Personal stories are woven in and out of revisits to the most notable albums in their back catalogue, remembering how they hooked up with The Dust Brothers on the heralded second album, “Paul’s Boutique”, hitting big again with “Sabotage” off “Ill Communication”, and following that up with the equally successful “Hello Nasty”. Equal parts celebration and self-congratulation, “Beastie Boys Story” might be manna from heaven for completists, but also embeds a spirited social history of American culture in the 1980s and 1990s, when rap was beginning to assume pride of place in the rock-pop pantheon. Adam Horovitz, Mike D, © Copyright Poisonous Monkey Ltd, Registered in England & Wales. Beastie Boys documentary is part celebration, part self-congratulation.
This means we earn a tiny percentage of any sales made through the link. But while “No Sleep till Brooklyn” was supposed to be an ironic joke at the expense of college party boys, their targets ended up becoming fans, and the trio themselves started to morph into the very thing they were supposed to be mocking. Given their popularity, it’s a surprise it has taken so long to produce a documentary about the trio, although the same could be said for many of the rap groups and emcees who have shaped the course of modern music over the past 40 years.
It's a decent attempt, but while the two surviving members are able to earnestly open up about being part of rap's biggest-selling group, it never really gets to the heart of what made their 29-year recording career so much fun to witness.
Music documentaries usually tend to fall into two camps: the audience-neutral ones — linear, comprehensive, newbie-friendly — and the kind clearly meant for fans. 119 minutes. Breezy, nostalgic Beastie Boys Story tells hip-hop legends' tales: Review By Leah Greenblatt April 20, 2020 at 10:28 PM EDT
Recounting how they created famous tracks like “Sabotage,” “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)” and “Rhymin and Stealin” (which lifted the drum lick from Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks”), they also offer candid reflections on how their satirically sexist, juvenile, hyperaggressive stage personas began to seep into real life. At times too, the format can feel knowingly, almost endearingly corny; a sort of deluxe story hour for grownups, read by two of Brooklyn’s coolest Cool Dads. © Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation.
Beastie Boys Story (2020) Dir: The two former emcees hold the spotlight with laid back charisma, keeping the audience engaged as they recall how the group was formed and the highs and lows of their careers, while offering heartfelt tributes to the much-missed Yauch. They went from sloppy hardcore punk wannabes to L-plated rappers in awe of the likes of Kool Moe Dee and Run DMC – only to end up sharing a label with the latter as they signed with Def Jam and worked with producer Rick Rubin on "Licensed to Ill". Well, yes and no. Director Spike Jonez lets the cameras roll in 'Beastie Boys Story' as Adam Horovitz or ADROCK and Mike Diamond, aka Mike D, recount the story … By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, A professional critic’s assessment of a service, product, performance, or artistic or literary work.