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Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Review: Jackson footage makes for captivating film

I had my doubts going into the screening of "This Is It," wondering what could come out of the footage of the rehearsals for the London concerts that Michael Jackson was to perform this year.
After 10 minutes, those doubts had melted away, replaced by captivation. Director Kenny Ortega has put together a brilliant multilayered film documenting how a massive contemporary pop show is assembled, demonstrating how an artist puts a stamp on those shows, bringing a vision to life and serving as a final glimpse at the astounding Jackson.
Wisely, Ortega doesn't apply narration, or much structure for that matter. The film is simply smartly arranged and edited footage of rehearsals, preparation of props and costumes and the creation of the never-held concert's films and videos.
Throughout, Jackson is a continual creative presence, encouraging guitarist Orianthi Panagaris to take a star turn, discussing the most effective use of props, working out arrangements with the band and steps with the dancers, etc.
Presented song by song, with fades to black in between, "This Is It" isn't a true concert film, and there are times when Jackson says he's saving his voice. Instead, it is a captivating look at one of the greatest pop artists ever.

http://journalstar.com/entertainment/arts_theatre/article_ad3c3740-c37d-11de-9961-001cc4c002e0.htmlhttp://journalstar.com/entertainment/arts_theatre/article_ad3c3740-c37d-11de-9961-001cc4c002e0.html
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

ivy said:
Review: 'This Is It' gives us Michael Jackson's final performance
By Charlie McCollum

Michael Jackson's 50-concert engagement at the 02 arena in London — both a comeback and a farewell — was supposed to be the greatest show on earth, with the American pop prince blasting out his hits in an elaborate show featuring numerous set changes, aerial dancing, magic illusions, giant puppets a la the stage version of "The Lion King" and the world's largest 3-D screen.

Whether those concerts really would have been Jackson's greatest moments will never be known. He died June 25 from an overdose of prescription drugs while in the midst of rehearsals for the event, called "This Is It."

But you get at least some sense of what might have been from the film "This Is It," which opened Tuesday night to packed houses across the country and around the world.

"This Is It" is a rather odd movie. It's certainly not a documentary, lacking the context and critical perspective to be called that. But it's also not a pure concert film either. It's too raw and unvarnished for that.

Perhaps the best way to approach it — at least for those who are not total Jackson fans — is to view it as an often-fascinating document on how the sausage (or magic, if you will) is made for a mega-concert tour.

"This Is It" is drawn from roughly 120 hours of footage shot during rehearsals for the tour at Los Angeles' Staples Center and video pieces that had already been shot for use in the stage shows. It was pulled together, in a relatively short period of time, by Kenny Ortega ("Dirty Dancing," all three of the "High School Musical" films), who was directing and choreographing the Jackson production. (Ortega has a long-time relationship with the pop star, having also directed Jackson's Dangerous and HIStory tours in the 1990s.)

The footage was shot as a way for Ortega and Jackson to evaluate how rehearsals were going and, while some of it might have found its way into theaters as "backstage" material for a possible concert film, most of it was never supposed to see the light of day.

Many of the musical numbers are Frankenstein creations, bits and pieces stitched together from various rehearsals with footage that is sometimes sharp and sometimes muddy. It takes some getting used to in the opening "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin,'" but you do get comfortable with it after a while. As in any rehearsals, there are dropped lines, pauses to fix dance moves or a musical riff, and lighting cues that seem a bit off.

But it's precisely the rough quality that is the most intriguing part of "This Is It" and keeps it from being the mere exploitative throwaway that more than a few people (including Jackson devotees) feared it might be. The exchanges among Jackson and his musicians and crew, including Ortega, are a rare glimpse at a notoriously perfectionist superstar trying to craft his final production. There's frustration when things aren't just the way he wants and a kind of glow when things go right.

There is evidence things might have gone very right at the "This Is It" concerts littered throughout the film.

Some of the numbers are extraordinary, notably "Smooth Criminal" with its integration of black and white footage putting Jackson into old Hollywood clips with Rita Hayworth in "Gilda," Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson, and a "Thriller" number that amounts a mini-movie with all manner of special effects. And there are moments — a rousing "They Don't Care About Us," a scorching "Beat It" and a poignant "Man In the Mirror" — that truly do showcase Jackson at his best even in this rough footage.

