MovieMantz Review: ‘This Is It’

“Michael Jackson Lives!”

“This Is It”
Directed by Kenny Ortega

Regardless of whether or not it was too soon to release a feature film based on Michael Jackson’s highly-touted concert series that, sadly, never came to be, the fact remains that “This Is It” is a fascinating and surprisingly intimate look behind the scenes of the King of Pop at the top of his game. There were some reports that Jackson wasn’t up to the task of performing 50 concerts at the O2 Arena in London, but you would never know it here. Up until the end, Jackson was in full control, he knew what he wanted and he could still move like a thriller.

But the real master here is director Kenny Ortega, Jackson’s choreographer who went through more than 120 hours of material to assemble a revealing, powerful and tastefully done 111-minute “concert” movie about the phenomenal comeback that might have been. And after non-stop coverage about Jackson’s death (on June 25), legal tussles over his estate (and his kids) and infighting among the Jackson family, it’s absolutely refreshing, delightful and exhilarating to see Jackson doing what made him the King of Pop in the first place.

There’s no question that this would have been some stage production, complete with complex pyrotechnics, giant 3-D images and incredible dance numbers. But in the end, it was all about the music, and Jackson was determined to put on a helluva show that spanned his illustrious career. At 50 years old, Jackson still sounded fantastic, even on rehearsals for “Wanna Be Starting Something,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Human Nature” and “Man in the Mirror.” And, boy, could he move, especially when it came to re-creating the choreography of his classic music videos, like “Thriller,” “Beat It” and “Billie Jean.”

And in between the music, “This Is It” gets really interesting, deeply engaging and totally disarming. That’s especially true when Jackson and Ortega pick out the best backup dancers during the audition process. There are also times when Jackson sternly corrects a musician, criticizes a dancer or adjusts the sound level in his earpiece. But in every case, he’s always polite, reminding everyone that his criticism comes from love.

It’s a shame that the world will never get to see Jackson’s full-blown return to form as a trend-setting musician after years of being known as “Wacko Jacko,” but it’s just as heartbreaking for the backup dancers, who were obviously so excited to share the stage with their hero. It’s the hindsight of knowing what happened to Jackson that helps make “This Is It” such a powerful and ever-lasting experience. The King may be dead, but long live the King of Pop.

Verdict: SEE IT!

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