Movie Review: Michael Jackson's: This Is It

Fist and foremost, Michael Jackson's:This Is It is an extraordinary accomplishment in film editing. Taken from over a hundred hours of footage gathered during rehearsals for his final concert performance, this one hour and fifty minute documentary is surgically assembled. As it moves from one practice session to the next, your only tip off is he is wearing different outfits - amazing. It is directed by Kenny Oretega, Jackson's good friend and director of Disney's High School Musical series. But make no mistake, this project was directed by Michael Jackson. He is in charge. He knows exactly how he wants every second to look, feel and sound right down to the most nuanced breath. In one segment he says to the band "let it simmer", trying to convey a feeling he wants the music to have but everyone else seems to have difficulty understanding. "That's why we rehearse" he says, always ending his criticisms with, "the love, L-O-V-E", and for some reason, it never sounds artificial. Throughout most of the rehearsals, Jackson is conserving his voice and his energy. But while working on Billy Jean, he can't hold back and to the absolute amazement of his crew, he lets loose and belts out the song while doing his signature dance moves. Everyone stops, jaws drop and the room breaks out in applause. And because we are all still experiencing the aftermath of the tabloid portrayal of his life and death, we are amazed by this man who may not be at the top of his game but who is always, every bit, the consummate performer. At times, he does appear frail, but he does not appear ill. Yes, he gets a little more winded then his 20 year old dancers but after all, he is 50. What is so obvious from this production is that Michael Jackson was so great because everything mattered so much to him. He never looses his focus. He was a perfectionist of the highest order. At the end of the movie, everyone in the theater was on their feet applauding. The documentary also features; Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Rita Hayworth, polar bears, a killer whale, a bulldozer and much more. The concert would have been nothing short of incredible.