During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, Led Zeppelin rose to become the world's most popular rock band. Emerging from the remnants of The Yardbirds in 1968, Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Paul Jones (bass) and John Bonham (drums) quickly gained a massive following in both the US and UK with their unique blend of hard rock infused with blues, folk and supernatural elements. They famously displaced The Beatles from the top of the charts – an impressive accomplishment even considering that The Beatles were nearing their own dissolution at the time – and released numerous successful albums, breaking away from the traditional “singles” approach favored by other artists to align with the burgeoning "album rock" format popular on underground FM radio. Writer-director Bernard MacMahon’s documentary explores how Led Zeppelin formed and traces their rise to prominence as a leading band of the decade. A key aspect of appreciating this film lies in understanding the word “becoming” within its title, because the filmmaker concentrates on the musicians' individual careers prior to joining forces and what occurred during the initial years of the group’s ascent, which saw them build an enormous fanbase over roughly two years. Through recent interviews with Plant, Page and Jones, alongside excerpts from a previously unseen conversation featuring Bonham (who passed away in 1980), viewers learn about their diverse backgrounds, musical influences, the impact of a turbulent cultural landscape, and their individual performance experiences – often as studio musicians. These conversations illustrate how these factors shaped them both individually and collectively as Led Zeppelin. The film reveals several interesting details about the band members, such as Jimmy Page’s work on the theme song for “Goldfinger” (1964) and the origin of the group's name, which came from a suggestion by The Who’s drummer Keith Moon. Dedicated fans will likely value the extensive detail presented, although others might consider it excessive. This impression is reinforced by the film’s narrative feeling cut short of its full potential; concluding relatively early in the band’s career means that some viewers may feel disappointed, particularly given the absence of information about their later, more familiar work and classic tracks from subsequent albums. Consequently, some could perceive this film as “incomplete,” perhaps envisioning it as the first part of a larger production like a documentary miniseries on PBS or a cable music channel. Nevertheless, the film also has qualities that set it apart, such as highlighting the often-understated virtuosity of Led Zeppelin’s four members – musicians whose talents may not have received sufficient recognition over the years. It demonstrates how the band was greater than the sum of its parts, showing how each performer contributed to creating something more significant than just a combination of individual skills. And for those who came of age during Led Zeppelin's formative period (like myself), this film is a well-crafted piece of nostalgia that evokes deeply personal memories of an unparalleled era. Ultimately, “Becoming Led Zeppelin” is likely to be seen as a mixed offering: some will embrace it with the same fervor they reserve for the band itself, while others may find it a moderately engaging but "unfinished" introduction to one of rock’s most important groups – a description that echoes a paraphrase of one of Led Zeppelin's famous song titles: what is and what might never be.

Source on TMDB