"Ramones: End of the Century" is an engrossing rock documentary about the seminal New York punk rock band, the Ramones.

It’s a worthy addition to other Ramones related films such as Roger Corman’s campy cult classic "Rock’n Roll High School," Rusty Nails’ sociologically insightful, "The Ramones and Me," and the amateurish but entertaining documentary, "Hey is Dee Dee Home?"

"Ramones: End of the Century" covers the whole decade spanning the career of the band, and portrays them as a highly dysfunctional musical family (despite their names none of the Ramones were blood related.)

Joey and Johnny fought often over the band’s direction, Dee Dee suffered from drug addiction, and the band had a revolving door policy on drummers.

Yet, the Ramones helped transform and revitalize the musical landscape with their back to the basics/primitive/ dumb-smart approach to rock ‘n roll. They were arguably one of the most influential and important American rock bands of the last 30 years.

"Ramones: End of the Century" tells their story chronologically, and it features interviews and commentary interspersed with raw but energetic concert footage of some of their most important songs such as "Blitzkrieg Bop," and "Sheena is a Punk Rocker."

The film begins with the Ramones’s origin in Queens. Several disaffected, streetwise, glue-sniffing youths bonded together and formed a band. The main thing they had in common was their love of the Stooges.

The film shows great clips of the Ramones performing at CBGB’s. They did regular gigs there along with Television, Talking Heads, and Blondie. This was the real beginning of the punk/new wave movement, which became a global phenomenon.

The Ramones’s first four classic records sold poorly, so the band hired rock legend, Phil Spector to help them deliver a more commercial product.

In interviews, the band members commented on what a bad match it was. The Ramones were used to dashing off instant songs but the meglamaniacal studio perfectionist Spector made them record songs dozens of times. Dee Dee said that Spector even made him play bass on a take by threatening him at gunpoint.

The parts dealing with the boyish bass player Dee Dee are among the most humorous in the film. At one point he shows great admiration for the drummer, Tommy because he is actually able to cook hamburgers and potatoes. Dee Dee embarrassed the band by releasing an atrocious white rap solo album. The clip of his amateurish rap provides one of the best comic moments in the film.

But the film also has some dark moments. Johnny caused a permanent schism in the band when he stole Joey’s fiancée. The band continued but Joey never quite forgave Johnny, and they never really spoke again. In a tragic side note, Johnny died of prostate cancer shortly after the film opened, so Tommy is the only original Ramone left.

Also, most of the punk and grunge bands that the Ramones inspired (such as Pearl Jam and the Clash), all made much more money than they did.

"End of the Century" probably won’t change the minds of people that hate the group, but it should be mandatory viewing for punk fans.