RSS
Home
Movie Review: ‘Michael Jackson’s This Is It’
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
It was the tale of a concert experience that could have been.
When news broke that music-and-dance guru Kenny Ortega would be releasing a film about the late King of Pop’s final opus “This Is It,” public opinion was relatively mixed. Some worried that it would be too soon. Some were ecstatic at the prospect of a behind-the-scenes look at what would have undoubtedly changed the face of traditional concert stagecraft forever. Meanwhile, some were just tired of hearing Michael Jackson altogether, and didn’t particularly care either way.
It could reasonably be said that Ortega and AEG Live merely wanted to recoup the millions of dollars spent on concert production while Jackson was alive. The Associated Press reported back in July, when the film industry’s biggest studios were considering bids for “This Is It” rehearsal footage, that AEG had spent between $30 and $32 million in preparation for Jackson’s final ten live performances in London.
After watching just a fraction of the intricacies that went into the concert’s basic framework, it’s no wonder so much money was spent. “This Is It” truly would have revolutionized the way professionals and music lovers looked at the concert experience.
With talented dancers willing to travel from all ends of the planet to audition back in March of this year (as far away as Australia), choreographer Travis Payne, Ortega and Jackson selected 11 of the absolute best to perform. These chosen artists did not only want to dance on the stage with Jackson for the fame; they wanted to dance on the stage for Jackson, out of respect and deep admiration of his work. They idolized him, as expressed by the heartfelt opening messages they gave to Jackson himself when they first began rehearsals. For those young men and women, this was a dream come true.
Among the many enjoyable aspects of “This Is It,” watching the phenomenal musicians and dancers work together as one unit for the best possible outcome ranked at the top. This camaraderie and natural blend of creativity and talent was followed closely on the list by the special effects, multimedia and pyrotechnics. It was through Jackson’s classic 90s “Earth Song” that he was able to forward his message on Earth conservation. Through innovative green screen technology, a black-and-white Jackson was able to step back in time about seventy years to the tune of “Smooth Criminal.”
In many ways, the documentary provided a look at “This Is It” that ticketholders never would have seen on their own. So much of the process can be hidden so as not to take concertgoers out of the moment, which makes complete sense. However, watching the show come together over an extended period of time provided an interesting perspective.
While there were probably less-than-happy moments during the experience that will never see the light of day in “This Is It” form, Ortega (Disney's "High School Musical" trilogy director) tackled the creative direction of the film with a delicate balance. There were moments where clarification was needed and there were moments when everyone was on the same page. Certainly there were no fights or arguments – though there were some interactions that gave the impression that Jackson was handled with kid gloves - but the film still didn’t seem sugarcoated by disingenuous praise. Also, best of all, there were no interviews nor media footage that took place after Jackson died. The performers and producers were allowed to speak for themselves through their actions, duly unaware that the king who stood before them would not live to see their hard work come to fruition.
Though skeptics may call “This Is It” a simple money-making venture (it has grossed an estimated $127,000 worldwide after 12 days, as of November 8), there’s no denying that the man known worldwide, both famously and infamously, will live on with evidence that during his final days on Earth he was doing what he loved: Entertaining the world one step at a time.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
