Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)

All Critics (104) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (65) | Rotten (38) | DVD (2)

It has come to this: parents who have recorded their children's lives since infancy can see their home films edited into their child's very own 3-D concert documentary.

February 22, 2011 Full Review | Comments (3)

Bruce Diones

New Yorker

Top Critic

I find him such a bland, pious, profoundly unthreatening little Furby of a pop idol, but little girls' celebrity crushes are not to be trifled with. And this sensationally engineered promo film makes Justin Bieber look like a true force of nature.

February 14, 2011 Full Review | Comments (5)

David Edelstein

New York Magazine

Top Critic

The movie remains so sanitized, so authorized that it never gives us credit for being able to make up our own minds about him and what he represents.

February 11, 2011 Full Review | Comments (45)

Stephen Whitty

Newark Star-Ledger

Top Critic

Bieber's unquestionably gifted, and if he's smart enough to listen to the grounded, talented folk around him, there's every reason to hope that he'll turn out to be just fine when he grows up.

February 11, 2011 Full Review | Comments (4)

Tom Charity

CNN.com

Top Critic

The movie is cunningly woven to show the tension between his insane success and his determination to remain a sane, normal 16-year-old.

February 11, 2011 Full Review

David Edelstein

NPR

Top Critic

Part biopic, part concert film and all crowd pleaser, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is a big, glossy celebration of the musical phenom that knows exactly what it needs to do to send its target audience of 'tween girls into a tizzy of giddy screams.

February 11, 2011 Full Review | Comments (2)

Christy Lemire

Associated Press

Top Critic

Something strictly for those stricken with Bieber Fever.

June 2, 2012 Full Review

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

A fun, feelgood way to spend a couple of hours, and actually has an inspiring message of what might happen if you follow your dreams.

July 14, 2011 Full Review

Lara Martin

Digital Spy

Currently I am disinterested in his music, but once he ages and is forced to start expanding on his talents, I think we might see something interesting.

May 13, 2011 Full Review

Grae Drake

Movies.com

Often loud and noisy, the movie plays like a DVD bonus item, keeping you waiting for the main feature to begin. (Blu-ray edition)

May 9, 2011 Full Review

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

...the thing it documents best is how music producers and press agents market a product.

May 9, 2011 Full Review

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

Though billed as a 3D film, it only applies to the concert footage, though it's difficult to imagine any of his fans complaining.

April 13, 2011 Full Review

Jim Schembri

The Age (Australia)

Just turning the camera on gives us a sense of the madness surrounding Bieber, who seems to have risen faster than anyone in pop music history.

April 8, 2011 Full Review | Comments (4)

Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

In spite of its airy brief as a panting PR puff piece, this engaging concert-doco takes a semi-revealing splash inside the fishbowl through which its subject sees the world.

April 8, 2011 Full Review

Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

It's a mass-marketing effort sure, but a surprisingly entertaining one.

April 8, 2011 Full Review

Glenn Dunks

Trespass

If you are at all curious about Justin Bieber the phenomenon, Never Say Never is a fascinating, eye opening and eerily emotive film.

April 6, 2011 Full Review | Comments (2)

Giles Hardie

Sydney Morning Herald

Justin Bieber's story is that of a regular kid who is living his dream. Rest assured, it is no small dream to be the headliner at New York's prestigious Madison Square Gardens, taking just 22 minutes to sell out

April 5, 2011 Full Review

Louise Keller

Urban Cinefile

Ultimately, the film is for the fans and they'll find plenty to love here. If you're not a fan, it's going to be painful.

April 5, 2011 Full Review | Comments (2)

Josh Forward

FILMINK (Australia)

We are introduced to the alchemists who looked at a talented little kid, saw dollar signs, and turned him into pure gold. Somehow, director Jon Chu is able to make their success not seem exploitative.

April 4, 2011 Full Review

Simon Miraudo

Quickflix

If you were wondering what the fuss is all about, check out this high energy 3D concert film which documents how Justin Bieber, the teen singing phenomenon, has rocketed to superstardom through social media.

April 4, 2011 Full Review

Urban Cinefile

It's 50% concert film and 50% hagiographic promotional video and 0% documentary. But that doesn't mean it's not a reasonably interesting look at how the ridiculously busted music industry functions.

April 4, 2011 Full Review | Comment (1)

Dave White

Movies.com

I have to admit I like him, enjoy his music and, more than that, I enjoyed watching his fans in 'Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.'

March 25, 2011 Full Review

Linda Cook

KWQC-TV (Iowa)

A marketmentary trying to be canny but coming off canned. The one truth slipping out of this 105-minute ad is that, at this stratospheric level of social-networked stardom, the star and his entourage float along in a bubble of total self-delusion.

March 8, 2011 Full Review

Brian Gibson

Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

I think this movie is creepy.

February 23, 2011 Full Review | Comments (17)

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Ebert Presents At The Movies

• 1. Scrappy Stassen: Justin is..uh.. a pleasure to work with... most of the time.
  – Submitted by Kacey F (15 months ago)
• 1. Justin Bieber: There's gonna be times when people tell you that you can't live your dreams, this is what I tell them, Never say never.
  – Submitted by Joannee H (21 months ago)
• 1. Himself: There's gonna be times in your life when people tell you that you cant do something.
  – Submitted by Steph M (24 months ago)
• 1. Himself: Never say never.
  – Submitted by Cassie J (2 years ago)
• 1. Himself: Can We Get Some Chicken Nuggets ? and Who Wants To Be My Baby ?!
  – Submitted by Chantelle H (2 years ago)
• 1. Himself: But I don't want to let anybody down...
  – Submitted by Jenny C (2 years ago)