I wAS really looking forward to seeing these rehearsals right up until AEG released the TDCAU clip. As soon as I saw it I realised that a DVD release would NOT show a spectacular show with Mike at his best. Mike's dancing was nowhere near polished, he was not singing live (or if it was, the backing track was drowning the live vocals out). Similar to the Dangerous tour rehearsals, this release will show MJ 'coasting' through the show. He won't be putting all his energy into it. He won't be dancing or singing flat out. In fact, he won't even be miming flat out. His dancing will be out of time and he will miss his queues. I don't want this to sound as though I'm being overly critical of MJ himself because I understand that it is just a rehearsal and that's the way it is. He doesn't need to be perfect and he didn't need to put 1000% energy into it.
BUT
my worry is that other people who flock to see this show or buy this DVD will be disappointed in what they see, and that COULD result in widespread bad reviews from the press and bad 'word of mouth' from the public. IT could really affect his image as a great entertainer - one of the last good impressions the public had of him when he died. This effect may be short lived but I don't want this show to be how people remember Mike. I would prefer that Sony do a high profile release of one of his other concerts. Perhaps a BAD tour or Victory tour show. THAT will show Mike as he was in his peak and that is the Mike I want to be remembered the most.
IF
the This Is It rehearsal was one of the final rehearsals with all special effects, all choreohgraphy learned, all songs sung that I may feel differently right now but that's not the case.
I'm not sure if I would see this show in the cinema because I don't want to sit there disappointed along with a cinema full of people equally disappointed at what they see.
The only way I could see this being a good release for Mike is if they release a 'making of' documentary, so rather than just screen the show as a concert in its entirety, they should show clips of TII performances amid other footage of the preparations. I heard they had been making a documentary anyway so I presume they have good footage of Mike in meetings and helping with the designs etc. IF they release that to the cinema then I will see it. It will show the rehearsals in the right context, and it will be clear that they are just run throughs, rather than try to pass them off as his final performances.
