Motley Crue – The End (Movie Review)

June 14, 2016

Motley Crue: The End

Fathom Events, Live Alliance, Eagle Rock Entertainment, and Tenth Street Entertainment

2 hour, 20 minutes

To say I am going through Motley Crue withdrawal is an understatement. There hasn’t been a major Crue event in my life since the final show on December 31 in Los Angeles. Don’t get me wrong, to be at the final show was a highlight in my 30+year career of everything Motley however after seeing 6 shows in less than 6 months last year, there has been a definite lack of excitement this year. Last year I was either at a show or planning for the next road trip. This year it’s been hard to adjust. So when I heard that the movie Motley Crue: The End filmed at the final LA concerts was to be shown for one night only in theatres, I knew I had to see it. Unfortunately, the movie was not shown in Canada so another Motley road trip was in order – to Buffalo and the nearest screening of the movie.

I was glad we got there early because the 20 minutes leading up to the screening was worth it. With an audience of Crueheads in attendance, it’s only marketing genius to play the Sixx:A.M. lyric video for “Rise” followed by advertisements for the Prayers for the Damned CD release and the tour. Great play Mr. Sixx. There were no boring car commercials to watch either. It was all Crue which made it part of the event.

Running for over 2 hours, the concert portion of The End was directed by Christian Lamb, who had previous music movie experience with Carrie Underwood, Madonna, and Incubus. Jeff Tremaine of Jackass fame handled the documentary/backstage footage. The film can best be described as an immersive experience, and it felt like you were at the final ever Motley Crue show. If you were not at the final show this movie will make you feel like you were and if you were one of the lucky ones in attendance, it will feel like you are reliving the experience all over again. Many times I felt like I should be standing up and not sitting in a theatre seat to experience it. Unlike the 2005 release Carnival of Sins, this movie is very much production focused. The emphasis is on the concert and providing fans with an up-close view of the concert. That may come as bad news to those hoping for the over abundance of boob shots from previous Motley releases however as this was the grand finale of a 35-year career, the emphasis on the band and the show was a good call. There were interview segments with the individual members of the band as well as the tour manager, fans and others who help the Motley machine grind its wheels but these were placed so that they did not interrupt the flow of the movie. If there was one thing that slowed the movie down it was Mick Mars‘ guitar solo which was much too long for a movie of this length.

Some moments I enjoyed from the last show were missing from the movie. I was disappointed to see Vince‘s goodbye speech and tears were not included. It choked me up to see it in person and I wished it had made the movie. Tommy Lee‘s roller coaster, Crucify, breaking down was much too brief in the movie and should have been extended because it was a very funny moment. However, maybe these are scenes that will be included as extras in the DVD/BluRay release. We will have to wait and see.

In the backstage footage, some of the most interesting segments were the explanations of how Nikki‘s flame throwing bass and Crucify worked as well as the logistics of mounting a show of this scale. Once again I expect there will be more of this type of segment appearing on the DVD. I liked the interview with Motley‘s tour manager, Tim Krieg, who described the band as being 4 guys going in four different directions who most days don’t like each other very much. That’s a somewhat sad end for a group who started out as a gang – them against the establishment – but as we all know relationships change with time and it seemed the members of Motley were eager to go their separate ways.

The movie and Motley Crue‘s career ends with Frank Sinatra singing “My Way” which was probably the most fitting song to summarize the career of this band. Now that the excitement of LA has worn off, I realize just how much I miss the Crue. Last night for 2 hours I got to experience it once more.

Laura Suchan

Crue Website / Crue Facebook