Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011)

64% of critics liked it
(101 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(55,186 ratings)

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is the inspiring true story and rare inside look at the rise of Justin from street performer in the small town of Stratford, Ontario to internet phenomenon to global super star culminating with a dream sold out show at the famed Madison Square Garden in 3-D. -- (C)… More Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is the inspiring true story and rare inside look at the rise of Justin from street performer in the small town of Stratford, Ontario to internet phenomenon to global super star culminating with a dream sold out show at the famed Madison Square Garden in 3-D. -- (C) Paramount

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Rating, Runtime: G, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Jon M. Chu
Genres: Documentary, Drama, Musical & Performing Arts

In Theaters: Feb 11, 2011 Wide
On DVD: May 13, 2011
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Bruce Diones, New Yorker
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.
David Edelstein, New York Magazine
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.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
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.
Tom Charity, CNN.com
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.
David Edelstein, NPR
The movie is cunningly woven to show the tension between his insane success and his determination to remain a sane, normal 16-year-old.
Christy Lemire, Associated Press
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.
Lara Martin, Digital Spy
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.
Grae Drake, Movies.com
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.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
Often loud and noisy, the movie plays like a DVD bonus item, keeping you waiting for the main feature to begin. (Blu-ray edition)
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...the thing it documents best is how music producers and press agents market a product.
Jim Schembri, The Age (Australia)
Though billed as a 3D film, it only applies to the concert footage, though it's difficult to imagine any of his fans complaining.
Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald
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.
Leigh Paatsch, Herald Sun (Australia)
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.
Glenn Dunks, Trespass
It's a mass-marketing effort sure, but a surprisingly entertaining one.
Giles Hardie, Sydney Morning Herald
If you are at all curious about Justin Bieber the phenomenon, Never Say Never is a fascinating, eye opening and eerily emotive film.
Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile
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
Josh Forward, FILMINK (Australia)
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.
Simon Miraudo, Quickflix
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.
, Urban Cinefile
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.
Dave White, Movies.com
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.

Read all 24 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Joseph M

Either love him or hate him after watching this film you cannot help but to be inspired by Bieber's rise to fame, from peforming outside his local theater to four years later, selling out Madison Square Gardens. If you however are a die hard hater of Justin after this you… More
Either love him or hate him after watching this film you cannot help but to be inspired by Bieber's rise to fame, from peforming outside his local theater to four years later, selling out Madison Square Gardens. If you however are a die hard hater of Justin after this you probably won't change your perspective on him. With him doing stuff we all love to hate ie ~ A slow motion 3D hairflick. If you however willing to give it a go you will come out presently suprised like I was....
Reid V

Never
Michael E

I have no problem with Bieber and his music and I thought that this movie was pretty decent for a concert tour/documentary.
Bently L

The music industry has drastically changed. Every song talks about partying hard, booze, and hooking up with chicks and is all smothered in Auto-Tune. That just proves that people can't sing anymore Good music is dead and artists like Adelle and Mumford & Sons want to bring… More
The music industry has drastically changed. Every song talks about partying hard, booze, and hooking up with chicks and is all smothered in Auto-Tune. That just proves that people can't sing anymore Good music is dead and artists like Adelle and Mumford & Sons want to bring that good age of music back. Sadly, everyone loves this Young Money, Ke$ha, and Pitbull trash. However, they all seem bash Justin Bieber as if he was Hitler. He is a 17 year old kid from Canada who posted his singing work on Youtube. This then gets the attention of Scooter Braun, Usher, and soon the world. This documentary tells his story. The film features Step Up director, John Chu, and his camera crew as they follow Bieber on the ten days leading up to his monumental Madison Square Garden concert in NYC. We get a look at his family, early gigs, his Youtube videos, celebrities' reactions to him, and almost everything you want to know about this prodigy among tweens in 90 minutes. The film is literally every Bieber fan's dream. We get glimpses of his infancy, toddler years, and what girls faint at: a shirtless Justin Bieber. Every other girl on your block may know about this kid. I'll admit that I do have one of his songs on my iPod. But many people just hate this dude. People trash this film on IMDB and give it a 1.4/10. I've read many cold things on the film here on RT. The funniest was, "Save yourself $14 by going to Wikipedia". This film could change the way you look at this kid. He works his backside off and never says "never". Anyone who pans this film are unemployed losers who still live with their parents. I'm just guessing. This is a well-put together documentary. Paramount wanted to make the haters "beliebers" as the kids say. The clips used we'll surprise you on how diligent this kid is. Trust me. He sounds much better acoustic. I don't get psyched about documentaries but this does deserve a 70% in my opinion. Its well put together and could inspire. Watch this if you: -Want to know more about Bieber -Are a kid who wants to get into the music industry but feels hopeless about doing it -Wants to boost self-esteem Justin Bieber is just another kid who wants to follow his dreams. I've heard better (Aretha Franklin) and I've heard worse (Rebecca Black). I still respect this kid even though I don't obsess over him. If you don't like this kid, thats okay with me. Just don't bully him on Youtube and Facebook and call him "gay" and "untalented" and pushing dislike buttons 4200 infinity times. That is called cyber-bullying and you don't want to end up like Jessie Slaughter. This is still a good quality film. The only disadvantage is that we get a lot of looks at his creepy overly-devoted fans. I'll never be one of those. Please respect my opinion. Thank you. "ATL, shawty!" Please access this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVLmC8Motfg
Emile T

