The Australian rock group known as Jet came to prominence thanks to a throwaway iPod advert, soundtracked with their catchiest single, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" (otherwise known as the greatest stripper anthem AC/DC never wrote). A shaggy quartet equally capable of a straightforward, balls-out rock song or a tenderly composed ballad, Nic Cester and company enjoyed a tremendous year in 2004, adding another couple singles to the pile ("Cold Hard Bitch" and "Look What You've Done") from their popular platinum-selling debut, "Get Born."

Jet - Family Style, the group's first live DVD, is a bit uneven. The main attraction is an hour-long concert, filmed in London in 2004 before a packed house. Running through the bulk of "Get Born," the band also throws in a couple covers – Elvis Presley's "That's All Right, Mama" and the Chocolate Watchband's "Sweet Young Thing." The wildly adoring crowd eats up the band's every move, although there are periods where the Aussies look as though a few weeks' bed rest would be more enjoyable than playing another show.

While the group's energy is undeniable – as well as being further proof that rock 'n roll is little more than stylistically ripping off your elders; just check front man Nic Cester's Pete Townshend-esque riffing technique – the manner in which the concert film is constructed makes it really difficult to get any sense of momentum. Shot and edited like a manic performance art piece, Jet - Family Style jumps around like a rhesus monkey on crank; shots are rarely held for longer than a millisecond and unfortunate strobe effects blow out the image, making it hard to tell who's standing where and strumming what. I can't stress enough how wildly out-of-control the editing is; it takes what aurally is enjoyable and makes it practically visually incoherent.

Fans of the band will no doubt snap this disc up in a heartbeat. Aside from the concert film, the scant but somewhat insightful behind-the-scenes doc and bonus videos make this a solid investment for Jet aficionados. All others would do well to rent or skip altogether.

The Video:

The concert itself is presented in a 1.85.1 widescreen transfer and considering the chop-happy manner in which it was shot and edited, it looks passable. The high contrast light show blows the image out, revealing occasional pixelation. Some grain is present, but it's likely intentional. This isn't a reference quality disc, but it gets the job done.

Whereas visually, Jet - Family Style lags, aurally, it excels. Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1, as well as Dolby 2.0 stereo, are onboard; DTS gains a slight edge over Dolby Digital in terms of clarity and warmth. The crowd noise (during the more popular songs, like "Cold Hard Bitch," "Rollover DJ" or "Look What You've Done," you can actually hear people singing along around you) sounds a bit harsh in Dolby Digital, whereas DTS envelops the listener and brings adequate punch to the proceedings. Although I had the volume up fairly high, I still would've liked a bit more fullness; this is probably the first time I've watched a concert film and wished it were a little bit louder.

The extra material included on Jet - Family Style consists of all the band's videos to date (including international versions unseen in the States) with most of them in non-anamorphic widescreen and a short documentary. For a special treat, check out the truly bizarre international version of "Rollover DJ" – the kicky Japanese TV show treatment clashes with the song, but in a strange way, it sort of works. An untitled 10-minute tour diary, directed by Luke Gilchrist, picks up with the fellas just starting to hit the road in August 2003. Offered in 1.33 fullscreen, it's a brief but engaging look at backstage life for Jet.

Jet - Family Style will please fans of the band, but likely few others. A frenetically shot and edited film is a major drawback, despite the stellar audio options. The slight bonus material somewhat helps matters, but still doesn't redeem the nearly unwatchable concert.