Movie Review
Playboy.com
July 2004
Rating: 3 of 4 Bunnyheads
As the world’s biggest metal band, Metallica has endured it’s share of Hollywood moments – the death of bassist Cliff Burton in a bus accident, the bizarre on-stage pyrotechnic accident that left lead singer James Hatfield burned and battered and a series of alcohol-soaked world tours. All this fuels the documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, a chronicle of the band’s successful effort to stave off a breakup by way of group therapy. Instead of becoming a promotional tool and self-serving rockumentary, this unguarded documentary takes an honest and often uncomfortable look at the personalities, ego trips and group dynamics, elevating itself into an epic character study.
When the film begins in 2001, Metallica is in dire straits as the members start to record the album that eventually becomes St. Anger. Sick of years of abuse that stemmed from his role as Burton’s replacement, bassist Jason Newsted quits the group. As therapy begins, Hetfield, angry with drummer and anti-Napster crusader Lars Ulrich’s attitude, storms off, leaves for rehab and mysteriously disappears for months. The remainder of the movie shows the group slowly coming together as they deal with guilt, frayed relationships (the painful confession of ex-guitarist Dave Mustaine in incredible) and what Hetfield calls the “bigness of Metallica.” Their personal fortunes are immense –- guitarist Kirk Hammett chills on his huge ranch and Lars Ulrich cheers as Christie’s auctions off his multimillion-dollar art collection — and point to the surreal lives they all lead. But it’s the uncensored insights into each band member’s psyche -– like Ulrich’s discussions with his father and the behind-the-scenes journey from near-disaster to the album’s release -– that makes this more than a feature-length Behind the Music.