This Is It (2009)

director: Kenny Ortega

genre: Documentary







Well this is it. If your were a big fan of Michael Jackson and wanted to see so badly, how his comeback live performance would be well here it is. But was the live performance going to live up to the hype? The answer is of course it would have. But are you really in the mood to spend 7 or 8 euros on this, just because he died and you cant wait to see it on youtube or from the video club. Paying money to see this, is just going to far.



The documentary follows the rehearsals, and the set up to Michael Jackson's comeback performance in London. The dancers, the choreography are all presented. How each number was going to be and in which manner. Michael's way of instructing the dancers and how deeply he wanted to make the live performance a true and magical spectacle. In so many words it shows almost everything about the live production.

What amazed me more than the classic dance numbers and the music, which ive heard and saw all before. Was the level of special effects at work. A lot of the musical numbers presented in various forms of special effects to emphaize on the song and climax the experience. All were very well done and felt like music videos. Lets not forget Jackson was always the type of guy that took the music video medium to another level. Also the fact that Jackson actually had acting talent is forgotten. As focused as he was in his dancing and singing. His acting always was spot on.



Now about the controversial issues surrounding Jackson. Which are not limited to only one issue. But I do wish to touch on a bit. The crazy rumors that made no sense and the intensity of the media to cover the story to death. Ok he passed away, shouldn't we just move on. Many great artists die, but we dont go crazy over them. Also the rumor that this wasn't Jackson and that it was a double is preposterous. The man was taking medication, he wasn't using a double. Its shows very well in the documentary that it was him. With closeups at times. Yes, his face is a mess and he looks like a chimp. But that doesn't mean that its a body double or whatever.

For what the documentary is and for what it try's to accomplish it's not terrible. But i still dont recommend it to anybody. There is no reason to further the crazy Jackson fever that has been going on like a wild fire, ever since he died. Even die hard fans should just rent the film and get it over with. He's gone, and he wasnt perfect. Lets not forget that once he died we forgot completly about the child subject. This guy wasn't made of gold. He was a musical genius that was weird, odd, fragile, unlucky to have a terrible father but not a man to be treated like a god.

Personal Rating:

Review by Paul