Reactions to the film are likely to be all over the board.

Most of Jackson's fans will view it as an affirmation of his place in musical history and popular culture, a glorious final tribute to the Prince of Pop. Others are likely to view it as something unseemly, a rush job thrown into theaters to make more money off a dead performer who pushed too hard to make a return to the stage.

But if you go into "This Is It" without too much baggage one way or the other, you will find a film that is more than just a shallow celebration of a pop performer and — by avoiding that trap — manages to do justice to the music Michael Jackson was.


http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_13657054
Click to expand...

Prince of Pop? lol

Where has this person been? Mike is the King of Pop Damn it! Get it right. But nice review lol.
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Movie review | 'This Is It' shines a light on Jackson's genius
By TIMOTHY FINN
The Kansas City Star

In “This Is It,” the man who turned the music video into an art form and propelled it into the mainstream stratosphere uses the same medium to eulogize himself.

Michael Jackson is the star of the high-gloss documentary, which emphatically answers the question: “What would Jackson’s comeback tour have looked and sounded like?” The answer: something close to a mind-blowing spectacle.

The film documents the orchestration of the series of concerts planned for the summer at the O2 Arena in London. It never made it to the live stage because Jackson died in Los Angeles on June 25, weeks before the tour was to have opened.

The film opens with testimonials from dancers and singers auditioning for a spot in the show. Most of them are half Jackson’s age or younger (he was 50 when he died), and several display breathless adoration for him and his music. Some weep just thinking about performing on stage with him.

From there, the movie jumps into the early rehearsals. As it does, it unveils some of the special effects and dazzling theatrics the shows’ creators had planned.

More than 25 years after his “Thriller” video changed MTV and music videos, Jackson and his crew were ready to blaze new trails in live performance, using an array of digital and high-tech innovations, some of which were created solely for these performances. The amount of labor and creative energy that went into the planning and execution of the performance is staggering.

But “This Is It” is more than a showcase of how much sweat and energy was poured into creating and choreographing a show. It also casts Jackson in an entirely new light. From the start, including the selection of dancers, he is actively involved.

Once rehearsals start he is even more engaged, expressing an array of opinions: how he wants a song to unfold, or what should happen with the lights and scenery when a song comes to a close. No detail is too small, yet he expresses his opinions humbly and politely.

Even more impressive are his performances. Jackson advises his producers that he’s still in training, but he sounds nearly as strong and clear as he did 20 years ago. He is surrounded by younger singers at the tops of their games, but he is still in their class.

His dancing is another story. Toward the end of “Billie Jean,” he spends several minutes showing off much of the agile footwork that he made famous. As he does, the camera also captures his young dancers watching him, agog.

“This Is It” was composed as a requiem for a show that never celebrated its birth. But it is also a resurrection of sorts: It demonstrates that Jackson wasn’t as detached from reality as we all figured he was. It also reminds us, sadly, that he was ready to reclaim his spot as the world’s greatest entertainer.

http://www.kansascity.com/211/story/1534338.html
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Review: Michael Jackson’s This Is It
Posted by Dr. Cole Abaius


It’s impossible to divorce the images on the screen from the reality that’s still so fresh in our minds regarding Michael Jackson’s death earlier this Summer. In fact, with the opening scroll of text reminding us of the best laid plans for a comeback/farewell tour that was shut down due to tragedy, it seems as though director Kenny Ortega was clever enough to understand that mental hurdle and take the sting out. Even though there’s a surreal moment in just how recent the history they’re recounting is, that’s the end of it, and the rest of the ride is a pure celebration of the music of an enduring icon.

Documentary style footage that was meant for Jackson’s eyes only is compiled with rehearsal footage and the special filmed segments that would have acted as backdrop for the show to create a shockingly intimate view into a show that never was. It’s funny and sweet, ethereal throughout and human at times, but at the core of it, it’s damned entertaining. After all, it’s essentially two hours of Michael Jackson’s most beloved songs being played in a sort of Warts and All version of a huge stage show. Even if there’s nothing beyond that to find in the film, your toes should still be tapping, your heart beating with the bass drums, a smile forming on your face along with the memories in your mind.

