Michael Jackson: This Is It Review

Overall 4.60 of 5 view all 5 reviews

PattyTherre
The heart of , NY

Michael Jackson proves that this should NOT have been it.

an infrequent movie goer, a woman, fun loving, a fan of documentaries

Pros

a look into how a tour becomes a reality, an amazing tribute to MJ, shows MJ was in complete control, a glimpse at MJ, the man, all the songs we love, great dancing, great songs, stunning performances

Cons

Michael Jackson looked so skinny!, only the best was shown obviously, a little choppy at times

OCT

2009

Quick View: I am walking out the door to see the Michael Jackson rehearsal film This is It at a local theater. I am going without blinders on. Is there a body double in the movie as his father Joe Jackson alluded to? Was Michael Jackson able to perform to the standards we all expected of him? Is this movie manipulation or reality? When I walk out after 1 hour and 51 minutes, I will hopefully have those answers. I will then give you the lowdown on this film.

Stay tuned.

Back Home After the Movie

As I sit here trying to figure out how to review a movie that wasn't a movie, I will start by answering a few questions I had before I went to the theater.

Body doubles, what? NO. This movie was 1 hour and 51 minutes of the real Michael Jackson. There were no body doubles. Joe Jackson is a crack pot.

Was Michael really forced to do this tour and was he lethargic and drugged up? Absolutely not. I don't know if he was "forced" to do the tour but at no point did Michael seem anything but mentally sharp, physically fit (but very thin), and very much involved with every step of the production. He knew what he wanted and how it wanted it done and made that clear in a respectful yet concise way.

Was this all propaganda? Well, AEG, who sponsored the now never happening tour, DID provide the footage for this film and clearly chose the best from the 80 (or 200 as some say) hours of rehearsal footage. But they couldn't fake Michael's amazing ability, his control over the dancers and staff, and his still very relevant dancing. It was what it was.

My Thoughts on This is It

This wasn't a movie or a documentary. It was rehearsal footage strung together with some interviews of dancers, back up singers, and musicians talking about the tour. These interviews were conducted before Michael's death and make absolutely no note of it. The only time we are even reminded that Michael is no longer here is at the very beginning when a crawler talks about the footage and mentions June 25 but not what that day meant (The day MJ died.) and at the very end when the words Love is Forever were printed on the screen as a still frame shows Michael in one of his famous poses.

The rest of the film is an amazing look at Michael Jackson's rehearsals and his extreme involvement in the tour's production. We see Michael watching footage and deciding what to put in and what to leave out of videos that would be shown in the background. We see him explaining to the musical director that he wanted to slow down the tempo of the music and the two bicker slightly but Michael calmly holds his ground and the music is slowed down. We see Michael explaining to his dancers what they should be doing and we see him interacting with everyone in a calm, friendly manner.

Obviously the focus is on his singing and still amazing dancing. Michael looked very thin throughout the film but he didn't look at all like a man who was days away from death or who could no longer keep up. He danced every bit as good in This is It as I have seen him dance years ago. He moved like a younger man and he didn't take any short cuts.

There were several visually astounding scenes of videos that would have been seen on the tour. Thriller was redone and looked great and Smooth Criminal was nothing short of riveting. There were plenty of old favorites to listen to and lots of footage to keep me from being bored.

My husband whispered to me at one point during the film that Michael Jackson sure knew what he wanted and was involved in every part of the production and that comes across clearly.

What I didn't expect were tears. Not on the screen but in the theater. People were sniffling and wiping away tears throughout especially during certain songs that show Michael's unmatched talent and how very much alive it - and he - was.

I left the theater with a new respect for Michael Jackson, the man. I always envisioned him as sort of manipulated. He was not. He had a hand in every single thing and, although he wasn't loud or overbearing, what he said went. He knew what he wanted and he seemed to care deeply about the upcoming tour. The tour, of course, that will never happen now. He wasn't just a singer and dancer, he was an astute entertainer who knew exactly how he wanted every routine to be and worked until it was just right.

The talent he chose was top notch and all I can say is, this should NOT have been it for Michael Jackson. That man had so much more to give than I ever knew. I wish he would have been able to show that to the world. Now, all we have is rehearsal footage to prove that the man so many said was barely able to move and so out of it that he didn't know what he was saying to disprove those rumors. Michael Jackson may have had a very troubled personal life but on stage, even rehearsing, he was 100% pro and gave it everything he had. He never missed a beat.

I am not a huge MJ fanatic but I was riveted. I was entertained and I was saddened. This film will become a DVD, perhaps with extra footage, but I'm glad I saw it in surround sound on the big screen. I even got a nifty lanyard with a laminated "This is It" pass when I went to the theater. Pretty cool.

My Viewpoint

The film can't be rated the way others can be because it isn't a movie and has no plot. But, for what it is and what it shows us about Michael Jackson, the entertainer and the man, I give it 5 stars. I'm glad I decided to see This is It in the theater rather than waiting for the DVD.

