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Michael Jackson's This Is It - a review
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A scene from the final rehearsals before his death.
With its stellar opening this past Wednesday, "Michael Jackson's This Is It " grossed over $20 million on its first day. Not at all surprising, but certainly impressive. The documentary featuring footage of Jackson's final rehearsals and ultimately, his final days, gives true MJ fans what they want - a last look at Michael and a last chance to say goodbye.
Quite frankly, this film, taken from over 100 hours of footage, is just like Michael was - sensitive, sweet, precise, and full of excitement. That is, the film is full of excitement for MJ fans and if you were not a fan, this documentary may help to make you one. As Ann Powers of The Los Angeles Times put it, -
"Differing greatly from the rough, casual mood of many behind-the-scenes pop docs, this one is instead of a piece with Jackson's body of work: dazzling and strange, blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
As a tragic teaser for the shows that might have been, "This Is It" hurts. If Jackson had been able to perform as he frequently does during these scenes, he would have accomplished the comeback for which he was so hungry." (L.A. Times)
Most of Jackson's biggest hits are crammed into just over two hours with satisying fashion and though tame at times (because these were just rehearsals), Jackson stands on the stage as the master that he was. No fan will find this film disappointing or sorely lacking. It is the essence of Michael himself - it is the final testament to a career and a performer that has outdone all that have preceded him.
I was amazed at how grand the production was, how sharp the music was, and mostly, I was amazed at how crisp and clear Jackson's own voice was. He had lost nothing at all during his 10 year hiatus from live concert preformances. Surely this did not sound like the voice of a man about to depart from this world and the rumors of his waining health were surely over exaggerated at best. No this film shows a bright, brilliant, and energetic Michael Jackson who could moonwalk across a continent at the drop of a hat.
The film is only lightly speckled with insights of how Jackson thought and how he invisioned this concert tour and we see even less of his inner persona. I had hoped to learn something new or intriguing about the man himself, perhaps something about his spirituality.
And you are hoping to find this as well, let me be candid and tell you that this film offers little insight into that side of Jackson. There certainly spiritual moments, especially near the end when all of the dancers, crew, and Jackson, with Kenny Ortega, are holding hands after a prayer by Ortega (the film's director). Michael gives a heart-felt speech and final words of encouragement to the entire group. He treats everyone as his equal - he seemed less like the greatest superstar ever and more like a close friend that you could talk openly with. But this movie offers nothing new about MJ's thoughts about himself - only his thoughts about his visions of the tour, and remarkably, his thoughts about the future - he gives an eery prediction about us having only four years to reverse the damage we humans have done to this planet - we must remember that he was a visionary, perhaps in every sense of the word.
But there is little else that we can take from this film on how Michael felt or thought about his life. What this film does (and was meant to do) is give his fans a last look at his sheer greatness and ingenuity. Through the magic that this documentary exudes, we are drawn into Michael's world - a world of pyros, flashing lights, music that will make you dance in your seat, and at the helm of it all is Michael, doing what only he can, as only he could.
This is a look at the man, his music, and his aspirations, and his quest of making this the most exhilirating concert experience known to mankind. And in between the songs, we get a glimpse of the behind the scenes moments and interviews with the dancers. We do see a strong willed Michael, concerned and completely involved in every facet of the production, telling his keyboardist to play the jazzy opening riff to "The Way You Make Me Feel" more slowly.
"Let it simmer", Michael gently chides him. Ortega masterfully connects all of this footage into a comprehendable work of art, and along the way, he shows us a vulnerable Michael Jackson who occassionally skips over his lyrics, even forgetting them once or twice. But this is not a flaw, it is just part of a rehearsal and it too, is interesting to watch. As Michael kindly told his dancers and crew when someone made a mistake, "It's okay. This is why we rehearse".
He found a way to make twenty year old songs sound as up to date as tomorrow's headlines. Beat It, Smooth Criminal (Michael planned a stunning 1940's replica complete with scenes of Hedy Lamarr, Humphrey Bogart, and Edward G. Robinson), Man In The Mirror, Billie Jean, and other MJ classics are all here, including a short medley of tunes from his Jackson Five days. The lavish plans for a new sequence for the hit song "Thriller" left your mouth watering to see what the final presentation would have been like.
Would have been like - after you watch as MJ and his dancers electrify the stage, you suddenly remember he's gone and you will get this lump in your throat and an unsettling feeling in your heart. I couldn't hear the sorrow in that theater, but I could feel it - it was everywhere - I tore my eyes from the screen to look around me to see where this strange feeling was coming from - it was a feeling of sadness that came from everyone in attendance, including my wife and myself. If you are a true MJ fan, you'll feel it especially at the end of this movie as the final and greatest message from Michael appears onscreen - as a young girl hugs planet Earth, the words "Heal The World" appear above her..
Yet, it is a rich and rewarding work in itself because it substantiates what we already knew about him - he is overwhelmingly polite, inspirational, and a humanatarian at heart. Did I say "he is"? I meant "he was" - it's still quite hard to believe or to imagine that he is gone.
What amazed me the most is that I saw something that I have never ever seen in my entire twenty-five plus years as a movie-goer. As the credits rolled at the end, people stood up, gathered their belongings, walked down from their seats, and suddenly stopped, as if frozen in time. Most movie-goers leave as soon as the credits start scrolling, but no one moved - everyone literally froze in place, staring at the screen as if Michael was still onstage performing. I stood and asked my wife if she was ready to go. Still pinned to her seat, she replied, "Oh I 'm just reading the credits". No one left that theater until the screen went black.
It is astounding - even in death, Michael Jackson still captivates an audience.
As Ann Powers said of Jackson in her review of the film, -
"He's always performing, but for the imagined masses, not for the filmgoer.
Not reaching those masses was the final tragedy of Jackson's life. Occasionally, he's shown offering creative direction to his collaborators, and the steel in his voice reveals how much the world he was creating onstage meant to him. Everything, really: enough to push himself to the edge of human endurance."
Be aware that this movie is in theaters for two weeks only and there is just under a week and a half before it is put away until it's DVD release. Take my advice; see it on the big screen, for it is like its subject Michael Jackson - larger than life.
Here is a list of local Charlotte theaters showing "This Is It".
You can order tickets in advance at www.movietickets.com . Showtimes are subject to change.
AMC Carolina Pavilion 22
9541 South Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28273
1-888-AMC-4FUN
Showtimes – 11:45 am, 2:30 pm, 5:15pm, 8:00pm, & 10:45pm
Regal Phillips Place Stadium 10
6911 Phillips Place Court
Charlotte, NC 28210
Showtimes – 11:45 am, 2:20 pm, 4:55pm, 7:30pm, & 10:05pm
Regal Stonecrest At Piper Glen 22 & IMAX
7824 Rea Road
Charlotte, NC 28277
Showtimes – 11:30 am, 2:10 pm, 4:55pm, 7:20pm, & 10:00pm
Regal Arboretum Stadium 12
8008 Providence Road
Charlotte, NC 28277
Showtime - 12 Mid.
Carolina Cinemas - Crownpoint Stadium 12
9630 Monroe Road
Charlotte, NC 28270
Showtime - 12 Mid.
The title song for the film and Jackson's final recording.
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