Katy Perry: Prismatic World Tour Live

Katy Perry's Prismatic World Tour began in 2014, a year after the release of her multi-platinum Prism. Capturing a December performance in Sydney, Australia, this concert features nine costumes and seven set changes—everything a Perry fan could want. But aside from the acoustic segment, Perry spends so much time jumping, dancing, and flying through the air that live vocals here seem unlikely, since they would be wobbly at best. The staging makes little attempt to disguise the subterfuge, with dancers often taking the place of her band, which means that some of their parts were probably pre-recorded as well. Regardless, the spectacle's the thing, and on that basis, Perry delivers the goods, singing the hits, like “California Gurls,” and never forgetting that her audience consists primarily of young girls (as shots of the crowd prove). She even brings two members up on stage, a swimsuit-clad teenager with whom she takes a selfie and an 8-year-old to whom she gives a box of pizza, which probably contains more tour merchandise than food. If Perry's dance-pop sound doesn't deviate much from song to song, it certainly provides a hospitable canvas for the visuals, which range from the lighted prism that brings her to the stage, to a short film featuring cat cut-outs, to the animatronic horse she rides during the show's Egyptian portion. Even her guitarists join her for a trip through the air during which their fret-boards spray sparks above the crowd. All told, it's pretty fun stuff for those who value stagecraft over musical innovation. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include behind-the-scenes footage. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)