As you can probably tell, I’m a big Jackson fan. But who isn’t? The man is an incredible musical presence (which is rare in pop music these days), and knows how to put on a show. With This Is It, the polish and flash of the concert that sold out in 50 cities becomes a grainier portrait of a family of very talented entertainers building something together. There are missed cues, flubbed notes, and Jackson even forgets some lyrics, but it all forms together to display something so close to being complete. Something far more interesting to watch because it’s not quite perfect.

Jackson himself is as magnetic as a presence as you’d need. He prowls the stage in equal parts to grab the spotlight and to fade into the background and let his dancers take some time to shine. Although seeing his is a bit jarring, it’s still the closest thing to an enigmatic figure that anyone will ever come. Instead of bathing him in some sort of Godly light, Ortega is reverent to his creative partner in a different way by showing just how normal he is. On stage, he ranges from a calm dictator who seeks perfection (and needs things a little more funky) to a true fan who stands back and revels in the spectacle that’s being created all around him. His constant use of the phrase, “this is why we have rehearsals” belies a certain sweetness that, without this film, fans would never know. He’s funny, disarming, and in a moment where his music director uses the word “booty” to describe what Jackson needs from the beat, Jackson’s reaction proves him to be the person he is instead of the superstar we see him as.

But, as I said, he fades into the background at times. Inasmuch as it’s a film about Michael Jackson, it’s also a film about the people around him creating the show from the costume designer to the dancers. You only catch glimpses of some of them, but they help paint a more complete portrait of the true star of the movie – the concert. If there is a standout, it’s Orianthi, who looks like a prettier version of Lita Ford and absolutely shreds on guitar. Vocalist Judith Hill also shares the stage with Jackson during “I Can’t Stop Loving You” where Jackson choreographs her movements in real time that’s awkward and strange but also intimate and loving.

And the music. Goddamn, the music is all there. Every major song you’d want is lit up brightly on stage, set on fire, placed behind a fat bass beat and danced the hell out of. The crew for the concert shot extra footage for several set pieces including placing Jackson in an iconic film scene (Edward G. Robinson seemed surprised to see him) for “Smooth Criminal,” a rain forest scene, and fantastic new graveyard footage for “Thriller.” All of them feature the dancers from the show (as they were set to be played on the jumbotron behind the stage) and they are shown in full, crisp glory to break up the slightly harsh look of the rehearsal footage.

If there is a flaw it’s that the movie gets repetitive -constantly showing a segue which builds into the song and ends when Jackson explains how he wants the ending done when they get to show time. The movie itself doesn’t benefit from the same energy the stage show would have, so when it hits a slow song, the momentum gets a little lost in the fog. But on the other hand, the movie delivers song after great song played by the live band and sung by the man himself.

As a blend of backstage footage, a few testimonials praising Michael, sharply-produced show elements, and the musical performances – This Is It is a stunning look at something that’s both epic and personal. Beautiful. Thrilling. Revealing. This film is a great documentary that delivers a larger-than-life figure in his natural environment as both a mega-celebrity and just a man standing alone on a stage.

The Upside: A fantastic look at a great show put on my a musical icon.

The Downside: When the songs slow down, so does the film.

On the Side: If you stay past the end of the credits, there’s another cool segment with Jackson at rehearsal and an…interesting…CGI little girl who hugs the planet.

http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/review-michael-jackson-this-is-it-colea.php
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

movie review: Michael Jackson's This Is It--4 stars out of 5
posted by OtownRog on Oct 28, 2009 12:27:00 AM


He owed us this much --a farewell concert, even if it was only at rehearsal speed.

This much is certain, based on the adoring concert documentary This Is It, assembled by his director, choreographer and guy who helped him conceptualize it. Michael Jackson was going to give us a helluva show, "farewell tour" or not.

Kenny Ortega, the director-choreographer behind High School Musical and the hit Miley Cyrus Concert film, took the extensive backstage footage gathered for what might have been a "The Making of" documentary and turned it into a fitting memorial for the King of Pop, something very much in keeping with Jackson's plans for that set of London shows he was about to do -- "for the fans."

