you get. = Whether you get the "standard" issue, or the "deluxe" issue (only difference is the packaging, and you get an expanded booklet in the deluxe version) you get two discs. Disc 1 is "Flight 666 The Movie," and Disc 2 is the concert footage from the film in its entirety, city to city. = All footage from both discs is shot in high def, so everything looks great, I can't imagine what this looks like on the BLU-RAY format, must be mindblowing. The sound mix is excellent, and each disc caters to various sound systems no matter how simple or how high end they are. Sound formats include Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, NTSC-PCM, and DTS. Personally I always like DTS, so I was pretty excited. = As far as being a good bargain..... It is. I purchased this at B@$t B%y. They only had the "deluxe" edition which was listed at $16.99, but it's on sale for $11.99 !!!! It's less expensive than most audio cd's. = As far as the content is concerned, well that is left up to the viewer. I thought the movie itself was pretty entertaining, a good mix of live footage, and documentary footage. The live concert disc is excellent because they go song to song, city to city, and you get to check out different Maiden fans, and venues from all over the world. = As usual Iron Maiden delivers the goods with a class and integrity that most bands have never had, or lost a long time ago (ie. see Lars Ulrich in movie footage). Overall this is a quality DVD release, at a very fair price. It seems like Iron Maiden is always a step ahead of the game.

• Iron Maiden's gonna get yer!!!!!!

  chrisward462009-04-22

  The problem with many on-the-road documentaries and live band footage is that unless you're a dedicated fan, what you're seeing or hearing isn't going to mean much to you, and also, once you've seen the concert/backstage footage, how likely are you to really watch it over and over? What you really need is an angle to make it interesting, so when film makers Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen took on the task of following Iron Maiden on the first leg of their mammoth 'Somewhere Back in Time' tour they really needed to make more than a standard rockumentary, especially considering the amount of Maiden footage available on DVD and video already. Luckily the band made it easy for them by flying themselves around the world in their own private 757 jet - nicknamed Ed Force One - flown by lead singer Bruce Dickinson himself. As if this wasn't enough of a curiosity worthy of capturing on film, the footage of the band's rabid fanbase, from as far afield as India, Australia, Canada, the US and South America, gives a revealing insight into why Maiden mean so much to so many. The fact that Maiden are on fire right now and playing the best they've ever played, they're touring some of the best songs off their first - and arguably best - seven albums and putting more bums on seats than in their 80's heyday, is almost secondary to the displays of affection from their religiously dedicated fanbase. That isn't to say that the music isn't central to their appeal - those layered guitar harmonies, soaring vocals, machine gun-like drums and Steve Harris' ever-present bass are still as magnetic and joyous as they've ever been - but it's the way that fans the world over, people from different cultures and backgrounds who are never likely to meet, generate such enthusiasm, passion and devotion towards the band and the whole package that comes with it that makes this movie worth seeing, even if you're not one of the faithful. For instance, in Columbia, where the band are to play in a massive park in the city centre, fans have been camping on the streets for more than a week just so they can get near the stage when it opens. One chap even admits that he and his group have run out of food a couple of days in, what with the military confiscating all the food and even some items of clothing, but still the fans persist in waiting to see the band. The fans in Mexico are equally excited, and seemingly just grateful that this band, who could easily just play it safe and play the arenas in the world's major cities, are coming to visit them in "the ass of the world", as one fan puts it. It must have been dusty in the cinema, as there was a tear in the eye when there was a lingering shot of one South American fan who had caught drummer Nicko McBrain's drumstick and just stood clinging to the barrier, crying in disbelief, long after the band had finished. Make no mistake, in South America a visit from Iron Maiden is comparable only to Beatlemania. What really comes out in this movie, and what is probably also the single biggest attraction of the band as a whole, is the attitude that the band have towards the fans and the music. Although the personnel may have changed over the years, the one continuing factor that hasn't is the band's commitment to hard rock/heavy metal/ whatever you want to call it, knowing that whatever trends are lurking to leap out of the music business and warp our minds, their craft has been honestly honed to the best of their ability, and executed with a work ethic that means no fan will ever leave a Maiden gig disappointed. That they're millionaire rock stars who, quite honestly, could have retired twenty years ago never comes into play - they may be flying around the world in their own private jet, but they're not exactly the latest X-Factor winners being courted by some record label and having their five minutes of fame. They're flying it themselves, crew and equipment as well, because, as Bruce is keen to point out, they can fly straight to the gig from the previous one and cover more ground quicker, playing to more people. Whether they're playing to 5000 people at one of their charity gigs at Brixton Academy or playing to 250,000 people at Rock in Rio, Maiden will always hit the stage running, looking each audience member in the eye and giving 110%. Anything less would be shortchanging the fans, and it's this attitude that has made them the legends they are, and certainly the best British music export of the last forty years. And, it must be noted, with no radio play and very little media coverage - something that a lot of the current crop of bands could do with taking note of. Anyway, the movie itself is certainly a labour of love from the makers. Each shot, each soundbite and each edit has been carefully worked over to present a road movie that is a joyous celebration of everything that Maiden stand for - hard work, integrity and never sell-out your principles. If only they'd show this on prime-time Saturday night telly instead of the turgid so-called 'talent' shows. Whether the band will continue with this integrated travel arrangement or whether they'll go back to the traditional tour bus method has yet to be seen, but just to see this most humble of bands hitting the skies and travelling the world to ecstatic reactions just once was nothing short of thrilling, and for two short hours, just for once, it made you very proud to be British.