Steven Tyler: Out on a Limb (2018)
*** (out of 4)
Aerosmith is one of the greatest bands in the history of rock and roll but the past twenty-years have been rather hit and miss with a lack of new albums, fighting between the members and here recently Steven Tyler seeming to be more interested in other things that don't have anything to do with the band. Fans were against his American Idol stint and they were against him when he decided to release a solo country album.
This documentary takes a look at Tyler and a show he put on in Nashville. Throughout the documentary we get behind-the-scenes clips of Tyler working, interviews with him and those around him as well as footage from the actual concert. Director Casey Tebo also serves as the narrator as he and the film try to explain to you why Tyler is the greatest human being to ever live on the planet Earth.
Yeah, that last bit was a tad bit over-dramatic but I must say that this film beats the viewer over the head trying to force them into believing that Tyler is a great man and does nothing but great things. Look, I've been a fan of Aerosmith for decades and I've seen them live on a dozen times and I have countless shirts, concerts, CDs and everything else. I was one who was against Tyler doing "solo" work instead of stuff with the band.
With all of that being said, STEVEN TYLER: OUT ON A LIMB is going to appeal to fans of Aerosmith because, well, it's Tyler and if you love the band then you love him. There's no doubt that he's fun to listen to and there's no question that the concert footage here was good, including the altered versions of several Aerosmith classics.
The problem I had with the film is the fact that it is so hellbent on making sure the viewer knows how great Tyler is. As I said earlier, there was some pretty bad press from band mates, other artists and fans when Tyler decided to do this and I honestly felt that this documentary was a response to that and the filmmakers trying to beg people to see things from a different point of view.
The film spends way too much time talking about how nice and great Tyler is. We get countless stories about this and then there are several digs at Aerosmith including a bit with the director saying he never saw the five of them going to dinner together. We hear about Tyler sending text messages checking on people. We hear about Tyler helping carry luggage into venues. We hear all sorts of stories that will have your blood sugar rising if you're a diabetic.
Again, the concert footage is great and fans are going to enjoy seeing Tyler but at the same time the film is just so strong in its way of presenting Tyler that you can't help but feel that it's a promotional bit and nothing more.
