‘Seventeen Power of Love – the Movie’ Review: Seventeen Shines During 100-Minute Love Letter to Fans
During the third week of April, fans of the K-pop group, Seventeen were given the opportunity to see their favorite idols on the big screen. Seventeen Power of Love – The Movie played in movie theaters worldwide on Wednesday, April 20, and Saturday, April 23. Fans in Japan can catch the movie on April 29. Over the course of 100 minutes, Carats (Seventeens’ fandom) were treated to concert footage and interviews with all 13 members.
‘If there are no Carats, there is no Seventeen’
The biggest takeaway from Seventeen Power of Love – The Movie is these young men love their fans. S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino spoke highly of Carats, often crediting them as the group’s reason for success.
Seventeen’s debut movie shows live performances, previous concert clips, and behind-the-scenes footage interspersed with one-on-one interviews. The film gives viewers the history of Seventeen, from ambitious young trainees to global stars.
Over the course of seven years, the group has worked hard and faced adversity. They wanted this film to be a love letter to Carats. Seventeen reciprocates the love they feel from their fans throughout the film. They’re motivated by Carats to make their fans proud in everything they do. As Jun says, “If there are no Carats, there is no Seventeen.”
In a moving moment, Woozi shares, “Someone once told me, ‘I found the strength to live thanks to your music.’ I learned that it works the other way round, too. That’s how I feel about our fans. I’m becoming a person that finds the strength to live, thanks to them.”
‘Seventeen Power of Love – The Movie’ gives each member time on the big screen
For long time fans, the concert documentary may not give them much new information. With such a large group, it can be challenging for new fans to get a feel for each member. In Seventeen Power of Love – The Movie, each member has individual screen time thanks to one-on-one interviews. This plays well in connecting viewers to the individual members.
Fans want to know the person behind the idol persona. Unfortunately, in Seventeen Power of Love – The Movie, the idol persona is always front and center. The interviews and behind-the-scenes footage don’t delve below the surface to show fans the deeper side of Seventeen. Woozi’s emotional moment is one of few in the entire film.
In other K-pop concert documentaries, viewers have been given a deeper glimpse into the person’s psyche behind the persona. Carats were left without any new information regarding their favorite members. Luckily, there are fantastic performances and musical moments reminding the world of Seventeen’s talent and capabilities.
‘Power of Love’ concert performances are the highlight of Seventeen’s first documentary film
Through 22 songs, the 13 members of Seventeen showcase their talent and diverse sound. Most of the performances are from the 2021 live stream concert. With exciting new arrangements of songs, Seventeen were able to make older songs feel fresh and exciting. The staging, choreography, and vocals were impressive.
Fans know Seventeen never disappoints live, but the setlist offers a great sampling of who Seventeen is for new Carats. Highlights include the opener “Crush,” a stunning Guitar solo from Woozi during “Clap,” “Anyone,” “Crazy Love,” and “Rock With You.” Some songs were cut from the Nov. live stream, including Hoshi’s excellent performance of “Spider.”
The8 and Jun were missing from the Nov. live stream performance. Both members are from China and went home to spend some time with their families around the time of filming. They are included in interviews and other footage throughout the film.
What’s next for Seventeen
Seventeen recently released their first English-language single, “Darl+ing.” Up next is their fourth full-length album, Face the Sun.
At the end of Seventeen Power of Love – The Movie, group members talk about touring and how much they miss Carats. Joshua says, “I want to tell you all that you’re so precious to us. I hope we can all have fun at the concerts soon.”
It felt like they were going to announce a new tour, but fans left the theater without any formal announcement. In 2020, Seventeen’s label Pledis was acquired by HYBE, the home of BTS. It will be fun to see what Seventeen dreams up for their next world tour with more resources behind them.
