Following on from the success of collaborations with Elton John, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and The Beatles, Disney has once again teamed up with one of the biggest musical acts in the world, U2, for a brand new original for Disney+.

This special generally just focuses on U2 members, Bono and the Edge, as Adam and Larry weren’t involved in the project, but their story is still covered throughout the documentary.  The general premise of the special is that Bono and the Edge are putting on a special performance at the Ambassador Cinema building at the top of O’Connell Street on Dublin’s Northside, with a special orchestra.

The choice of having David Letterman as the host of this special might seem odd, but it works, because of his history with Bono and the Edge.  He plays up on being a typical American tourist visiting Dublin at the start, but he is able to put his interviewees at ease, offering a deep insight into their thoughts and feelings.  But there are some moments in the documentary, such as when David is talking with some open-water swimmers, that just feels unnecessary, but adds to the tourist angle, though some of these moments feel like a Dublin Tourism commercial, especially when they do a little acoustic singalong in an Irish pub!

Throughout the special, we get to see unique performances of some classic U2 songs like “Vertigo”, “Beautiful Day”, and “One”.   These performances are stripped back from their usual rock and roll style.  They are great performances, especially if you’re a fan of the band.  I’ve grown up hearing U2 music and have brought many U2 albums over the years, so this special is much more interesting to me, especially as I wasn’t that aware of U2’s history before watching this documentary.    Along the way through the documentary, we hear from many people who know U2 and are important to their history.  We hear some short stories about the creation of some of their classic songs, plus an insight into their history with Dublin and issues that have arisen throughout the band’s past.

The format, of mixing new performances, along with stories of the band’s origins and other important moments throughout their long career, was refreshing.   As you’d expect, we get to hear from both Bono and The Edge throughout the documentary, with classic footage of the band being mixed in, giving the viewer a real insight into the band.

There’s little doubt that “Bono & The Edge: A Sort Of Homecoming With Dave Letterman” is not aimed at your typical Disney+ Original audience, it skews much older, and I hope this documentary gets plenty of attention from adult subscribers of the platform.

“Bono & The Edge: A Sort Of Homecoming With Dave Letterman” is a must-watch for U2 fans, and if you want to learn more about the band, Bono and the Edge, this is a good place to start.  It’s a pretty lighthearted special, with a positive look back at the band’s past, and you get to see the relationship between the two at its best, which is why they’ve been able to work together for all these decades.   Coming in at around 90 minutes long, it’s long enough to get into some of the highlights of the band’s history and feature some great performances of some of U2’s biggest hits.  If you like U2, you should check out this special.

Rating – 4 Out Of 5

“Bono & The Edge: A Sort Of Homecoming With Dave Letterman” arrives on Disney+ on Friday, 17th March 2023.

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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