Involuntarily fascinating for the life of extreme fame, with a hypocrite message of hope and, at the center, a star whose unbelievable life overcomes the interest we could have in this pretencious boy who will grow up as an asshole. This documentary is interesting in a way, but I… More
Involuntarily fascinating for the life of extreme fame, with a hypocrite message of hope and, at the center, a star whose unbelievable life overcomes the interest we could have in this pretencious boy who will grow up as an asshole. This documentary is interesting in a way, but I can't give any credit to it, for it's all about the surface of Bieber's life, trying to hide the inconvinients of such a life. But it's when you can manage to see these ugly faces of stardom that this piece of money-grabbing opportunist film becomes fascinating.
Claire L

Went to the early sneak peek preview! I LOVED the movie. And I'm not one of those die hard Bieber fans, but i'm a fan lol. The 3D was really good, especially compared to like Avatar and stuff. The movie could have been longer, it felt pretty short, but I still loved it.… More
Went to the early sneak peek preview! I LOVED the movie. And I'm not one of those die hard Bieber fans, but i'm a fan lol. The 3D was really good, especially compared to like Avatar and stuff. The movie could have been longer, it felt pretty short, but I still loved it. Definitely going to go watch it again and again, and then get it when it comes out on DVD! It was sort of like a concert in a sense, but it was way better than the Miley Cyrus Concert Movie. It talked about his life and it actually had some sort of a plot to it. But definitely go watch it!!!
Kellie M

Absolutely loved it. I was already a belieber, and now I'm an even bigger fan. It makes you laugh, almost made me cry, and all around, he's such a charming kid. Recommend it to all ;)
DOCTOR P

"Never Say Never" No one told Bieber never, they told him he sucked and apparently that caused him to bring the world this film. Overall is there much that can be said about why this movie is bad, it would be like trying to explain how bad crap smells like, why bother… More
"Never Say Never" No one told Bieber never, they told him he sucked and apparently that caused him to bring the world this film. Overall is there much that can be said about why this movie is bad, it would be like trying to explain how bad crap smells like, why bother it's easy to figure out why.
Matthew R

