Friday
30Oct2009
Movie Review - 'This Is It'
Friday, October 30, 2009 at 12:05AM | This Is It
Starring Michael Jackson  |
You don't often get a chance to see something like This is It. A document of a great performer's last days is incredibly
rare, surprising if you consider how often these people are photographed. In the case of Michael Jackson,
we're fortunate that a movie like this even exists, based on his unexpected death this summer.
But Jackson was preparing for both a comeback and a curtain call, a series of concerts in London, and almost all of this period was captured by director Kenny Ortega (High School Musical 3), but according to
this film, the original design was not as a documentary.
While This is It sure could be more insightful, as a performance piece, it's kind of mesmerizing. We don't get a good look
behind the curtain, but there are brief glimpses: Jackson instructing his musicians and dancers, The King of Pop getting accustomed
to earbud monitors, Michael praising everyone's work, concluding nearly every interaction with either "I love you" or "God bless
you."
Those things go pretty far in establishing who Jackson is on stage, and I'll argue that based on this evidence, the stage is where he would prefer to be all the time. For whatever his predilictions away from the spotlight, the man was electric within its glow. At
the age of 50, he has better moves than any of his dancers and shows no sign of having doubled in years since he changed everything
with the Moonwalk on the Motown 25th anniversary concert telecast.
The King of Pop title might have had more to do with album sales, but when you see him perform, you're seeing someone without an equal. Genius? I don't know. That word gets thrown around a lot. But he was as talented a triple threat as we'll probably ever see. And it's all on display here, in between apologies to his crew that he has to be careful with his voice.
Colin Boyd | Permalink | in Documentary, Reviews | Print Article | Email Article | 4 Comments | Share Article
Reader Comments (4)
He was a National Treasure.
This intimate look into the atelier of artist MJ gives a rare glimpse of the genius he embodied. Not a mournful note throughout, but instead, I'm left with a yearning to see that fabulous tour in person... to hear the words I know so well projected anew from the razor edge of brilliance. Please, stay to the very end. There's more beyond the names.
i cant wait to c this movie. its gonna b one of the greatest movies all year. :)
i am really glad that he is going to get h is concert. his final curtain call. he deserves to be respected.
I have been looking forward to this movie since the minute it was announced...i purchased my tickets on fandango as soon as they were available and i'm anxiously awaiting tomorrow night (going to this for my halloween night event)
I went to the movie after a very trying week & I thought I would sleep through it. I only went to bring my 3 kids & maid who are fans of MJ.
Howver, I came out with a lot of respect for MJ -- his personality, his self-discipline & his talent.
Yes, I think he is 'a genius' in the music world, just as Einstein is a genius in his own field.
If MJ has been alive, the show would have been one of the greatest concert that the world get to see.
It is wonderful to see him in a commanding persona, respected & very much loved by his group.
Certainly not what I've thought him to be based on those news that media had splashed about him all over the world.
Rest in peace, Mikhail.
God bless you.