This Is It

YES! THIS MOST CERTAINLY IS!!!!!!

What a fitting tribute/epitaph for one of the most talented and troubled personalities of the past 30+ years. Those of you who are fans will undoubtedly love THIS IS IT. (Although it most certainly will bring you some tearful moments) Those of you who aren't, will probably enjoy it a lot, despite any negative feelings or concepts you may harbor about Michael Jackson's personal life. To tell the truth, I was lukewarm about going to see it. Thanks to my wife Carmen's insistence, this outstanding work moved and inspired both of us.

Ever the consummate perfectionist, Jackson seemed poised to embark on a grueling 50 performance tour that, undoubtedly, would have served as the comeback/swan song? To end all comebacks/swan songs?!!

This miraculously edited work (From over 1,000 hours of footage), apparently the brainchild of director Kenny Ortega, provides us with a direct window into the elaborate creative process of a true performing genius. I couldn't agree more with reviewer Secret Agent Gal's opening line: "What a show it would have been!"

Jackson was putting together a tour experience that elevated itself to near art form and near perfection. Such a profound shame it was never to be. A stunningly awesome international ensemble of world-class dancers, singers, musicians, performers, and technicians were assembled by the M. J. Tour juggernaut, ALL of them seemingly worshipping the ground Michael walked on.

Was there any foreshadowing of the looming ominous event that caught all of us by surprise? Perhaps a few chips in M. J.'s armor. Frequently, he apologized to all present for "Holding back" or "Not giving 100% to conserve energy" or "Saving his voice for the Tour"...But then again, most of the other performers were half his age! One thing is for certain: There will be no more Michael Jackson Tours, nor new Michael Jackson hits to add to his long and impressive list! They are his legacy to all of us and have forever become part of our cultural landscape. I recommend you experience THIS IS IT in a good HOME Theater for MAX impact.

....ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!

There are a lot of reviews here from Michael Jackson fans, but I figured I'd offer a different viewpoint--from someone who's not a fan, even somewhat cynical toward the MJ phenomenon in general.

I thought I would hate it, twice declined buying the DVD even though it was only $4 (go to your local Blockbuster used pile. There's still a ton left) before finally deciding heck with it, I'll give it a shot.

I was blown away.

Let me say up front I'm more a fan of classic rock leaning toward the heavy side (Sabbath, Zeppelin, etc) and although I grew up right in the middle of MJ's popularity explosion, I never crossed over.

This movie caught me immediately because it doesn't take the "Michael Jackson is the best thing ever" attitude that I had feared, but instead it's a somewhat humble approach which focuses not entirely on MJ but instead on the people he affected. In the first 5 minutes we get some pretty moving testimonials from dancers & performers whose lives were changed (saved?) by Michael's music. And with that in mind, even if you aren't a fan of his music yourself, you have to respect the fact that his music connected with so many people in such a powerful & positive way.

From there we start to see the rehearsals and behind-the-scenes stuff regarding the ill-fated "This Is It Tour". It left no doubt in my mind that this truly would have been the greatest concert production ever seen on planet earth. Yeah, watching lasers & giant inflatable pigs at a Pink Floyd concert is one thing, but MJ's This Is It Tour was set to have 60-ft-tall, panoramic, IMAX-type video screens, giant transformer robots, bulldozers, human cannonballs launching from under the stage, the world's best (and hottest) dancers, and not to mention the singing, dancing & moonwalking of one of the greatest pop stars in history. PT Barnum eat your heart out.

The movie also features several videos that were to be shown at the live show, and these were also quite a treat. Interspersed with Michael's own comments on what he had hoped to accomplish, it takes on a bittersweet, tragic-yet-inspiring vibe, particularly when you realize how socially & environmentally conscious Michael was. Though the film didn't dwell on it, we can see that he was a person tortured by the problems of humankind and doing everything in his power to fix it, by inspiring people in a positive way. And that's when I realized that, yes, all of his songs carried powerful, world-shaping messages beneath those slick dance moves.

The performances are captivating, the musicianship (from both Michael & his band) is meticulous & passionate, and I found myself suddenly liking the music which I had ignored for 20 years. One song almost had me in tears, and let me tell you I don't cry easy (I thought Platoon was a comedy).

I think every human being owes it to himself/herself to check out this video to be reminded that even bizarre, eccentric pop stars serve a purpose in this world. And who better to learn from than the most successful one that ever lived? Despite the tragedy of MJ's life, this is one of the most inspiring musical documentaries I've ever seen. Even if you're not a MJ fan, I guarantee you'll become one for at least 2 hours as you watch this film. Rock on \m/

My wife asked me to see this movie tonight as sort of a preview,to let her know if we should see it together on our day off.As we are both Michael Jackson fans,I would have to give an emphatic "YES" to that.I was really apprehensive,since I thought that it would just be some rehearsals with tons of filler(biographical info,etc),but most of the numbers were pretty fleshed out,music and choreography wise.Some of the special effects were amazing,and I really liked the extended intro of "The Way You Make Me Feel".I liked the way they tried to make the film feel like a performance,rather than a eulogy.The talent,from the dancers to the musicians to the lighting and effects crew were just first rate all the way.I thought beforehand that this might be just a cynical cash grab-one more trip to the ATM from Michaels legacy,but honestly,I think they may just be trying to recoup some of the enormous costs of putting on a show that never came to fruition.And if some of us fans can enjoy seeing MJ one more time in such a classy way,Im all for 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.

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!