My seven year-old niece dragged me along with my aunt, and nephew to see this thing. And yes I had no intent in seeing this but making her happy was at least a small comfort, and it's not like this film is getting abhorred reviews so I went and I paid (God damn 3D). But… More
My seven year-old niece dragged me along with my aunt, and nephew to see this thing. And yes I had no intent in seeing this but making her happy was at least a small comfort, and it's not like this film is getting abhorred reviews so I went and I paid (God damn 3D). But before I go on I want to make clear, I'm not going to come on here and bash Justin Bieber because that's obviously been done uninterruptedly. Instead, I'm going to say what I saw in a non-bias approach (I may slip once or twice). Anywho, this film is a look in Justin's personal life and how he prepares to perform in front of a sold out crowd in Madison Square Garden. We go as far back as when he was a child, making videos on YouTube showing off his talent doing cover songs by artists like Chris Brown and Ne-Yo. To think this kid made it as big as he's made it in only three years is insane. As for the 3D, it's the absolute worst 3D film I have ever seen. Even worse than The Last Airbender, which I found blinding. Only the scenes with him in the concert and the text are in 3D, the rest is just in regular 2D. This is the kind of thing that really pisses me off. Of course they knew they couldn't re-master old clips into the new 3D technology, so let's enhance the footage of him in MSG a bit more to make it slightly in the third dimension, and add some clips made exclusively for this film, great way to scam more money out of us, fuckin pricks. I found this out because every fifteen to twenty minutes I remove the glasses to blink a few times, and to relax my eyes so they don't become fatigued or irritated. I happened to do it on a scene where it's an interview and I discovered what I was watching wasn't even in real 3D. The concert in all is entertainingly lame, is there such a description? I found it rather pointless because this is the beginning of his life, why do we need to see it in the making? Though he is big now, I can put a bet on it in ten years, maybe five, people will be saying "who the hell is that?" when his name is mentioned. He'll live in the moment and fade out like many others, it happens. We don't need a concert showcasing his life in the making, we need to see it when he dies or when he goes into retirement. Not right at the beginning of his career. As for Bieber himself, plain and simple; I don't love the kid, I don't hate him either, though I do respect him. I must give the kid credit for doing all of this before he even reaches the title of "adult". Whether I like what someone has to offer or not, if they are a few years younger than me or a few years older than me, I support what they are trying to get across. I do have some sympathy for him but he should know as well, if you want to be in the spotlight, deal with the consequences and that's transpiring to him now. The thing that I laughed about was the girls in the film at a concert of his literally crying their adolescent/teeny bopper eyes out. My laugh was an interesting one because it's a shock to me that girls are genuinely moved by his music. Trying not to judge but, it looks like a douchebag singing like a cat (Too harsh?). In the end, Never Say Never was actually worth the admission because one, it made my niece happy. Two, a crowd of girls were dancing in the theater behind us (which I didn't notice until my cousin pointed it out near the end), and three, getting to laugh at all the Bieber fans on screen. I would not recommend it to someone looking for an overall, well-made film though. Story: C Acting: B- Direction: C Visuals: D+ Overall: C ** out of 4 stars
Palmer R

I saw this film in a rare instance when I couldn't find anything else to watch on TV. And to be honest, I wanted to see for myself exactly what all the hype was about about good ol' Biebster (who's actually almost a year older than me, TAH DAH). Now, for anyone who… More
I saw this film in a rare instance when I couldn't find anything else to watch on TV. And to be honest, I wanted to see for myself exactly what all the hype was about about good ol' Biebster (who's actually almost a year older than me, TAH DAH). Now, for anyone who hasn't exactly been keeping up with the news, Justin Bieber is a Canadian pop singer who is, at the time of writing, the most famous teenager on the planet. And to a great deal of people, he has it all: money, fame, and millions of girls his age pining for him. Of course, being a heterosexual teenage guy, I admit that I'm not too fond of the Bieberina. I'll have to say though, this movie was fascinating. In a bad way. The funniest thing is that it's pretty obvious that it took the most time to make Bieber look like he was destined to be the way he is now. As it turns out, he is, but not in the way that the makers of this film intended. He's portrayed as an uber-talented virtuoso of music, and should be hailed as the next Beatle, despite the fact that it attempts to prove this by showing a tiny Bieber playing drums, and he gets better and better the more recent the home videos provided by his mother gets. I'm not going to explain the flaw there. All of his crew, and especially some of the youngest and sluttiest tween girls I've ever seen, rave about him, but offer nothing except for something like "HEEEEEEEE'SSSSS SOOOOOOO CUTTTEEEEEEEEE." Bieber can sing, and Bieber can play musical instruments, and he's talented, more than me by far, but the question that never gets answered is: why exactly was this made? Bieber hasn't changed music at all, and he's like the Obama of entertainment: using modern technology to promote something that has already existed. Other metrosexual pop singers like N'Sync and Aaron Carter have already beaten him to the game, and they aren't any better than he is. It also shows a sadder truth: Bieber's fame has gone to his head. And he did have an extremely good childhood, and his worst actual issue is that his father abandoned him, and then suddenly reappeared in his life, "Talladega Nights" style, right when he gets famous. Bieberworld revolves around Bieber, and his crew and ALL those girls just stoke the old ego even more. There's actually two home videos that do the best to prove this. In one, I'm guessing he's about six, he's playing the drums, and suddenly, it's another video, and he's about eight, playing them again. In the first one, he still looks like a kid. In the second one, he's dressed in a hoodie and cap, doing the "white boy urban" style, with an arrogant sneer on his face. Expanding on that, his family's actually worse. They rave on and on about how great he is, but they're describing things ALL kids generally do. His mother's the worst: looking like a reject from one of those "Real Housewives" shows, with the classic "valley girl" expression of slack stupidity on her face, plus the voice. Don't forget deadbeat dad, who looks like a Jersey Shore addict, and actually looking like a stereotypical douchebag. With parents like that, it's no surprise that Bieber is now stuck up. Watching all of this unfold is the interesting part. You see how one guy can turn rotten from a amazing life. You see the girls screaming at him, the fame, the glory, and it messes him up. And if this was anyone else, say "Joe Schmoe: Never Say Never," you'd have the same movie, made by greedy corporate executives for a little cash. Add the subtle Christian values to the movie (at one point, they get in a circle and say grace, despite the fact that his manager (looking like a clone copy of his dad) is Jewish. Good old Biebster. So if you're a teenage guy like me, and not upper class, you may want to see this movie to see how the role model for the popular kids at school operates. You will see the complete moral bottom of American teenage-hood on that stage with him, and you're gonna wonder how we've stooped so low. You're going to hate this movie, but you're gonna hate it saying "The fuck just happened?"
Bradley J