It's a bouncy, engaging, slightly revealing and at times downright moving portrait of Jackson, sweating to his own oldies at 50, prepping a "comeback" he never got to make.

It begins with tearful dancers, from Amsterdam, Australia and Orlando, emotionally talking to the camera (to "Michael") last April, grateful for the chance to audition for their idol, the man whose moves put every one of them on the career path they chose. It ends with backup singer and on-stage duet partner Judith Hill recalling, with just as much emotion, practicing "Man in the Mirror" to her bedroom mirror as a child, now hoping to sing backup on it with the man himself.


Ortega shows us number after number, as a sometimes robust, sometimes frail, always engaged Jackson goes through his "Thriller," "Billie Jean" or "Black or White" paces, recreating well-worn dance steps with backup dancers half his age. Jackson "directs" a bass player here, tells a keyboardist that a tempo should be "like you're draggin' yourself outta bed," times out effects and gently bickers "with love, 'L-O-V-E'" with Ortega or patiently waits for Orianthi, a very young and cute blond guitarist to master that piercing howl of a note at the end of "Black or White" --- "This is your chance to shine," he says to her, over and over until she comes close.

He's waiting too long for his cue at the end of one number? "I'm sizzling," he explains. He's doing it for effect.

Revealing? Jackson comes off as professional, nurturing, not the most articulate public speaker as he fumbles and sermonizes his environmental awareness to cast and crew, and that "message" slows the movie down in its last third. He looks gaunt at times, so much so that his hands seem huge, even without gloves. He protests constantly that he needs to save his voice, which he does for the most part. Then some bit of "The Way You Make Me Feel" gets to him and he forgets, just the way Elvis used to get carried away in a gospel number.

The planned concerts had extensive video elements and special effects, many of which Jackson pre-recorded and are shown here. Jackson comes off worst in his loose-fitting "Smooth Criminal" suit inter-acting in scenes with dead stars, trying to match looks and charisma with Gilda (Rita Hayworth), Bogie and Edward G. Robinson. With that chinless, sculpted look of his later years, MJ wasn't cut out for that sort of film work. But the undisputed master of the music video shines in number after number based on his epic run of 70s, 80s and 90s hits. He remembers the steps and isn't shy about repeating them or bettering them, when the mood strikes.

The only time he appears distracted and disinterested is in his Jackson 5 medley.

It was going to be a spectacle, maybe not that spontaneous (the guy keeps talking about how he wants everything to sound "like the record."). And when this film was hastily announced after his death in mid-summer, we had the right to expect the worst. It seemed like the cheapest sort of exploitation was headed to theaters for a limited two week run. But he was wise to entrust Ortega with his stage show, because Kenny does right by his legacy with this film. No unflattering close-ups, plenty of lighter moments (Ortega is Jackson's comic foil in their debates over staging, choreography, etc.) and just enough of the bittersweet to remind us that this truly is "it."

And though we don't get to see the show, even casual fans will be able to check their cynicism about all Jackson became by remembering, with This Is It, all he once was -- showman, performer and a trend-smashing pop icon who rode some trends, but invented many many others.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/en...hael-jacksons-this-is-it4-stars-out-of-5.html
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Movie review: Michael Jackson's "This Is It" is exuberant and moving
Matt Soergel

If you had time traveled into a screening of “This Is It” from, say, 2008, you could watch the entire movie and not know that Michael Jackson is now dead.


That’s how restrained, how remarkably unsentimental, is this exuberant, astonishingly entertaining concert film. It doesn’t try to deify him or explain him, and it’s all the more moving for that understatement.


You may cry as he sings “I’ll Be There,” part of a medley of Jackson 5 songs – plenty of people at the screening I attended did. But “This Is It” doesn’t try to jerk those tears from you; it just offers up the song, the performance. The tears? They come by themselves.


“This Is It” was made quickly, opening at midnight Wednesday, barely four months after Jackson’s death. Yet it was made with such care that it doesn’t seem a quick ripoff: You don’t need to be a Jackson fan (I wasn’t) to be blown away by this.


Most of the movie is taken from 120 hours of rehearsal footage from this spring, as Jackson, his dancers, his band and his crew prepared for 50 comeback shows in London.


