Michael Jackson's final bow begins with a very simple but important declarative...
FOR THE FANS....
It's been over four months since the legendary King of Pop passed, and in that time we've been witness to a litany of scandals, misstatements, accusations, all of which do nothing to honor Michael Jackson's memory. I know, because I've been a party to a lot of it. It's no secret that I'm not much of a Michael Jackson fan. My appreciation for him ended sometime after Bad released, probably after about 15 minutes of the 30 minute long extended video for the single. Since then I've looked at him as a pariah. A talented but deeply troubled individual who's failed exploits and attempts at normalcy were tragic at best.
This Is It encompasses none of that other side of Michael Jackson's life. There are no babies dangling from balconies, or chimpanzees, or child stars sitting on his lap. This is Michael Jackson doing what he loves most. Performing. Rather, this is his preparing to perform. The film is a collection of rehearsals, cobbled together by longtime friend and director, Kenny Ortega. Ortega was also responsible for helping Michael put together this monumental concert. In fact, it's so big it probably couldn't even be labeled a concert. It's an event. In it's entirety, it would've combined movies...and stage acting...computer animation...3-D technology..the show would've had it all. We get snippets of that here, and even that is enough to blow you away.
Michael Jackson's eye for detail and constant drive for perfection is already well know. He could identify the most subtle shifts in tone or a single off key in the middle of a blistering performance. He simply had an ear for music, the likes of which we might not have ever seen.We see him, surrounded by a loyal group of technicians just as scrutinizing as he, fine tuning every iota of this mammoth event. At no point is there any trace of the problems he reportedly was having on the outside. He seems completely focused and determined, almost unnaturally so, but that's due to the fact that he wanted his final show to be everything the fans expect. At one point, when questioned by his music director about a barely noticeable tempo shift Jackson fires back "I want it how I wrote it. How the fans hear it."
At the age of 50, you'd expect Michael Jackson to no longer be the energizing dance machine he was in his youth. Surrounded by a core group of youthful, exuberant dancers who idolize his every step, Michael shows that he's still very much the same performer he always was. He commands the stage. His presence is unparalleled, even as he contorts his lithe frame in lockstep with his troupe.
One of the things I felt was always overlooked was Michael's ability to take command of any crowd, regardless of the type of material he was presenting. People see Jackson as a dancer more than they do a singer, and that's understandable. But my favorite song of his has always been "Human Nature", a soft ballad that shows his range as a vocalist. We're treated to a glorious rendition of it here, and it's as captivating as any of his more gaudy uptempo tracks. There are some instances where Michael is forced to hold back for fear of straining his voice, but there are plenty of times where he lets the moment sweep him up and he belts out with everything he's got. He usually regrets it later, but the point is made. This is a man who loves what he does, feels it in every fiber of his being.
My biggest beefs with the film are minor. Since these were never meant to see the light of day, there are few cameras on hand to capture all of the action. Sometimes we're treated to some pretty crappy looking camera shots to fill in the gaps. This also caused each performance to have to be spliced together from various rehearsals, so there's some mismatching that goes on. Nothing major, and in some cases it works extremely well. Probably the biggest disappointment for me was the same as for some others I've heard from, and that's the rendition of Thriller that takes place. I know they were going for sortof a happy monster mash vibe, but it just came off as cheesy. Just give me a few zombies and I'm happy. The dance number, however, is still awesome. There are photos of me doing the Thriller dance floating around the internet somewhere, and if anyone has them I would pay handsomely to retrieve them. So I can burn them.
If there's anything I learned from this film, it's that Michael Jackson wasn't on the tail end of his career. He wasn't faltering. He wasn't failing. If anything, he was still thriving. I know this was billed as his final tour, but I believe he could've gone on for years and still continued to dazzle. It doesn't change my mind about some of his actions beyond the stage, but it certainly reminds me of why so many love him and why I too loved him at one time.
9/10
