‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ Film Review

Feature Photo: Bruce Alan Bennett / Shutterstock.com

As a longtime Led Zeppelin fan, seeing the lack of post-Led Zeppelin releases has been frustrating. There’s a simple explanation for that—the band did not often film its performances, and most of the tracks they recorded were released on their albums. There are few outtakes, rare cuts, or unreleased gems. Jimmy Page has pretty much released anything in the vaults on the remastered editions that came out in 2013.
A couple of live albums have been released, like Live at the BBC and How the West Was Won, both of which were phenomenal, as well as Celebration Day. There was also the fantastic and phenomenal DVD set Led Zeppelin, but for the most part, there hasn’t been much new material for a band that many, including us, feel is the greatest rock band of all time.
I was one of the lucky ones who got to see Led Zeppelin back in 1977, and as I’ve said so many times before on this website, it was like seeing God. With all that said, fans like myself have been extremely excited about the release of the new film Becoming Led Zeppelin. And let me tell you, my rock and roll friends, it does not disappoint.
Becoming Led Zeppelin was released in Imax Theaters yesterday, February 7, 2025. Living on Long Island, there are not many theaters that are showing this film right now, so that’s a bit frustrating, but I would have driven through rain, sleet, snow, and volcanic eruptions to see this film.
This film isn’t just another documentary—it’s a pilgrimage. It captures the birth of a legend, weaving together rare video footage, fresh and archival interviews, and a treasure trove of photos, memorabilia, and more. If you ever wished you could have been there when it all began, this might be as close as you’ll ever get.
But pulling this off was no small feat. As I previously stated, Zeppelin wasn’t exactly fond of cameras. Because of that, early performance footage is scarce—grainy TV appearances, a few shaky fan-shot clips, and their electrifying 1970 show at London’s Royal Albert Hall captured by the BBC. That footage alone is enough to send chills down your spine. Director Bernard MacMahon and his team knew they had to work with scraps, but what they did with those scraps is nothing short of magic. They’ve blended never-before-seen period photos, vintage newsreels, and concert footage from the golden age of rock into something that makes Zeppelin feel alive again. And the real kicker? They unearthed an unheard audio interview with John Bonham—a guy who almost never spoke to the press. Hearing Bonzo’s voice again after all these years? That alone is worth the price of admission.
This wasn’t a rush job. According to writer and producer Allison McGourty, the team spent five years chasing down every attic, basement, and forgotten reel they could find, tracking down rare film footage, unseen photographs, and lost recordings. They didn’t just dig it up—they restored it with painstaking precision, making sure these 55-year-old artifacts would explode off the IMAX screen like they were fresh out of the lab. The effort paid off. The result isn’t just a documentary—it’s a resurrection.
The film wastes no time lingering in nostalgia—it moves fast, dropping us right into the band members’ early years. But the real story begins when Page and bassist John Paul Jones cross paths in the ’60s during their time as session musicians, while Plant and Bonham were already thick as thieves—lifelong friends bound by music before they even knew their fate.
Then came August 1968. The Yardbirds had imploded, and Page was on a mission to form something new. He was tipped off about some singer named Robert Plant, who brought Bonham along, and when Jones got wind of Page’s search, he threw his hat into the ring. And then, it happened. The four of them walked into a tiny London studio, plugged in, and as Jones puts it in the film, “The room just exploded.” when John says those words you just you just feel chills, because you know what happens next.
It’s the moment Becoming Led Zeppelin captures so well—the instant four guys walked into a room and walked out as legends. It may sound like a Hollywood Story, but it’s as real as it gets. This film is a time machine for those who lived through the era. For those who didn’t, it’s an invitation to witness the birth of the greatest rock band ever to walk the earth. Either way, you don’t just watch this film—you feel it. It brings you back to wishing you were 16 years old again. Even more importantly for people who are 16 now, it’s the definite statement to show why this band mattered so much to us, how it helped us fall in love with rock and roll, and how nothing on this Earth can make us feel like we do when the music is this perfect.