This Is It: A Tribute to His Greatness
Associated Press’s look at the TII film
This Is It proves the claim that he was ultimately the greatest showman and entertainer in our history.
Watching This Is It brings fans back into grief once again. But this time, not only for the King of Pop—for what we’ve lost: a brilliant, standout showman who devoted every piece of his body and soul to doing something that would likely have been the most spectacular comeback in history. Michael was never able to complete this comeback because he died just days before the concerts that were set to open in July. But This Is It, which has been compiled from more than 100 hours of his rehearsals, does this for him. Even though it’s well edited, the astonishing performance Jackson delivers in this film isn’t the magic of the camera—it’s the magic of him.
When Jackson announced earlier this year that he would be doing the This Is It tour, many doubted whether he still had magic left. Besides the rumor of his illness and the fact that he hadn’t held concerts for about a decade, that was added to the doubt.
This Is It answers those doubts. Even though he looks thin, once he starts performing, all the discomfort turns into amazement. At age 50, Jackson is still an outstanding, talented dancer whose moves leave your mouth hanging open in surprise. Although we only see the Moonwalk once in the film, his footwork and spins remind us of the same Michael Jackson that the world fell in love with 25 years ago through Thriller. And Jackson’s voice is still captivating—even when he tries to control his singing.
Somewhere in the film, Jackson says: “I’m trying to protect my voice.” Then he produces a sound that makes your spine tingle just from hearing it. And these are only pieces of the film—not the real show.
Fans will never see the This Is It concerts. The rehearsals with the tour’s formal outfits weren’t supposed to happen until after they left for London.
A short 3D film with a cemetery background was supposed to be shown during the performance of Thriller at the concerts, and a computer animation of a military squad was planned for the song They Don’t Care About Us. Jackson preserved many of his old dance moves from The Way You Make Me Feel, or the creative choreography for Beat It. But it seemed he was bringing fresh air into his famous works and offering his fans a show that would take Jackson—and them—to new heights.
While he demands perfect work from his people, he is calm but authoritative. Whether he’s criticizing the sound engineers for raising the volume too much inside his earpiece, or when he tries to pull a magnificent performance out of the hands of his star guitarist.
He says:
“This time it’s your turn to shine.”
He says it with the same gentle soprano voice he’s known for—before he lets out a loud groan and asks a young woman to produce such a voice with her guitar.
This film gives the audience nothing of Michael Jackson outside of his world of performance. We only see him rehearsing or talking about music and the meaning of his songs. But at the same time, the film offers a glimpse into Jackson’s personality—alternating between playful and shy, determined and yet understanding; he often says the phrase “with love” after each command.
The film connects different performances of each song together. Is it for decorating the film, or is it that Jackson didn’t perform them fully every time?
Fortunately, there are enough complete performances that the audience’s mind doesn’t drift toward processing conspiracy theories.
Many criticisms were circulating before the film’s release. That it was an attempt to profit from his re-born popularity, or that the concert itself caused his death.
But This Is It is a well-made film, and a loving tribute that gives Michael Jackson what he wanted: proof of the claim that he was ultimately the greatest showman and entertainer in our history.
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This Is It is released by Columbia Pictures, and because of some provocative dance moves and/or scary images, it has a PG rating. (For children, with parents present. Some scenes are not suitable for children.) The film is 111 minutes long and receives 3.5 out of 4 stars.
Source: eMJey / AP