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The Movie:
"All hell can't stop us now!"
-Rage Against The Machine, "Guerrilla Radio"
Although rumors continue that they were re-emerge with a different lead singer, it's still entirely unfortunate that Rage Against The Machine as we currently know it is no longer. A hardcore rap/rock group, they offered political and often fascinating lyrics that rode wave after wave of wonderfully played music that often sounded like metal, but had a fantastically funky, catchy feel.
Lucky enough myself to be able to see Rage Against The Machine live twice and they still stand as one of the most amazing live acts that I've ever seen, with an almost endless amount of energy - especially lead singer Zach De La Rocha, who often threw himself (literally) into the music like few singers today do.
Although the band has had a previously released DVD featuring concert footage, it didn't nearly show the band as impressive as they are here in Mexico City during a concert that included an audience of 5,000 screaming fans who were crunched into a local pavilion. Between some of the songs in the concert presentation here, there is documentary footage of the situation in Mexico narrated by Rage singer Zach De La Rocha. The footage is tragic to watch, as it shows groups protesting the living conditions in some areas of the country. They are hard-working people who obviously want a better life, or at least the basic needs to live and be healthy.
Songs: Testify, Guerilla Radio, People of the Sun, Calm Like a Bomb, Sleep Now in the Fire, Born of a Broken Man, Bombtrack, Know Your Enemy, No Shelter, War Within a Breath, Bulls on Parade, Killing in the Name, Zapata's Blood, Freedom.
The DVD
VIDEO: The concert portions are presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and the documentary feature sections are full-screen. Although the documentary footage varies slightly, the concert footage looks excellent. Everything on the stage is sharp, well-defined and clear with no hints of softness at any time. There's a few tiny bits of shimmering, but I didn't notice any instances of pixelation or other flaws. I was definitely pleased with the video quality throughout the show and although there were a few very minor flaws, they didn't cause the slightest distraction.
SOUND: Ah, finally a DVD that shows off the power of Rage's music live. The first DVD was Dolby Digital 5.1, but the audio quality was nothing too special, sounding rather thin. "Battle Of Mexico City" is also in Dolby Digital 5.1 and it sounds fantastic, with plenty of power and great audio quality.
Although the sound does have that big, open venue quality to it, the music still sounds lively and forward, as if you're in the front row with the music exploding all around you. Surrounds do a nice job of re-inforcing the music and making the songs sound even more enveloping. Surrounds also offer the chanting and cheers of one heck of an excited crowd. Bass delivers quite a bit of kick as well, strong but not overly done. There's a little bit of a raw feeling to the sound quality, but it actually is just enough to actually add to the excitement and not take away from overall quality.
The music - in terms of all of the elements - guitar, drums, vocals, came through clearly on their own, sounding distinct and clear, not muddled together. De La Rocha's impressively strong vocals come through with great clarity. Although it would be impossible to bring the level of excitement of a Rage performance home, the sound for "Battle Of Mexico City" is at least as close as it's going to get - a thrilling performance that's delivered very well by the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.
MENUS:: The menus have some great animation, but seem a little bit incomplete without any sound behind them.
EXTRAS:
Interview: This is an interview by Rage lead singer Zach De La Rocha with professor Norm Chaofsky about various political issues such as reforms and movements, as well as US/Foreign relations. Some of the interview proved fascinating and informative about situations in the world today. 11 minutes.
Also: Photo gallery, web-links and footage of "Marcos", who discusses his world view in a 9 minute interview. Strangely, there's no inside insert.
Final Thoughts: Any fans of "Rage Against The Machine" will certainly be thrilled with the kind of audio/video quality offered with "Battle Of Mexico City", but more than that, it shows an absolutely fantastic band at their very best. Highly Recommended.
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