Justin Bieber has a niche appeal. It’s a very wide niche – just about every teenage girl in the Western World, but it’s still a niche. If you’re part of that group he’s the most exciting thing in the world. If you’re not, it’s a mystery as to why.

Consequently, it’s easy to assume that Never Say Never, a combination of Bieber-biopic and concert movie, would be equally limited in its appeal. Great if you’re a fan, unwatchable if you’re not.

It comes as something of a surprise, then, that it’s actually rather good.

Very well put together, if somewhat overly slick, the documentary intertwines Bieber’s life story with the day-to-day goings on of Bieber and his entourage in the ten day run up to his first gig at Madison square gardens. By doing this, director John M Chu makes it feel cinematic, offers us a story that is accessible to those in the audience who couldn’t really care about Bieber, and gives some insight into what his life is like for those who could.

Unfortunately for those looking for real insight into what it’s like to be Justin Bieber, this documentary falls short. Edited to within an inch of its life, Bieber and his crew come across as squeaky clean and flawless. Of course, this may actually be the case, but he could just as easily be an insufferable git. We’d never know from Never Say Never.

Essentially a propaganda piece, there are a great many elements that feel set up, in particular a scene featuring a young girl playing violin in the same spot that Bieber used for busking a few years earlier. It may have been entirely organic, but it would be terrifically serendipitous if it were.

Occasionally the film does try to have some edge. Almost all of the fans come across as very odd. What’s more interesting is the way it shows Bieber’s entourage. They all seem very nice, but they also appear (probably quite accurately) to be hangers on, there for the ride, but ready to ditch as soon as the Bieber train runs out of steam. It portrays his father in a similar light.

That said, Bieber fans probably won’t mind the lack of edge. What they probably will mind, particularly younger fans, is the length. 105 minutes isn’t particularly long for a film, but Never Say Never drags towards the end. There is probably enough story in the film to fill 75-80 minutes. Beyond that, the film goes from enjoyable, to an ordeal to be endured.

It is also a waste of 3D. Much of the film consists of clips form YouTube and archive footage, filmed in 2D. When we do get 3D sequences there is simply not enough control, consequently as the camera moves through crowds, elements that should extend out screen are cut off by the bottom of the scene, while on several occasions Chu manages to focus on completely the wrong part of the screen, making it impossible to know where to look.

In spite of these flaws, Never Say Never really is well made, and while it will certainly go down well with the target audience, It’s also a pretty enjoyable film for those who know nothing about Bieber or the mania surrounding him.

[Rating:3.5/5]