METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER — ** 1/2 — Documentary on the heavy metal act Metallica; featuring interviews with James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and others; not rated, probable R (profanity, violence, brief drugs, vulgarity, sex, brief nudity).
Thanks to its controversial stance against music piracy and downloading, Metallica may be the most universally disliked band on the face of the planet. "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" isn't likely to change that.
In fact, this warts-and-all documentary may confirm some fans' worst fears about the band, that its members employ an all-about-the-dollar, bottom-line mentality.
Also, while it does give us a more honest glimpse into the business of rock music, the film is also more than a little windy (after more than two hours, it becomes wearisome). Worse, it's slavishly in service to the band itself, the only way the filmmakers could get full access.
"Some Kind of Monster" follows the band through the painful creation process of producing its latest CD, "St. Anger," including a series of false starts in 2001.
The movie also shows the three core members of the band — singer/songwriter James Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett and drummer Lars Ulrich — as they receive group counseling from Phil Towle, a Kansas City therapist who's supposed to be helping them deal with unresolved issues, their music, and their various chemical and other dependencies.
However, it looks like the recording session may be scrapped for good when Hetfield heads into an alcohol treatment facility, with no indication about when he might return.
The documentary is at its most unfair when the other members assail former bass guitarist Jason Newsted, who heads off to start his own side project, Echobrain, and to play with Ozzy Osbourne. (Ironically, as shown in the film, his replacement in Metallica winds up being Robert Trujillo, who also played with Ozzy.)
None of the band members really comes off as being very likable. In particular, Ulrich really comes off as egomaniacal, while Hammett does nothing to shatter preconceptions about him being an airhead.
Of the three, Hetfield comes off best; at least he seems willing to admit his faults and shortcomings as a musician and as a human being.
"Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" is not rated but would probably receive an R for frequent use of strong sexual profanity, footage of concert violence, brief drug content (talk about drug use and dependency), and some sexually explicit imagery and references. Running time: 139 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com