Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Some cursing, drinking in inspiring music docu.
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Beastie Boys Story
What's the Story?
In BEASTIE BOYS STORY, Beastie Boys members Mike D. (Michael Diamond) and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) tell the story of the ups and downs of one of the most iconic musical acts of the last 40 years. Diamond and Horovitz reflect on their meteoric rise from their beginnings as goofy New York City punk rock and hip-hop-obsessed teenagers and their meteoric rise to fame as their debut album, License to Ill, became one of the fastest selling albums of all time. They talk about the perils of their success at such a young age, and how they struggled to outgrow their public image as obnoxious hedonists. As they explain their reinvention as a creative force in the 1990s with such classic albums as Check Your Head and Ill Communication, and classic songs like "Sabotage" and "So What'Cha Want," Diamond and Horovitz pay their respects to Adam Yauch (MCA), the third member of Beastie Boys, who died of cancer in 2012.
Is It Any Good?
As much as anything else, this is a movie about best friendship, growing up in public, and the love of music. It's presented as a kind of Ted Talk in front of a live audience, only instead of some turtlenecked technocrat waxing philosophical about world problems while over-gesticulating their hands, it's Mike D. and Ad-Rock reflecting from their middle-aged vantage points on the highs and lows of their careers. Like Beastie Boys themselves, this documentary is often hilarious, and this overview is remarkably comprehensive, considering the vast evolution that happened collectively and individually over the course of their existence.
Unsurprisingly, Diamond and Horovitz devote considerable time to the role the late Adam Yauch (MCA) played in the band, and through their stories, Yauch comes across as a creative force, enigma, and someone with a profound love of life and adventure, whether it be venturing into a near-empty punk club to see Bad Brains as a teenager, or in meeting the Dalai Lama and becoming a champion for Tibetan independence later in life. For aspiring musicians, Beastie Boys Story is also an inspiring glimpse into the creative process of Beastie Boys, and how they found ways to incorporate their myriad musical influences into their own sound.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about music documentaries. How does Beastie Boys Story is compare to other music documentaries you've seen?
How does the movie address how it's easy for celebrities, especially younger celebrities, to turn into self-parodies? How did Beastie Boys escape this trap that initially brought them great success?
What does the movie show about the band's creative process and how that process evolved over the years?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 24, 2020
- Cast : Adam Horovitz , Mike D. , Adam Yauch
- Director : Spike Jonze
- Studio : Apple TV / Apple Original Films
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Activism , Friendship , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 119 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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