Michael Jackson’s This Is It

Susan Granger’s review of “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” (Columbia Pictures)

 

    When Michael Jackson died on June 25th, he’d been working for four months with director Kenny Ortega to mount a dazzling 50-concert extravaganza to debut in London’s 02 Arena. Fortunately, Ortega had cameras rolling from the dance auditions and early stages of the production at the Nokia Live through the technical rehearsals with a cast of 70 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. He’s salvaged 120 hours of raw footage – some crisp and clear, some wobbly and fuzzy – to document Jackson’s behind-the-scene creative process, detailing his passionate perfectionism with the dance routines (“Let’s do it one more time…”), and how he was developing new surprises for his spectacular, career-culminating show. It reveals Jackson at his prime, in full regalia, looking great and sounding terrific – in a show that could have been headed for Broadway.

    “I think Michael looked at this as his final curtain call in terms of touring,” Ortega recalls. “So the idea was to reach far beyond London. Michael would say, ‘India, Japan – there are so many places, and I love the world, and I want to get out there.’”

    Kenny Ortega was one of Jackson’s closest collaborators, having directed the “Dangerous” and “HIStory” world tours in the 1990s. Immediately after the 50 year-old singer’s death, Randy Phillips, president of the concert promotion firm AEG Live, placed Jackson concert preparation footage, scenery and costumes under armed guard, realizing it had archival value. Then, under Ortega’s direction, a team of editors crafted this two-hour film to be released for Halloween which was said to be Jackson’s favorite holiday.

    Those knowledgeable about music immediately connected Jackson’s posthumous single “This Is It” to “I Never Heard,” a 1991 track by the R&B singer Safire, credited to Jackson and Paul Anka. The sentimental song plays over the closing credits.

    On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” emerges as a touching tribute 10 – an extraordinary pop culture phenomenon – a unique artistic memorial that gives devoted fans one final glimpse of the “King of Pop.”

10

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