REVIEW: Documentary film Becoming Led Zeppelin rocks harder than AI metrics convey
Becoming Led Zeppelin, distributed by Sony Pictures and written and directed by Bernard MacMahon, has been streaming widely since early April. It's not a new release, Becoming Led Zeppelin debuted in U.S. theaters on February 7. Its early screenings were met with lukewarm critical reviews. Having said that, things are mixed. For example, barely 17% of overall movie critics dared to smash the tomato. However, the Rotten Tomatoes official Critics Census churned out a demurring tone. The Critic Census claims, “Presenting the origins of Led Zeppelin with laser focus, this doc isn't the definitive document on the band but blows the roof off with its killer soundtrack.” First of all, if this film had released a soundtrack, it would rock, how could it not, but then where is it? It's not found at any official channels. And stay tuned, because this internet-standard movie site, home of the Tomatometer, misses the target on another key point, and it diminishes the overall value of the film in the process.
So, should you see it? That depends. If you care about how quality music is made, if you want to hear about the vibes behind Led Zeppelin’s orchestration and arrangement of instrument and voice, if you are curious about how a record contract is intelligently sealed, fully in the band’s best interest; you’ll want to see this music documentary, no matter your musical orientation.
Getting back to the film's reception and looking at Metacritic.com, another internet standard, the documentary suffers lower metrics than at Rotten Tomatoes. At Metacritic, the music documentary garners a disconcerting overall review metric of 64 out of 100. It is odd that the site allows it to stand, as it is based on just 12 movie reviews. However, the movie synopsis is fair with many positive points. While the rating is called "generally favorable," it does not seem like a totally fair assessment. Roger Ebert, a gold-standard, for example, contributed a 100-rating to the Metacritc scale. It also reflects a 5.8 user preference metric. This falls into the yellow, mixed range, but as it is based on only 24 reviews, also too low, it is not the best metric for a prospective viewer to base their decision on.
Finally, The New York Times, another gold standard, gives a favorable take. The Times review makes sense and the critic's analysis proves authentic to the movie. It points out one downside, and we agree. That is, in documenting such a thin of a slice of the band's timeline legacy, it leaves you wanting more. "And it’s hard not to wonder if more screen chronicles will follow.” Yes, it is hard to imagine that further deep dives into their fame won't happen. In this film, the breakthrough years of Sixty-eight and Sixty-nine are featured, while a long look into the background roots and influences of the members precedes. Interviews with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and footage of the late John Bonham narrate the documentary. His sudden death ended the band in 1980. Clearly, there are more stories to narrate. Furthermore, as it is made by Sony Classic Pictures, forthcoming Led Zeppelin classics can be expected, if it makes sense, financially, for the moviemaker.
Looking at the financials, the film has so far pocketed worldwide sales around $13 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Somewhat paltry, it ranks 66th up against all 2025 movie box office nets. Up against statistics like box office totals and critical reception metrics, some user-generated ratings tell a different story. As far as numbers go, these stats can show the highest marks this movie gets. And shouldn't audience scores be significant? For example, the Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter soars to 95%. Darn near all viewers loved the movie. Still, IMDb’’s global users give it a cooler 7.5 stars out of 10, a strong metric based on over 5,000 ratings. So, should you see it, based on metrics? The results are not clear.
But, leaving metrics behind, this rock band, arguably the best rock n’ roll band ever formed, and one of the most successful, is no stranger to a critical press. The band’s debut album, Led Zeppelin, known as Led Zeppelin I, was met with some harsh reviews. Here’s Rolling Stone magazine’s dig in March of 1969:
“Jimmy Page, around whom the Zeppelin revolves, ... is also a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative songs, and the Zeppelin album suffers from his having both produced it and written most of it (alone or in combination with his accomplices in the group).”
Though the influential music publication at first complimented Page's guitar proficiency, the review ends by saying the band has wasted "their considerable talent" on an album that would go to gold by year's end, that soared to success, in spite of these opinions. It succeeded due to the fact that their audience had heard something Rolling Stone had not.
Today, it seemed it was high time for this postmortem review of reviews. Becoming Led Zeppelin is a proper music documentary film that deserves praise. Especially as it is the only film ever sanctioned by Led Zeppelin; sinking in, this band has known fame for a half-century. Words are not minced, according to the summary on the digital product:
“The film is told in Led Zeppelins’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.”
The first officially sanctioned film. Strange how the bot serving Rotten Tomatoes swept past this detail.
This movie tells a proper history of an iconic band's rocket to success, of a banding together of three of England's musical geniuses along with the voice, that, together, shook the rock genre. It tells how Atlantic Records had the unprecedented luck to take a chance on the lads. Watch it. It tells how Jimmy Page had the foresight to refuse to press a single, and instead, contracted a deal that required radio stations to play the entire side A, in one session, commercial-free. Call-in requests by an enthused audience demanded the second side be played, and in that same year, they soared to gold. Becoming Led Zeppelin will rock you all night long. Pay no mind to those AI-generated, naysaying reviews.
Becoming Led Zeppelin
PG-13
Cast: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham
Director: Bernard MacMahon
Written by: Bernard MacMahon and Allison McGourly
2025 Sony Pictures Classics
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/led-zeppelin-i-187298/
https://becomingledzeppelinfilm.com/synopsis/
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