Though the first 10 minutes will appeal mostly to the screaming girl audience, as the movie progresses the more you enjoy the adventures Justin takes. Never Say Never is inspirational, and will appeal to fans and make new fans. Overall Rating:69
Bryce I

It's not an inspiring documentary, and is mainly just a money grabber so you can see home videos of an unnecessary teen idol. But the 3D was quite well done compared to most, and for it's running time, it is intriguing entertainment.
Jeff B

Perhaps, some readers will suggest that this reviewer has developed a touch of Bieber Fever (think: Beatlemania for the MTV2 Generation) when they read this rather positive review of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. The truth is, Bieber's story can't help but kinda sorta wow… More
Perhaps, some readers will suggest that this reviewer has developed a touch of Bieber Fever (think: Beatlemania for the MTV2 Generation) when they read this rather positive review of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. The truth is, Bieber's story can't help but kinda sorta wow moviegoers. For this terminally cynical reviewer, some of this curio's good marks come from the fact that someday, it could very well provide the fascinating coda to a Has-Been's Behind the Music special just as well as it could be the preamble to a superstar career. Regardless, rarely has a musical phenom rocketed up the charts to selling out Madison Square Garden within a year AND had his younger days so well documented with B-Roll. Thankfully for parents, most of the concert footage is limited to the showboating finale. In this G-rated 3D documentary, the meteoritic rise to stardom of pop star Bieber is re-recreated through archival video and home movies alongside real concert footage. Love or hate Bieber's music, there's no denying his musicianship. From a young age, the star-to-be showed remarkable talent-period. Oh, it's a spit-shined and polished effort, mind (the footage and interviews are all complimentary of the artist with all of the forced cock-eyed optimism that a G-rating can afford and the actual drama - gasp, Justin has a sore throat! - is dubious), but the saccharine sells through this literal dream-come-true. The star cameos (Usher, LA Reid, Jaden Smith, Miley Cyrus) are welcome distractions, but the concert-heavy third act can be downright distressing if you're not a screaming teenager. Bottom line: The kid's alright.
Nathan C

A movie that is 60% decent documantary and 40% screeching fangirls. Ugh.
Angel G

In magazines they say: "Is Justin Bieber up for an Academy Award", NO, it wont get and Oscar, and its not even a documentary, its just a concert film for Justin Bieber fans. But its more than that, it has this interesting story, on what happen with his childhood and his… More
In magazines they say: "Is Justin Bieber up for an Academy Award", NO, it wont get and Oscar, and its not even a documentary, its just a concert film for Justin Bieber fans. But its more than that, it has this interesting story, on what happen with his childhood and his life, and I think it was much more better and important than see the pop star sing with screaming fans. I am NOT a fan of him, but seeing what he went through was emotional and insipring. Now, despite the good procces of the story, the emotional parts, its 3D, and how his life turn around, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is not a documentary, more of a concert film for fans, it never shows something MORE important, it should of been: more of the stroy, less the concert and the fans, it first starts off emotional, but the singin and seeing him is just by poorly annoying for me and me in a theater full of screaming girls is not a good option, so saw it in my computer. The film is strictly for Justin Beiber fans.
Juan C

