Pearl Jam Twenty 2011

Jake Coyle, Associated Press: Any enterprise like this is inherently self-congratulatory, but the film is best considered from Crowe's perspective: that of a fan. Read more

Andy Webster, New York Times: While the movie may not have the insight of D. A. Pennebaker's "Don't Look Back" or even Phil Joanou's U2 travelogue, "Rattle and Hum," Pearl Jam devotees will not go home musically unnourished. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: PJ is far from the key band of its moment (and where's that movie?), resulting in a doc that feels padded. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: What makes Pearl Jam Twenty a little better than the average fan-friendly documentary is that Crowe focuses on the more significant parts of the Pearl Jam story. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: By the time "Pearl Jam Twenty" is over we can't help but be impressed by the kind of personal and professional integrity that has kept the band honest and allowed them to endure and prosper. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: If only it was about something other than rockers almost irked they got famous. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: In a better film, Crowe would have played journalist instead of fan boy. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: If Pearl Jam Twenty has its share of hyperbole, it's leavened with humor, self-deprecating commentary, and a deep-pockets budget's worth of great clips. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: Crowe has assembled some top-drawer ephemera -- old show posters, home movies, and candid backstage footage -- but he overestimates his audience's patience for present-day talking-head interviews. Read more

Guy Dixon, Globe and Mail: With its intimacy and (this can't be emphasized enough) fantastic sound, Pearl Jam Twenty is like two hours spent rediscovering the band through excellent headphones. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Cameron Crowe's chronicle of the Seattle grunge quintet's first two decades is undeniably thorough - even offshoot Temple of the Dog gets the spotlight - but it's also weirdly self-aggrandizing. Read more

Eric Hynes, Village Voice: Perhaps Pearl Jam's arc too closely resembles Crowe's own, and he can't see what's so uniquely poignant about dimmed but enduring stars. Read more