[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B00JLJ0AZ6″]Not just another concert movie, Made in America is an exploration and celebration of achieving the American Dream. Director Ron Howard, not known for his work on documentaries, took his cameras to the 2012 Made in America Festival in Philadelphia. Founded by Jay-Z, the concert is brimming with talent of types—from Jill Scott to a reunion of the remaining members of Run-DMC—but the focus isn’t on the performances, but the inspirational power of music.

While many of the other artists get a moment to tell their personal stories, there’s no denying that Jay-Z is the star. His story is an impressive one, going from a drug dealer to Grammy winning, multi-hyphenate music mogul. In one scene, he visits his old Brooklyn apartment which sits just blocks away from the Barclays Center, a $4 billion stadium that he was set to open later that month.

While Jay’s story is the embodiment of the American dream, he’s treated as a near mythic figure here, and it tends to be a bit much. He’s a man who’s gotten a lot of press coverage over the last decade or so, meaning most of his story is already out there. More time with the other artists and their stories might have resulted in a more interesting documentary. Nonetheless, Jay’s undeniable charisma makes him highly watchable and his efforts to help the City of Brotherly Love are commendable.

Ron Howard proves to be adept both behind and in front of the camera. Footage of the artists performing is beautifully shot, and not surprisingly, his interviewing style is completely natural. Considering all the years Ron Howard spent as an actor, on camera time is second nature to him. At one point, Howard visits Lillian, an elderly woman who lives in the area. She knows who Jay-Z and Beyoncé are, but is concerned about the noise and mess the concert crowd will create.

Obviously, Made in America doesn’t have near enough time to truly address the nation’s problems, but it does a fairly effective job of capturing the disaffection in the country and how music can help in the rebuilding process. It’s all slightly banal but well meaning. Fans of concert videos may be a bit disappointed that Made in America isn’t a straight concert film, but along the way it offers interviews with the artists, vendors, and others, and their determination to capture a slice of the American dream.

Presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Made in America sports a high level of detail throughout. The overall quality is high, whether it’s an onstage performance or an interview. There are no anomalies whatsoever.

The audio is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, which allows for dynamic sound. Bass is full and rich. Crowd noise, ambient sounds and dialogue are clean throughout.

English SDH subtitles are included.

No extras are available.