let me begin by saying that this is not only the worst movie of the year, oh no, as a matter of fact, it's the worst movie ever made! this movie really blows and why do we need to see a movie about this guy, and in 3-D?!?!? it's like watching the last airbender and alvin and… More
let me begin by saying that this is not only the worst movie of the year, oh no, as a matter of fact, it's the worst movie ever made! this movie really blows and why do we need to see a movie about this guy, and in 3-D?!?!? it's like watching the last airbender and alvin and the chipmunks together, being forced to watch them again and again and again with injustice and torture! this is one movie that i wish not to take ever again, never! F
Andrew P

I have always been quite open to Justin Bieber, never really understood people who hated his guts, and for those people of course they will hate this movie, but in reality what you have here is a very decent documentary. It's basically the first chapter of his career, his rise to… More
I have always been quite open to Justin Bieber, never really understood people who hated his guts, and for those people of course they will hate this movie, but in reality what you have here is a very decent documentary. It's basically the first chapter of his career, his rise to stardom, and these are the moments I found most interesting. His genuine musical talent, the reasons all of his fans love him. I was a generation ahead of the Beliebers, so if anything this documentary made me see why he is as huge as he is, and he deserves it. Sure the musical performances slow down the pace and feel unwanted at times, but that's what the audience wanted to see. It's not perfect and it follows every clichÃ (C) in the book, feeling like an elongated reality show V.T at times, but overall it's a watch-able and informative movie about the kid, and I'm not ashamed to say I slightly enjoyed it!
Robert F

3 stars.
Lord N

Watched at the behest of Irukandji as petty petty revenge for Slumber Party Massacre. Also a few moths late. Well this is a documentary so my normal format will not suffice here. So, this documentary came out, what, a year or so after he became big? Well, to me that's too… More
Watched at the behest of Irukandji as petty petty revenge for Slumber Party Massacre. Also a few moths late. Well this is a documentary so my normal format will not suffice here. So, this documentary came out, what, a year or so after he became big? Well, to me that's too soon. I think they should have waited until he...became a little less big. Not to sound heartless or anything. But just having his early life and his rise doesn't cut it to me. I'd say that he would have needed to wait at least 10-15 years before they did something like this. This is too soon for me. Well on to Bieber himself, the kid is undeniably talented particularly with drums. That is clearly evident. He definitely has God given talent. On a talent scale overall I would rate him at a...9/10. He's a decent singer but not too perfect. Does his talent warrant the kind of screaming fan attention that he gets? Maybe. Well, actually nobody deserves that. He deserves a loyal fan-base, but those girls just need to calm the heck down. Yes he's good but openly weeping with tears of pure joy at the mere sight of him is too much. I never had much experience with him. I don't think I've heard many if any of his songs so I have a pretty neutral opinion on the guy. I never got into the group that hates his guts. but the guy is very popular and he knows it. but he seems like a nice enough guy if a little big-headed occasionally. Now, on to the movie itself. It was interesting but it just got so boring after a while because it was so repetitive. You could have cut out half an hour off of that movie and still have it say exactly the same thing that it did. It was overly long and I just got bored halfway through. When was this gonna end!?!? I found myself thinking. Eventually it did end as all movies must. It was a 3-D movie too which confused me. It just goes to show that film-makers don't really know what to do with 3-D. There were only a few seconds in the film that could be 3-D. Why do they do this!? Long story short, It was overly long, the second half was really boring (and if I watched the first half again right now that would be boring too) and it hardly has a real story to it. It's a one hour and 45 minute long movie and only 35-40 minutes of that has a story to it. Most of it is exposition. It was simply a camera crew following him around for a while. it was okay at first but it got boring. Would I suggest this to anyone? Well...no. No I wouldn't unless you like Bieber. Final Score: 25/40 62% (M) Tomatometer rating: 64% Tomatometer rating if my review was added: 65% No trivia for this film...I should knock off a few points for that....