Review: Michael Jackson's This is It

by purefunk.com.au

Editors Note: I finally got round to seeing it.  I had been hesitant to watch it because of the way the film came about, and because I didn't feel good about seeing an unfinished product from a man who built his reputation on perfection.  However, as I'm nowhere near as ethically or morally superior as I thought I was, I bought the blu-ray and ended up being quite excited to watch it when I finally got around to.  Enjoy.

I realized then what was happening.  Michael Jackson was leading his dancers, out-front and centre stage.  The dancers were dancing powerfully, in-time and with the fluidity that a choreographed Jackson routine requires.  Michael, although fluid as he always was, was not as powerful.  He looked mortal here, and yet you couldn't take your eyes off him.  Was he saving himself, knowing that this was a rehearsal and he was the last person that needed to learn the routine?  Or was he simply walking it through, knowing as he did that he would be watching this footage back to see that it all fit his vision?  Or was this the best the 50 year old, obviously ailing king of pop could do? 

That one moment encapsulates the conundrum of This is it.  The movie at once reveals all about the backstage preparation and the zealous, grueling on-stage rehearsal, whilst at the same time reminding us at every turn that this huge event (and it was mammoth) fell on the shoulders of a frail king.

Pardon the pun, but it is a thrilling movie.  The sheer size of the production (of the concert) was possibly the largest I've seen, and I certainly can't think of any stage show that has been put together this meticulously.  The highlights are many and varied.  Jackson joking around with his musicians, his encouragement to them during the performances and then the constant recalibration of his performances.  It is all mesmerizing, and yet unnerving.

The music, as you'd expect, is as vital and energetic as the day it was first put to vinyl, and performed with precision by Jackson's crack band of session musicians.  The hits keep coming, and Jackson, ever the entertainer, knows the value of reinterpretation, switching up the standards to keep them fresh.

It would have been a punishing performance, and the struggle is unfortunately evident throughout.  It is sad to imagine what the concert could have been and even sadder to see Jackson as he was, and it's this dichotomy that kept me enthralled.  I felt like a new fan and a voyeur. 

Yet, for all the obvious aspersions that Jackson's death cast upon this movie, it is still a document of the worlds greatest entertainer putting it all on the line for one last great show.  It is this aspect that elevates this film from morbid voyeurism to performance piece, and it's the same reason that you'll thoroughly enjoy it.