The 'hubris' of Justin Bieber's documentary
The 16-year-old pop sensation is documenting his meteoric rise to stardom — in a 3D film, no less

The video: Does the relatively brief life of 16-year-old pop idol, Justin Bieber, merit a 3D documentary film? (Watch the rousing trailer below.) Bieber, who's been called the "biggest pop star ever launched by YouTube," apparently thinks so. On top of his recently released best-selling memoir (watch a dramatic reading here), the well-coiffed singer is documenting his life story in a 3D movie called Never Say Never, hitting theaters on Valentine's Day weekend 2011. Judging from the teaser, the film promises vintage shots from his childhood, concert footage, and unrestrained fan testimonials.
The reaction: This trailer is "ridiculous," says Katla McGlynn at The Huffington Post. Wasn't his memoir "enough indication of Justin Bieber's hubris"? I wouldn't say that, says Eric Ditzian at MTV.com. It uses "an interesting narrative technique, one with both points of convergence to, and deviation from, previous concert doc trailers." The film's "never give up on your dreams" message is commendable, says Krystal Clark at ScreenCrave, but Bieber's young fans need a reality check: He isn't another John Lennon, guys. Check out the trailer:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
September 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-war
Talking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle