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Beyonce I Am... World Tour Remuxed (1080p) (2010)

This review is from: Beyoncé: I Am... World Tour [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) 
If I'm not mistaken, this is Beyonce's fourth concert DVD. The first was essentially her solo debut, and was excellent, though lacking the refinement which was still to come. The second was a strong contender for being my favorite, presenting us with a full concert recorded in LA, replete with spectacle, yet frequently able to move me emotionally in many directions. The third was a definite change in approach, deliberately intimate, and thus revealing the person of Beyonce with a vulnerability we hadn't seen before. 

Now this fourth DVD combines some elements from the previous three, while deleting some elements and adding new elements, and is therefore something quite different overall. First of all, this tour has a modern feel, with a crisp looking stage and lighting, aerial acrobatics, a mini stage in the middle of the audience, etc. The DVD itself is actually assembled from more 100 performances worldwide. This approach has the drawback of creating fragmentation, with many of the songs apparently being incomplete, so the effect is more like watching a mosaic rather than a single coherent and flowing concert. Added to this, interspersed between the songs, we get mini interviews with Beyonce and other documentary-like clips, which contribute further to the sense of fragmentation. Last but not least, we don't get to see as much of her superb band or dancers as I'd like, since the spotlight is more tightly focused on Beyonce than before. 

While these are certainly drawbacks, the distinct upside of this approach is that this DVD gives us a real sense of what it's like to actually be Beyonce, particularly while she's on tour, with all the pros and cons that entails. In this sense, this DVD is even more revelatory than the previous one, displaying a Beyonce who's now secure enough to openly tell us that she experiences moments of insecurity. She appreciates her gifts and success, while also wanting us to know that a lot of hard work and internal struggle goes into creating the externally charmed life that she leads. She looks like a goddess on stage, but she also lets us frequently see that she looks a lot more like you and me without her makeup and styling. She expresses sincere gratitude for her team and audience, but she also tells us that she has moments on tour when she feels very alone. In short, she wants us to remember that, while she's a superstar, she's also human ... 

For me, the bottom line is that I remain a huge fan of Beyonce, grateful that this DVD offers us yet another window into her artistry and life, not to mention a concert mosaic well worth watching. If you're also a fan of Beyonce, this DVD is a must. If you're not yet a fan, this DVD (or either of the previous ones) may convert you. And remember that Beyonce's natural niche is stage performance, with all the theatrical elements that entails, so don't think you've genuinely experienced Beyonce if you've only listened to her songs or watched her videos - neither of those formats does justice to her. 

Disc Title: Beyonce I Am... World Tour Remuxed (1080p) (2010)
Disc Size: 27,639,156,820 bytes
Protection: AACS
BD-Java: No
Playlist: 00000.MPLS
Size: 27,639,060,480 bytes
Length: 1:39:00
Total Bitrate: 37.22 Mbps
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video / 29722 kbps / 1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio: English / DTS-HD Master Audio / 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4910 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Audio: English / Dolby Digital Audio / 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Subtitle: English / 8.580 kbps
Subtitle: Dutch / 7.471 kbps
Subtitle: French / 8.288 kbps
Subtitle: German / 9.682 kbps
Subtitle: Italian / 9.078 kbps
Subtitle: Portuguese / 8.729 kbps
Subtitle: Spanish / 8.612 kbp