Last edited on Oct 29, 2009

Michael Jackson: This Is It is recommended by PattyTherre

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Comments about PattyTherre’s Review

In response to cybrown's comment from Nov 6, 2009 at 8:19AM:

It's so sad that he will never get to prove to the world that he was still an amazing singer, dancer, and entertainer.I hope the DVD has extended versions of the videos. They were great!

Wow, such a tragedy. I haven't seen it yet. One of my fondest memories as a child was my pup being my favorite person in the world on my birthday. He bought me my first record, Thriller!

This was a really good energetic movie. Me and my 16 year old daughter went to see it and we just loved it. It was full of excitement and energy. Michael Jackson was wonderful and full of live. Great movie. Very much recommend for those MJ fans. Miss you MJ.

In response to GreatMartin's comment from Nov 3, 2009 at 9:48PM:

Yay! You're one of the rare few who actually understands my long winded gibberish. :)

In response to Fardreamer's comment from Nov 3, 2009 at 11:16PM:

Thank you! I am getting back to commenting these days. I was just rating but I don't feel like I was there if I don't let people know. I wonder if that even makes sense? lol.

In response to Buggheart's comment from Nov 4, 2009 at 11:15AM:

Well, thank you! I am SO not a movie reviewer but this one needed to be written.

In response to LaurieM's comment from Nov 4, 2009 at 2:30PM:

Well, come with us to Ichiban!

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Nov 3, 2009 at 8:15PM:

Well, I appreciate the fact that you and Don picked me up since I can't drive with this annoying collar. I really enjoyed the time out. It's been awhile for me.

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Nov 1, 2009 at 7:33PM:

Nah, I don't think I'm going to review it. I really suck at writing movie reviews and I don't enjoy doing them. Yours is perfect so I think that's the only one we need :)

Nice review, Patty.

It makes sense! :O)

In response to GreatMartin's comment from Oct 31, 2009 at 9:56AM:

If you see something reviewed already here, all you have to do is click the green "review this" button and add your review to the rest. If you make a new listing, which you did with This is It, then there will be two places to find reviews on a product or whatever. Those get merged eventually so there is just one listing for people to find. Anytime you read a review, you will see that green Review This button. If you want to review the same thing, just click and write. The main pic will already be there and there will be pros and cons that you can choose from or make new ones. The first thing you should do is to look up an item to see if it has already been reviewed by someone and, if it has, add yours to the listing rather than making a new one. That keeps things more organized here. Does that make sense? If not, holla. I'll try to explain better.

In response to LaurieM's comment from Nov 1, 2009 at 9:46PM:

You didn't go with us. HE took you and me! lol. I'm glad I went. It really have me insight into Michael Jackson. So sad he will never show the world he still had "it".

In response to LisaCarey's comment from Nov 2, 2009 at 6:57PM:

It's already on presale. They sure move fast!

I will be waiting and hoping for a DVD. . . :)

Thank you for taking me with you guys. I absolutely loved the "movie". It really humanized MJ. I saw him in a whole new light. There were times were I had tears in my eyes. So sad to have lost such a great talent.

In response to Buggheart's comment from Oct 31, 2009 at 11:13PM:

Are you going to review it? You should! The more I think about it, the more I actually liked the film. It showed a whole other side of MJ. One we will never see again. :(

Excellent review, Patty! We saw it tonight and are so happy that we did. We had no plans to see it but wanted to go out tonight and it just seemed like the movie to see.

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 11:50PM:

'New Listing"? I am fairly new here and haven't really explored the site but I assume from what you said there is another way of listing movie review so that it would tie in with say your review, right? If so let me know. Thanks. Martin

In response to GreatMartin's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 11:01PM:

I see what happened. You made a new listing. I merged your review under the one listing that already had reviews on it. Now, I will go see it. I know it won't be positive but that's the beauty of opinions. We can have whatever ones we want! :)

Just checked--my review is posted! :O)

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 10:49PM:

The reason I went to see the movie was because, believe it or not, I had only seen Jackson perform once before--on that TV show years ago where he introduced the moon walk--I wanted to see if I had missed anything--after seeing I felt I didn't--but then I was never a fan of Marilyn Monroe either!!! LOL

Ummm--I'll have to check and see if my review has been posted!!

In response to GreatMartin's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 10:20PM:

Well, I can't find your review. How weird is that?

In response to GreatMartin's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 10:20PM:

i wouldn't go to see a movie with someone in it who I didn't enjoy before his or her death. I think I would be bored to tears so I understand why you wouldn't come out of the movie impressed.The Smooth Criminal video was amazing though and I hope to see the finished version on the DVD or on MTV at some point. I will go read your review now. I can't wait to see what you had to say. :)

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 9:52PM:

I just posted my review--not good--I never had a desire to see him in person and this wouldn't have changed my mind.
I forgot to mention one sequence I did like--the Rita Hayworth/Humphry Bogart strip. :O)

In response to GigiandAdonai's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 1:40PM:

I'm going to go read your review now. :)

In response to elvisdo's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 12:33AM:

Thanks. I'm not much of a movie reviewer and I don't know a lot about the technical stuff but this wasn't really a movie. It was just a lot of footage strung together. But it was well worth watching.

