Michael Jackson's This Is It: BD Review
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Page 1 of 3 Sony / 111 Minutes / 2009 / Rated PG / Street Date: January 26, 2010
It's hard not to get choked up while watching Michael Jackson's This Is It, but it's not for the reason MJ fans might hope. What is theoretically designed as a look into the creation of what might have been the world's most exuberant rock and roll stage show ever is distinctly not so: This Is It is a cash cow of a most groady ilk. Perhaps it was in an attempt to make some of the promotional company's money back on a show not seen; maybe it's a clean-cut case of the Jackson estate taking one last stab at monetarily exploiting the last new Michael Jackson product the world would ever see. Whatever the intent, This Is It is a ghastly experience, a movie that doesn't so much show us what could have been but what was: In This Is It, Michael Jackson literally sleepwalks through ninety minutes of hits new and old with minimal intent on doing anything more than going through the motions.
Unsurprisingly, this is the film's only stroke of genius - a somnambulant Michael Jackson was more entertaining than ten other performers. With truly preternatural talent, MJ was able to be nothing if not mesmerizing as a stage presence. But This Is It never lets us see him. Trapped in wide and super-wide shots, the film stands by the singer's long-standing dictum to stay away from any visage that might exhibit his complicated face with any kind of scrutiny, and whether you're a documentary filmmaker or a musical director, in the land of film, you gotta go in for a close-up every now and then. Michael Jackson's This Is It is one last whirlwind of cash, a last-stab attempt to showcase the man's 21st century song-and-dance prowess. Don't get me wrong - you're unlikely to find a bigger MJ fan than this guy (my devotion is so deep that I even stand by his uneven Invincible record - I'm looking at it on my shelf now!). But as a Blu-ray Disc bonus feature affixed to a collection of Michael Jackson concerts from the 80s and 90s, This Is It would be passable, if perhaps a bit cursory. Say what you will about the man's life and style, but as a performer, he deserves more than this. |
Comments (8)
I think This Is It is an 'intimate' portrayal of MJ rehearsing, making 'mistakes', fixing things the way HE wanted them, testing the waters of the show, and yes, it shows us what the show would've been...it was going to be what the '68 Comeback Special was for Elvis.
The only letdown is that, obviously, we are always treated to the same few songs that most people want; I would've loved to see him perform You Rock My World, Heartbreaker and Butterflies from Invincible (which is good), or songs from Off The Wall, such as Off The Wall, Rock With You...as well as Give In To Me, Dangerous, Come Together, etc...
Just FYI! MJ would have been on fire, in London if he had made it there!! No doubt!