The film’s director, Kenny Ortega, was also director of the concert show. For “This Is It,” He makes a couple of crucial decisions that take the film close to perfection. The first, mentioned above, was resisting the temptation to milk the story for cheap sentimentality – there are no tears over Jackson’s death, none of the nonstop news coverage, no solemn platitudes, no trite foreshadowing.


The second was allowing the songs – some two dozen of them – to play out in their entirety, often with various rehearsals of the same song melded into one take, without gimmicks and quick-cut editing.


The rehearsal footage is spectacular, a mind-boggling display of top-notch musicianship and exuberant yet precise dancing. It’s intimate as well, shot up close, with flubs and do-overs left intact – you see the effort, the thinking behind it.


There are high-tech moments too, of course. Some of the green-screen visual effects that were created for the concert tour are showcased judiciously during the performances, including a new 3-D collection of the undead for “Thriller.”


Even better is the presentation of “Smooth Criminal,” in which Jackson is plopped into 1940s’ film noir, admiring the amazingly sexy Rita Hayworth croon in that famous black dress from “Gilda,” then exchanging gunfire with Humphrey Bogart.


It’s great stuff.


At 50, weeks before his death, Jackson was frail-looking, thin as a nail. Yet he could still more than keep up with dancers half his age.


That’s not really a surprise though. What is surprising is how he comes across: Enthusiastic, likable and eminently capable of inspiring devotion. We know that demons tormented him, but they’re not on display here. Oddly enough, he seems almost – well, normal.


He’s is a perfectionist, insisting that everyone get it right, though if he was a diva, it’s not evident. Instead, he is patient, deferential and polite as he takes everyone step-by-step through the slightest details – and he’s always right.


“This Is It” is, happily, pretty funny in spots. Ortega himself is on screen numerous times, and he graciously serves as sort of a comic foil, attempting Michael Jackson dance moves and forever deferring to the man he called “sir.”


And watch how Jackson’s dancers are trained to perfect the famous crotch grab – apparently, to get it right, it’s not as easy as it looks.


Perhaps the sweetest, most revealing moment in “This Is It” is one of its smallest. It comes early in the film as Jackson and his dancers get a routine down just right, just perfect, and as the last note fades, you see a genuine smile cross his face, a smile he couldn’t keep from coming.

Moments like that, it’s clear, is what he lived for. “This Is It” doesn’t need to pound that point home, though. It just shows you.


http://jacksonville.com/entertainme...l_jacksons_this_is_it_is_exuberant_and_moving
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Thanks for posting all these reviews Ivy. I am really enjoying them. I think the general consensus so far is an astounding 'GO SEE THIS FILM!'!!! I'm glad that people are loving it!
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

I just seen this film and... WOW is a good a review as i can give without doing spoilers.
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

I just got home from the theater....

This movie is EXCELLENT and I now know that these concerts would have been absolutely AMAZING.

His voice! Oh man.....his voice was sounding better than I've heard in years. He still had it. He definitely still had it. And the dancing, although he was holding back a little due to it only being a rehearsal....he still had the moves. Wow. It was just....incredible.

A few of my favorite parts were Billie Jean, Man In The Mirror, Earth Song, Smooth Criminal, and the J5 medley.

That huge screen on the stage was awesome. And all the "dome project" stuff they created for the concerts looked phenomenal as well.

If you haven't seen it yet....GO SEE IT NOW!!! Do not miss this in the theater.
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

GinnyJackson said:
I just seen this film and... WOW is a good a review as i can give without doing spoilers.
Click to expand...



It's so tough not to give spoilers... Just came back from the movie, it's... I just don,t have words, cried at the beginning, like I tought I would be, but then I laughed, I danced in my chair, man that was an experience...

Arrrgh.. there are just 4 words I'd like to say now but I can,t...spoilers.. damn... aarghhhh!
Is there a thread were we can talk about it???