In response to darlyn63's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 3:33AM:

Oh, lol, yeah at 23, I'm sure she won't be offended by anything in the movie. I thought she was younger. He did mention that he was like Elvis. Man, why do these performers leave us so soon? And in MJ's case, it wasn't even his own fault. I think that's what so sad about it all!

In response to GreatMartin's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 11:06AM:

I don't think someone who was never a fan will get much out of a rehearsal film. It's just Michael and his crew rehearsing for the new tour. Fans will like the new arrangements and the insight into what would have come but I doubt a non-fan will walk out being a fan. Maybe if he had lived to actually do the tour, you could have seen his musical talent but I doubt you'll get much out of the film. I'd love to know what you thought of it though!

Wonderful review! I finally posted my review too so now you can check it out!! I loved the movie and with my private showing I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am going to see it this afternoon with a 'few chips' on my shoulder--I am NOT a fan of Michael Jackson's and have paid very little attention to his music or him and he is a child molester btu I am actually hoping it will show me his 'genius'--so often spoken about regarding music.

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 2:02AM:

I think my daughter has seen MJ grab himself in other video's. She's 23, I hope she can handle it. Me, on the other hand.....I'm maybe too old....lol.. I'm happy to hear it was great entertainment. Somehow she knew he passed before they even said so on the news. Kind of weird, she had called me at Physical therapy (which I haven't had to go to any more~YEAH). To tell me he did, I had a feeling also. It was just a sense of great loss, like Elvis, Lennon, Dean, Marilyn and many other's "Gone to soon" If you listen to some of his songs, he did have meaning behind them. Who knows, he mentioned to Lisa Marie about him being like Elvis....Too many drugs, a wasted life and talent. I think he really never had a chance at childhood. Everyone needs that.

In response to darlyn63's comment from Oct 29, 2009 at 11:12PM:

The new Thriller video that they made to show on the screen behind him is amazing. It's scary and high tech. There was just one scene where a Russian dance teacher was showing the back up dancers how to crotch grab that would be a little embarrassing for a younger person but it was by no means dirty. The rest was pure entertainment.

In response to MRSverret's comment from Oct 29, 2009 at 11:12PM:

We all walked out of the theater with a new understanding and more respect for MJ. The whole situation is just so sad.

In response to elvisdo's comment from Oct 30, 2009 at 12:33AM:

It really was a good look at how Michael Jackson took charge of the production and how great he could have been. I just don't understand how he could do all he did in the film yet be so messed up at home. Sad.

Wonderful review. I hope to catch this on the big screen as well if I ever get the chance. If not, I know it will be on the top of my Netflix queue.

In response to PattyTherre's comment from Oct 29, 2009 at 10:51PM:

I'm not a big fan either but I think I would like to see it.

Very nice review PattyTherre, I hope I am able to take my daughter to the showing, she would love to see it on the big screen. I was a huge fan when Thriller came out. Then things, mainly the press I'm sure made him into some kind of weirdo. The man was very talented, opened the doors for many, with the style he created. You can tell he was a man, with a deep soul never being alowed to have a childhood which everyone deserves. Great Review!!

In response to MRSverret's comment from Oct 29, 2009 at 10:13PM:

I'm not a big Michael Jackson fan so it was strange that we even went. But I'm glad I did. I learned a lot and some of the videos they showed was amazing. I hope they release those videos on DVD. The Thriller one was really fresh and good and a couple of others were better than the originals.

In response to AngelaWLaFon's comment from Oct 29, 2009 at 10:35PM:

I went with hubby and my sister. It was her first night out since major spinal surgery and she had to wear her hard collar and electrodes and all that but she really enjoyed the movie and getting out of the house. We all left with a better understanding of Michael Jackson, the entertainer and man. It's hard to fathom how he managed to live the way he did with all the drugs and such and then rehearse the way he did with so much energy and focus. Just an amazing look at a guy who, up until now, I thought was talented but like a puppet. Now I know he called the shots and I respect him for that,

In response to mindyvol's comment from Oct 29, 2009 at 10:35PM:

I was always a casual MJ fan. I liked some of his stuff, thought he was weird but didn't think he was evil. It really was after his death that I kind of started to be interested in how he really lived and what was going on with this tour. This film showed me a whole other side of MJ. He may have had a screwy life but he was focused and knew exactly what he wanted when it came to the tour. And wow, it would have been awesome it if happened.

Excellent review Patty! I'm not a MJ fan but your review makes me want to see This is It. There has always been an intrigue about MJ and now everyone can see what he was like behind the scenes.

You've given a very insightful review here Patty! Sounds like you had a nice date night! This is a great topic that I know readers will find helpful. Thanks for sharing your experience with your honest eyes.