MOVIE REVIEW:
"Michael Jackson's This Is It" (2009)
Rated PG. 111 mins. Colour. USA. Limited time engagement, but at time of review posted it is still in most theaters. Will end its run the following Wednesday. (Nov. 10)
WARNING: May contain spoilers..........aw hell, I'm not gonna lie to you. It DOES contain spoilers.
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CREDITS:
Director: Kenny Ortega
Starring: Michael Jackson (R.I.P.), Kenny Ortega, Orianthi Panagaris, and many others.
Producers: Paul Gongaware and Randy Phillips
Cinematography: Kevin Mazur
Studio: AEG Live and The Michael Jackson Company, LLC.
Distribution: Columbia Pictures
(Info from Wikipedia.org)
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Well, this review is going to be different than my other ones. For one thing, this film doesn't suck. Second, the film is more of a documentary. It can also be viewed as a concert as well, with all of the rehearsal footage. And finally, despite being a fan of MJ, I'll try to not make the review seem biased. No promises, though.
The film is staged mostly at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, where MJ was rehearsing for his "This Is It" tour, a set of 50 consecutive concerts at London's O2 arena. Sadly, MJ died before he could perform, just 18 days shy of the first performance date. Given this information, this film chronicles MJ's final days alive.
The content of the film is mostly rehearsal footage, and while it sounds unimpressive in words, what I have seen was pretty amazing. Jackson, who was 50 years old at the time of filming and had an emaciated appearance, actually still had the magic. During sets, he would dance along with the backup dancers, who were all 20-somethings, and he STILL busts harder moves. To be honest, I thought his age and health would hinder his abilities, but I was proven wrong. He truly was, is, and forever will be the King of Pop.
Fun fact: Jackson's personal trainer at the time was Lou Ferrigno. Yes, the Incredible Hulk whipped MJ into epic-dancing shape. And I applauded Ferrigno for that. Go Lou.
But yeah, aside from the sessions (MJ was a strict yet compassionate perfectionist), the audiovisual stuff was awe-inspiring. MJ's vocals and moves, the backup musicians and dancers, the CGI in the background...all impressive. Everyone worked really hard. And these scenes are all REHEARSALS. Imagine if MJ was still alive to perform the concerts...it would've been amazing. I now understand why people paid through the nose for concert tickets when he announced his "This Is It" tour.
I did enjoy the song in the end, entitled "This Is It". Although, I've heard that it was possibly a mix from an older, unreleased song, and that it didn't contain the "touch". Still, it was a fitting end to the film.
I know this review isn't traditional, but keep in mind that neither is the film. It's more of an experience for a Michael Jackson fan, if anything. I just hope it comes out on DVD in the near future. To hell with the compilation album, though. I don't feel like paying Sony more money just for another compilation with ONE new song in it ("This Is It"). I can just score the MP3 online instead. The companion book looked neat, however, since there's stills from the film in it. But, if anything, this film is the best bet, as well as the most affordable, compared to a $15 book and a $17 compilation CD (or $70 for the "collector's edition"!).
Also, Orianthi Panagaris is an extremely talented guitarist. Just sayin'.
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FINAL SCORE: A- (It was pretty impressive, overall. Although I can't help but feel bothered that this film was released a bit too soon, without MJ's final approval. Since he's deceased, though, the whole point is moot. Nevertheless, it's still something that MJ fans will love.)
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Well...that's all for my review. Thank you, good night, and take care of your eyesight.
Bless,
