Insightful, absurd and oddly funny Some Kind of Monster stands as a truly excellent Rock Documentary but whether it casts its protagonists in a positive or negative light is something to be left up to the viewer.

It pretty much confirms the suspicions of any Metallica fan. Namely

Lars Ulrich is a control Freak
James Hetfield seems to be filled with personal demons
Kirk Hammett is way to meek and non-aggressive for his own good, the guy almost gets swallowed up at points
Jason Newsted was right in his decision to leave, its clear the guy loves his music and with Lars around he was never going to get anywhere.

Metallica definetly don't do their hard rock image any favours as they bitch and moan on a constant basis, and the decision to bring in a Therapist to deal with their issues is almost Spinal Tap funny in its absurdity.

Still they deserve praise for being so open and honest, this isn't some shite MTV documentary this is the real deal and it never bores because of that.

Oh and Dave Mustaine is obsessed with getting kicked out of the band on the basis of this film.

A

This doc skipped my town when it opened, but I finally caught it on TV. I'm not a hardcore fan of Metallica (never been to a concert), but I've enjoyed their music over the years and had some knowledge of their history as a band.

This documentary was fascinating and surprising in it's observation of individuals working as a team over a long period of time. Very revealing and in that sense it was quite brave on thier part - - you rarely get to see people expose their egos like this. But that performance coach/therapist was sure a creepy dude...

8 out of 5.