Edit: Can't contain it..... ladies... 4 words... billie jean slow motion *Niagara Falls*
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

It was amazing. Nuff said.
The moves, the music, the humor. Michael just being Michael.
Nearly drove me to tears a few times.
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

I just came home a few minutes ago from seeing this is it AMAZING. 5 stars
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Carinemjj said:
It's so tough not to give spoilers... Just came back from the movie, it's... I just don,t have words, cried at the beginning, like I tought I would be, but then I laughed, I danced in my chair, man that was an experience...

Arrrgh.. there are just 4 words I'd like to say now but I can,t...spoilers.. damn... aarghhhh!
Is there a thread were we can talk about it???

Edit: Can't contain it..... ladies... 4 words... billie jean slow motion *Niagara Falls*
Click to expand...
:wild:... :dropdead:
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

I just came back from the theater...EVERYONE applauded. On our way out, people were talking about coming back.

I have my ticket for tomorrow.

PLEASE DO GO SEE THIS MOVIE. After seeing it, YOU won't have any doubt that MJ would have approved.

We lost a great one. the movie was funny, entertaining, emotional ( only while leaving the theater reality hit me).

GO SEE IT...REALLY, IT IS WORTH IT.
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Just saw the movie. Wow! Michael sang and danced just like 20 years ago! Unbelievable and that was just rehersal footage. I was so mesmerized watching him and he was so alive in the movie it made me forget he was gone. I didn't cry till the end. I laughed and smiled ore than I cried. He was totally on top of his game getting ready for these shows. Kenny - thanks so much. Michael God bless you. You truly are the best not just as an entertainer but a human being too. I am glad the whole rest of the world finally gets to see that. This film has given me closure and the forum a place to work out my grief. I think I need to stop posting before I start saying too much. Any of you who are still undecided about seeing the movie, please go. It is you chance to see the real Michael, not the tabloid version, but the real deal, loving and kind but obsessive and intense all at the same time. I have never met anyone else like him and I will never ever forget him.
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Roger Ebert gave it 4 stars! :bugeyed :D

"This is it," Michael Jackson told his fans in London, announcing his forthcoming concert tour. "This is the final curtain call." The curtain fell sooner than expected. What is left is this extraordinary documentary, nothing at all like what I was expecting to see. Here is not a sick and drugged man forcing himself through grueling rehearsals, but a spirit embodied by music. Michael Jackson was something else.

The film has been assembled from rehearsals from April through June 2009 for a concert tour scheduled for this summer. The footage was "captured by a few cameras," an opening screen tells us, but they were professional high-def cameras and the sound track is full-range stereo. The result is one of the most revealing music documentaries I've seen.

And it's more than that. It's a portrait of Michael Jackson that belies all the rumors that he would have been too weak to tour. That shows not the slightest trace of a spoiled prima donna. That benefits from the limited number of cameras by allowing us to experience his work in something closer to realistic time, instead of fracturing it into quick cuts. That provides both a good idea of what the final concert would have looked like, and a portrait of the artist at work.

Never raising his voice, never showing anger, always soft-spoken and courteous to his cast and crew, Michael with his director, Kenny Ortega, micro-manages the production. He corrects timing, refines cues, talks about details of music and dance. Seeing him always from a distance, I thought of him as the instrument of his producing operation. Here we see that he was the auteur of his shows.

We know now that Michael was subjected to a cocktail of drugs in the time leading up to his fatal overdose, including the last straw, a drug so dangerous it should only be administered by an anesthesiologist in an operating room. That knowledge makes it hard to understand how he appears to be in superb physical condition. His choreography, built from such precise, abrupt and perfectly-timed movements, is exhausting, but he never shows a sign of tiring. His movements are so well synchronized with the other dancers on stage, who are much younger and highly-trained, that he seems one with them. This is a man in such command of his physical instrument that he makes spinning in place seem as natural as blinking his eye.

He has always been a dancer first, and then a singer. He doesn't specialize in solos. With the exception of a sweet love ballad, his songs all incorporate four backup singers and probably supplementary tracks prerecorded by himself. It is the whole effect he has in mind.

It might have been a hell of a show. Ortega and special effects wizards coordinate pre-filmed sequences with the stage work. There's a horror-movie sequence with ghouls rising from a cemetery (and ghosts that were planned to fly above the audience). Michael is inserted into scenes from Rita Hayworth and Humphrey Bogart movies, and through clever f/x even has a machine-gun battle with Bogie. His environmental pitch is backed by rain forest footage. He rides a cherry-picker high above the audience.

