Plot Details: This opinion reveals no details about the movie's plot.

A quick note: the four star review only applies if you're a Rush fan.

Ok, here we go with the review of Rush Replay, the latest in a line of concert DVD's from Rush. But don't be fooled, you're not going to get anything new if you buy this. All the concerts in this set are old footage of old concerts, and if you're a Rush fan, you've probably heard all these live tracks at one point or another. That being said, let's do this thing.

Replay consists of three DVD's covering three tours, and one CD, covering one of the tours on the DVD. The tours in question are Exit...Stage Left, Grace Under Pressure, and A Show of Hands. The CD is the soundtrack for the Grace Under Pressure DVD. It's all a pretty nice package, with reprinted tour booklets and such, and the CD is handy for taking something on the road with you. The special features are sparse, and I'm not even sure if there are any, unless there's some Easter eggs I haven't found.

The shows themselves are enjoyable, and a lot of fun to watch. Gone is the theatrics from R30, and there's a lot more focus on the music than what's happening on the big screen behind the band. Exit...Stage Left has some annoying voice overs throughout the show. I would rather see a concert than hear commentary on it, but it doesn't take away too much. What does take away from the shows are the dated animated sequences, thrown in with the show. I could have done without that. Again, I just want to watch the show, without all the frills.

The material in general is dated, as these are all old shows. That's good and bad. It's good because you get a chance to see the band when they had to put all their focus into their playing. It's also fun because you can see how far they've come. With songs like Tom Sawyer and Limelight, which they've probably played a million times, you see them actually having to think about what they're doing, because at the point these were made, they hadn't played these songs as much. What's a little less fun is seeing that they seem to be less sure of themselves than they are now. But that's really just a minor quibble.

One problem you're going to find in watching the shows is that you're going to hear a lot of the same songs over and over. We all understand that's part of the gig, but we've already had two DVD's with a live performance of Tom Sawyer, and here you've got three more. This was early in their career, and their catalog wasn't as extensive, so there's less to pick from, so there's not a lot of branching out here.

I do appreciate the fact that the band didn't put as much focus on special features and other nonsense, and put the show out like it was years ago. For a four disc concert DVD (and one CD), this is a pretty good deal.

To sum this all up, if you're a Rush fan, and you want another collectible item to put on your shelf, then this will make a welcome addition. If you don't like Rush, and never have, this isn't going to change your opinion, so you can sit this one out.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8