Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
In 1987, to capitalize on his growing success in Europe, Prince toured extensively to promote the album of the same name and sales increased accordingly. However, the United States remained resistant to his latest album, and sales began to drop; it was at this point that Prince decided to film a live concert promoting the new material, for eventual distribution to theaters in America. Featuring the band that accompanied Prince on his 1987 Sign o' the Times Tour, including dancer Cat Glover, keyboardist Boni Boyer, bassist Levi Seacer, Jr., guitarist Miko Weaver, drummer Sheila E. and former member of The Revolution keyboardist Dr. Fink, the film sees the group perform live on stage (although "U Got the Look" is represented by its promotional music video).
Sign 'o' the Times captures Prince at a creative and performative peak, documenting one of the most eclectic and accomplished albums of the 1980s. The concert film format is elevated by Prince's magnetic stage presence and the exceptional musicianship of his band, including Sheila E. The cinematography is competent and serves the performance well without being particularly groundbreaking for the genre. Novelty is solid — the sheer breadth of Prince's musical vision across funk, rock, pop, and soul makes this distinctive among concert films, though it follows familiar concert-film conventions. The ending is satisfying without being transcendent. Plot scores low as there is essentially no narrative arc beyond the performance itself, which is par for the genre.