His audience in this case consists entirely of stagehands, gaffers, technicians, and so on. These are working people who have seen it all. They love him. They're not pretending. They love him for his music, and perhaps even more for his attitude. Big stars in rehearsal are not infrequently pains in the ass. Michael plunges in with the spirit of a co-worker, prepared to do the job and go the distance.

How was that possible? Even if he had the body for it, which he obviously did, how did he muster the mental strength? When you have a doctor on duty around the clock to administer the prescription medications you desire, when your idea of a good sleep is reportedly to be unconscious for 24 hours, how do you wake up into such a state of keen alertness? Uppers? I don't think it quite works that way. I was watching like a hawk for any hint of the effects of drug abuse, but couldn't see any. Perhaps it's significant that of all the people in the rehearsal space, he is the only one whose arms are covered at all times by long sleeves.

Well, we don't know how he did it. "This Is It" is proof that he did do it. He didn't let down his investors and colleagues. He was fully prepared for his opening night. He and Kenny Ortega, who also directed this film, were at the top of their game. There's a moving scene on the last day of rehearsal when Jackson and Ortega join hands in a circle with all the others, and thank them. But the concert they worked so hard on was never to be.

This is it.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091027/REVIEWS/910289999
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

just came back from watching the movie...it was incredible...i was expecting it to leave me really sad...but it was amazing...it wasn't sad...it was uplifting...full of life and light...and for those few minutes, it was really as if we had Michael back...you can literally feel his energy through the screen...especially during "i just cant stop loving you"...it is such a powerful performance...when MJ gets into it, he reaaally gets into it..and that's a wonderful thing. :)

PLEASE watch the movie at the theater atleast once. It's totally worth it...his genius really can't be explained...not being able to see him live will always be one of the biggest regrets of my life...this movie just cemented that fact for me...I didn't know that it was possible to love this man anymore...

i watched it in NYC and i'm soooo happy that i got to watch it with MJ fans...ppl were dressed up...the theater was full of energy...ppl clapping and singing along (not in an annoying way)...the reactions to certain parts...the laughing...the "awws" ...everything...it really was an experience...i've never been sooo excited to see a movie in my life but i have to say it was sooo worth it! every single person came out saying the movie was amazing and they're gonna watch it again...
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Starde said:
Perhaps it's significant that of all the people in the rehearsal space, he is the only one whose arms are covered at all times by long sleeves.
Click to expand...

Mmm....someone needs to introduce him to, or educate him on, a horrible disease called Vitiligo... =/ C'mon, when has Michael ever worn anything less? There are like 10 pictures in existence of him, post Thriller, wearing short sleeves. LoL.

Otherwise excellent. I've thoroughly enjoyed all of the reviews. I'm so relieved - that it was beautiful and that everyone else agrees.
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

Wow you guys. Had to get up extra early to read the early fan/critic reviews here. I'm seeing it later today and I cannot wait. I hope this movie breaks all records...for Michael.

Here's a review from the New York Daily News:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...ive_fans_closure_theyve_been_waiting_for.html

Joe Neumaier
Michael Jackson film 'This Is It' give fans closure they've been waiting for

Wednesday, October 28th 2009, 4:00 AM

For fans wondering if you should see the much-touted documentary memorial concert film "Michael Jackson's This Is It," rest assured, the late King of Pop delivers.

That Jackson is able to thrill in this odd hybrid of a movie - which is as much a feat of editing as it is showmanship - isn't surprising. What is a shock is that the raw footage filmed this year for what was to be Jackson's final show is more effective than a straight-ahead concert movie would have been.

To see Jackson working hard in the hopes of sending shivers down a future audience's spine one last time gives closure to the festival of mourning that followed his death last June. (Advance ticket sales for the reported two-week-only run have set records.)

Thanks to velvet-smooth postproduction work, full performances of "Thriller," "Gonna Be Startin' Somethin'," "I'll Be There" and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," among others, are here.

And though he occasionally holds back from using his full voice in anticipation of the London shows, he does, as has been reported, appear completely in control and often in good humor, and executes old and new dance moves stunningly.

