Taylor Swift finally makes it big in the movies

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Concert documentary of Taylor Swift’s ongoing Eras Tour, starring the singer-songwriter and her backing musicians, singers and dancers. Directed by Sam Wrench. Now playing at theatres everywhere. 169 minutes. PG

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ (out of 4)

Peter Howell

Movie Critic

Up until now, the movies haven’t been all that kind to Taylor Swift.

The pop superstar played the aptly named Bombalurina in the disastrous 2019 screen adaptation of the musical “Cats.” She had a tiny role in last year’s failed noir caper “Amsterdam,” in which she was run over by a car. And the otherwise estimable 2020 documentary “Miss Americana” was heavy with her complaints about the perils of being famous.

This all changes with “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” a concert documentary that triumphantly places the singer-songwriter in her natural element: performing for thousands of screaming “Swifties” and adoring them as much as they adore her.

From her faux-surprised greeting “Oh, hi!” as she arrives in sequined bodysuit and boots on stage surrounded by dancers dressed as giant butterflies, to her final deep bow some 40 songs and more than 2-1/2 hours later with “Karma,” Swift is in complete command of her environment, the camera lens and the 70,000-strong crowd of ecstatic “Tay Tay” lovers.

There’s so much glitter and so many lights, including the glow of thousands of cellphones held aloft, the show could probably be seen from the moon.

It’s pure spectacle and something to behold, especially on an IMAX screen as I did. It makes Swift seems like a giant striding the Earth; a video backdrop as she performs her self-doubting recent hit “Anti-Hero” has her imitating Godzilla knocking over skyscrapers.

FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/2u6d63d8

(Originally published in the Toronto Star.)