This Is It

I went to see this movie as a non-Michael Jackson fan with absolutely no expectations. I bought the tickets for the world premiere as a birthday gift for my girlfriend. We went to the cinema in the morning and from the beginning I was moved. I have never done it before but in the very beginning a tear came to my eye. Thinking that this guy, with so much energy is 50 years old and about to die. When I bought the tickets I expected a movie with some biography of Michael, a lot of interviews etc, but there is none of this in the movie. The whole movie is about how the concerts would be, but I still didn't feel like I was seeing a concert. I was seeing a little family making a big project come true. I also expected to see Michael less weak, than some of his others concerts, but damn.. If you didn't know he was dead, and saw him dance and sing like he does there is no way you could predict that he was about to die of illness. There was no way I wanted to pay for tickets to his concerts before this day, but now I would pay 500$ for seeing those concerts in London. Although that This is it was about the concerts, the movie also consist a little sense of humor, love and a insight to the worlds climate problems.

A really great job, with great cutting and editing. This movie is a must see for everyone! Even though you aren't a fan of Michael, go watch it!

I haven't been since I was a kid. I therefore had zero expectations for this movie, and even groaned that I had to come in at 6 this morning to preview it for my theater. That said, I was completely blown away and entertained from beginning to end. His voice and his dance moves are top form and timeless. He sang all his greatest hits, even from the J5 era, which really hit a soft spot with me. And people might be complaining that this isn't a typical concert movie...in truth, that is a big plus here. Typical concert movies are overly produced. The intimacy of this footage makes you feel, not like you're in a concert, but like you're witness to very private performances. You get to see first hand how involved this man was (to every little detail of production and planning). There are no crowds of screaming and crying fans to have to sit through (with the exception of a brief opening scene in which the auditioning dancers get a little too blubbery at times). This film easily reignited my appreciation for the man, who was without a doubt one of the greatest entertainers of our time. Complete 180 for me, I'll be the first to admit. And a side note, his female guitarist (her name escapes me) had me picking my jaw up off the floor, and not just her looks. You'll see what I mean.

No one has any apology to make about this wonderful documentary, least of all Kenny Ortega. When I heard he intended to take "rehearsal" footage of the "This Is It" tour and market it as a film, I assumed it was an attempt to recoup the investment made in the project. Who could have guessed that this film would stand on its own and also enter the echelons of the "best" documentaries about rock music ever made? No less, Michael Jackson reveals more about himself in this footage than we've ever seen before. It's his premiere moment on film, and I would guess he would not have wanted it shown only because we see—for the first time—Jackson without a mask. I won't attempt to characterize this complicated, insanely talented, person, but basically he's painfully shy. And he excelled at one of the most public vocations there is: performing.

What's interesting about the footage is that it exists at all. But since concerts today use video projection for the large venues where they play, it was natural to include the cameras during the rehearsal period. And it's riveting! Nothing is ever less than compelling in large part due to the level of talent in all quarters. The dancers, the musicians, the back-up singers, sets, costumes…it's a parade of the best of the best. While Jackson is the center of all of this, if you don't care for him, there's plenty of other things to look at and enjoy.

Any sadness is brought by the viewer. There's not one nod to Jackson's demise or when it occurs. He looks thin, but even in a rehearsal mode, he's electrifying, and I think that's why the film works. We're not at some huge arena (for which the concert was conceived) with 10,000 screaming fans. And rather than missing that electricity, we get intimate performances of familiar Jackson material. But it's re-imagined and you never know what's coming next.

An alert: there is footage throughout the final credit sequence and after the credits end. And if you can, see it in a DP theater...for the sound alone. An amazing experience!

Just came back from screening of this movie.

I went with very low expectation but it was really great movie. Lots of MJ songs and practice sessions.

His female guitarist was out of the world, simply superb.

I wish they had shown or MJ has performed some more of his stunts (moon walk, dance stunts etc etc)... so deducted 1 star for this...

MJ was so humble, I dint expect that from such a big start... I m really impressed with his behavior towards his troop :) I m not a big MJ fan.. and I was totally amazed by editing and quality of movie... I m pretty sure MJ fans would love this....

Hats off to MJ ... RIP....

There is one simple way of understanding whether one will enjoy This Is It or not, and that has to do with a caption that appears at the beginning of the film: "For the fans". Translation: Those who grew up with Michael Jackson's music, know his songs by heart and idolized him despite his bizarre antics and legal problems will love the movie; those who believe he was an overrated, disturbed artist will probably loathe it. Then there's a third category, to which I belong: people who enjoy listening to Jackson's music, without necessarily being die-hard fans. In that case, This Is It comes off as an interesting, but rather hollow experience.

The story behind the picture is well-known: following Michael Jackson's tragic, unexpected death in June 2009, just before the first of a series of gigs that would mark his retirement, it was decided to make the rehearsal footage, filmed during the preparations for the first concert, known to the public, so that the late singer's admirers could get an idea of what could have been. The film begins with several young people auditioning to become dancers or background singers, and their tangible enthusiasm remains unaffected throughout, a feeling that is shared by Jackson once the real work begins.

Watching the footage makes one thing absolutely clear: if Jackson had lived, it would have been a major event. Showing no signs of weakness whatsoever, he was both precise (he knew exactly what everyone should do and when) and playful (he is shown goofing around on the stage and joyously interacting with everybody), trying to make sure all the people involved were having a good time. Unfortunately, a lot of that passion and energy fails to get through the screen, mostly because of the center-stage presence granted to the project's director, Kenny Ortega (of High School Musical fame), whose constant attempts to please his star get annoying rather quickly.

On the flip-side, it's intriguing to see all the special stuff the team was preparing for the event: new filmed material to go with certain songs (including new footage shot for Thriller), devices that would allow the stage to "transform" as the show went on, smoke, special effects, you name it. Additionally, even casual listeners are likely to be thrilled when Jackson performs live versions of everyone's favorites. This Is It was, in his mind at least, a true labor of love. The resulting film, however, does occasionally have "cash-in" written on it. It's an interesting look at a lost opportunity, but it's more of a curiosity, rather than a proper, affectionate tribute. You know, for the fans.