Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey (2013)

Don't Believe the Hype

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey (2012) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Yes, there was a band called Journey before Steve Perry and there was one after. However, what came after Perry left the band didn't really have people lining up to buy massive amounts of tickets but that all changed when the band found Arnel Pineda on YouTube of all places. DON'T STOP BELIEVIN': EVERYMAN'S JOURNEY is an extremely entertaining documentary and I'd be willing to bet that even those who hate the band will find some entertainment to be had here. I will freely admit that I skipped seeing Journey several times because they didn't have Perry but after watching this documentary I went to see the band and they certainly lived up to the hype created in this film. It's pretty remarkable and nearly unbelievable to see how this band changed forms over the decades and especially the great fortune they found when Pineda popped up on YouTube. Hearing the original band members talk about where the band was headed is interesting and what's most interesting is that they all freely and willingly give credit to the "new edition" for bringing in more fans. As for Pineda, it's rather remarkable to see him go from dirty clubs to selling out stadiums in the matter of months and his "journey" to being a rock star is something that's just so hard to believe that if you saw it in a regular movie you'd demand your money back. The film goes into some good detail about the entire history of the band but the most fascinating moments show what happens before concerts where we get to see the band traveling on the tour bus, messing around backstage and of course getting ready for shows.

I am a massive Journey fan...have been for decades, they are probably my favourite rock group of all time. Only in the last two months did I finally get the chance to see them live for the first time and lead singer Arnel Pineda was awesome! He wasn't Steve Perry but so what! He was entertaining and despite a few minor things that will likely change with experience he brought a new vitality to the group. Don't Stop Believin' chronicles his incredible fairytale journey from his third world home to a rock superstar. Its a nice and heartwarming story and in order to fill in the two hour running time they add in a little bit of history about the rest of the band as well. Unfortunately, jumping from Pineda's story to the rest of the band and then back again makes the documentary feel just a little bit disjointed. It will still touch you to see where he came from and his background and then how the legendary group found him and just how talented he is. Much of the film is subtitled in Pineda's own language which really added to his story to see him and his roots. My biggest issue with this film was I didn't think they really captured "JOURNEY." It lacked the soul and power behind the group. When they played any of the music, it was tiny little clips that didn't go beyond one line give or take. I guess I wanted MORE music and MORE about them touring and their lives.I'm not sure the documentary needed to be nearly two hours long because by the latter half of the film it felt like they were covering the exact same stuff they had in the first part of the movie with new clips. Director Ramona S. Diaz has some experience with documentaries but I would hazard to guess that she isn't a rabid Journey fan. I think someone with more experience in the music industry with a passion for the music might have been able to capture what the band is all about just a little more. Still, this is meant to focus on Pineda and his incredible story and there is no doubt there are some really emotional scenes that will touch you deeply. I think the best part of the film was seeing just how genuine Arnel Pineda seems to be. He is humble and passionate and you can see in his face just how much he appreciates everything he has gone through. I also realize that this is a hard rock band and 99% of the fans are 40+ likely, at least 30+ but the very few curse words was unnecessary and changed the documentary from being a PG to an R which is unfortunate.Anyone that loves music, or a true life rags to riches story will appreciate and enjoy Don't Stop Believin' Its well made and well documented and certainly showcases each and every member of Journey. I very much enjoyed hearing each one of them discuss the fame and the life they lead. It was fascinating to hear the older members of the band talk about the life and you can just see how much they have learnt and their passion and genuine personalities too. Its a heart felt film that could have just been a little more in depth in regards to the music. The biggest thing I took away from this film is my love for Journey is now exponential because I feel like Arnel Pineda is such an amazing individual who is genuinely passionate about what he does. There are some sincere and very touching moments that almost brought a tear to my eye. Definitely worth seeing for Journey fans or rock lovers! 8/10