The most moving moment comes when Jackson adds an ending to the iconic dance from "Beat It" - another high point - and jumps and hops repeatedly, trying to add extra excitement to the quarter-century-old hit. And then, out of breath, gives direction to the crew and musicians, opting to do it again.

Yet concert films, by their very nature, are artificial events that try to meld a you-are-there quality with a magnified sense of connection performers have to their fans. That can be difficult lightning to capture even if, like Jackson, the artist is obviously most alive on a stage.

In that regard, watch the moments when Jackson has his omnipresent sunglasses off and a small group of dancers stand in awe of his performance, because this is it.

jneumaier@nydailynews.com
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

The positivity of the reports is amazing and overwhelming. Its like Michael is finally getting the credit he so deserves for being the showman and master of the stage that we all knew him to be. I miss him. But I know that beautiful beaming smile he has is shining down on the world right now.
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

000cozzie000 said:
Is Roger Ebert usually a tough critic or something?
Click to expand...

He's one of the most revered and articulate in the industry. Tough, but then all of the major mainstream critics are tough.

His giving TII a solid review is phenomenal! I did not like a few of his comments and disagree that Michael was a dancer first versus a singer, but 4 stars out of 4 from Roger Ebert is even prestigious.

His column after Michael passed was a good read, especially from someone who wasn't necessarily pro or con MJ. If I had time, I'd find the link and post, but I've gotta get to work.

Have a good one.
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

This is the worst review that I have read so far. I don't know if I should take the reviewer seriously or pity him.

He obviously has an ax to grind.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aYIPe2FGwBTQ

Michael Jackson Shoots at Bogart, Needs Subtitles: Rick Warner

Review by Rick Warner
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Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Michael Jackson’s postmortem victory tour reaches fever pitch today with the worldwide release of “This Is It,” the ballyhooed documentary about his preparation for the London comeback concert that never was.
Jackson’s fans will surely be thrilled to see the Gloved One singing, dancing and crotch-grabbing as he rehearses for 50 sold-out dates at London’s O2 arena. The rest of us might wonder what all the fuss is about.
Drawing on more than 100 hours of footage taken before Jackson’s death in June, director Kenny Ortega offers an inside look at a consummate showman getting ready for his first performance in more than a decade. But this isn’t the same Michael Jackson who once thrilled audiences with his distinctive falsetto and acrobatic dance moves.
Looking painfully thin, the 50-year-old King of Pop struggles to keep up with the dancers, musicians and backup singers during strenuous rehearsals. His voice is weak and strained, and he sometimes appears to be lip-syncing to his old records; gone is the Fred Astaire grace and Gene Kelly athleticism.
Don’t expect any new insights into Jackson’s much-analyzed personality, either. He rarely speaks and when he does, he’s so subdued that subtitles are frequently used for clarity. And when others talk about him, they do so in the reverential tones reserved for Jesus or Gandhi. (Ortega, Jackson’s longtime collaborator, comes across more as a yes man than a creative equal.)
Shootout With Bogart
To mask Jackson’s declining powers, it appears concert producers were going to rely heavily on gimmicks such as mini- movies and spectacular sets for the performance.
While Jackson sings “Smooth Criminal,” we see his image grafted onto old gangster movies, including a scene of him in a shootout with Humphrey Bogart. “Thriller” is accompanied by a video of monsters prowling through a graveyard and “They Don’t Care About Us” is illustrated with shots of futuristic soldiers.
When Jackson rehashes “Billie Jean,” his elastic-man gyrations seem stiff and almost painful.
The film takes a glancing look at Jackson’s supporting players, including “A Chorus Line” tryout for the coveted dancing roles. But the focus remains on Jackson, whose show was apparently going to be a blend of Broadway musical, Hollywood tribute, gymnastics exhibition and rock concert.
Judging from the movie, it’s fortunate the tour never took place.
“This Is It,” from Sony Pictures, opens today around the world. Rating: *1/2
 
Re: Movie Reviews *NO SPOILERS*

What the heck is this dude "Rick Warner"s deal? That was a total crap review. He wasn't watching the same movie I was.
 
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