Is there any song more American than "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey? It concluded The Soprano's, it's the theme song of the Chicago White Sox, and has achieved enormous notoriety in film and television. It is, essentially, one of the best rock songs ever written by one of the best rock bands ever formed, Journey. It also begins the new documentary about Journey, titled Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey, centering around Arnel Pineda, the new Filipino lead singer of the band.After Journey's lead singer Steve Perry left the band in 1998, the gang was scrambling to find a new voice. After a few replacements, temporary and official, they settle on a Filipino man named Arnel Pineda, who lead guitarist Neal Schon found on Youtube after spending hours searching for a new possible frontman. Pineda discovered that several dozens of Youtube videos had been posted of him singing with his coverband called "The Zoo." When Schon stumbled up his cover of "Faithfully," and continued watching additional Journey songs, as well as Survivor and Aerosmith, he knew he found their guy. The problem was, could it work? The hardest part about replacing a member of a classic rock band, the lead singer, nonetheless, is that the fans of the music want the sound, style, and rhythm to stay the same. How would fans respond to Journey's choice to make a short, Filipino man from a third-world country their lead singer? The documentary shows the hesitance from the fan-members, including the obligatory racist remarks Pineda got when he first signed on with the band. "I'm not cute; I'm short, I'm so Asian," a self-conscious Pineda states. He recalls his first concert in 2008 in Chile, in front of thousands of people, with pinpoint detail to how he felt that specific night. Before the concert, he states, his lips were trembling, his heartbeat was slowing, his voice and breathing became faint, and everything "was moving in slow-motion." Until he got up on stage and sung his heart out, along with jumping wildly and running from the opposite ends of the stage. It showed the band that not only was Pineda bringing his amazing voice and talent to the table, but also, his kinetic energy and charisma.In many ways, Arnel Pineda reminds me of the singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez, who was profiled in Searching for Sugar Man, which won Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars this past year. The film concerned the immense popularity of a singer named Rodriguez in South Africa, which lead to two filmmakers researching the man's roots in America, where he became reclusive and part of the obscure when he realized his albums did nothing but fail in his homeland. Pineda and Rodriguez have the same kind of personality; they're somewhat shy, self-conscious, modest, and beyond charismatic.The documentary shows how the band has been affected with Arnel Pineda now leading the iconic group, and it seems that it couldn't have been more positive in terms of popularity. We see how Journey is playing in different parts of the world now, and that there is a stunning influx of Filipino attendees at their concerts now. One wonders if it's still necessarily politically correct to refer to the band as the all American rock band.I fell in love with Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey, not just because of the inclusion of unforgettable tunes such as "Anyway You Want It" and "Separate Ways," but mainly because of the likability of Pineda, and how the group currently functions with him. He's such a talented, brave soul, who wandered the streets of Manila to be the lead singer of a larger-than-life rock band. Documentaries are known for shedding light on smaller, more overlooked areas in a big world, and in that case, Pineda's story needed to be told. If you don't experience an emotional resonance with Pineda or his story during the final sequence, where he belts out "Don't Stop Believin'" to an incalculable crowd, you may have the inability to be moved.Starring: Arnel Pineda, Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Jonathan Cain, and Deen Castronovo. Directed by: Ramona Diaz.

"People think we're whining or crying about success if we're just really trying to tell you that there's some intense pressures and really some things that could be helped"; these are words of Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam, stated three days after the death of his contemporary Kurt Cobain in 1994. The pressures in the music industry that Vedder is talking about are really well exposed, like few other times, in this documentary, which turns to be something interesting even when it's mainly just for the Journey fan (and that's something I'm infinitely far from being). We have a great take on music as a business. Journey is a band that began in the seventies in San Francisco, with a progressive rock that took them to be compared with the Grateful Dead – the lead guitarist, Neal Schon, had been working with Carlos Santana. Sounds like a promising beginning right? However, the band was a financial failure and had no trouble in changing their sound for something more "radio friendly". For Journey, the (horrible) eighties were synonymous of millions of dollars and certainly of that "arena rock" that was later replaced by Cobain, Vedder and company. If that "arena rock" from the eighties, with its weak ballads, is not something you like, DON'T STOP BELIVIN': EVERYMAN'S JOURNEY won't give you any reason to change your mind. Neal Schon, for instance, is shown as the classic rock star with no charisma, that always shows off his ability with the guitar but never loses himself with the magic of the instrument like the great ones (if that makes sense). But there is some good news; with the central character of the documentary we have interesting material that counteract, for instance, the decision of the director to show a live performance of a famous Journey ballad in its entirety. Meet Arnel Pineda, a little man from Manila, Philippines, who is the protagonist of a, in his own words, "Cinderella story": in 2007 Journey needed a new vocalist and thanks to the magic of Youtube they found this Philippine, who had videos of him and his group playing Journey cover songs. The fun begins not only for Pineda but for us as well, since watching him in action, at his first show with the band (in Chile), and hearing his story about how the adrenaline made him run and jump literally in the whole stage, is as hilarious as this brief description of him (made by the drummer): "He's like David Lee Roth and Bruce Lee put together".As the film goes on, the great pressures of music previously mentioned appear in a notable way for Pineda. He and his wife enjoy the money, obviously, but it always looks like the charismatic Pineda ain't ready to bear the weight that comes when you're part of an act that sells more than the Jonas Brothers (yes, this bizarre fact is part of the film); the previous moments to each show are some sort of internal fight, in which the Philippine convince himself that he couldn't be in a better place. All of this is by far more relevant than any Journey song, although if you're a fan of this band, what are you waiting to sing along to them? *Watched it on 16 February, 2013