Strictly average movie

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

It has been 5 years since Michael Jackson passed away and 3 years since I first watched "This Is It"; I was still in "state of shock" and denial that MJ is gone - too soon. A second watch stroke me with an overwhelming feeling right when the feature film started; how "alive" is the king of pop! How can he be so "real" and time- transcendent! I felt so overwhelmed to see the King on stage - a master par excellence! The feature film inaugurates with a remarkable message: "For the fans..." and, as an MJ fan, it puts me right in the moment that I am going to watch a somewhat intimate filming and it was heartwarming."This Is It" is simply well edited, carefully piled together feature film to put the best of what Michael has poured into the rehearsals, to give back to the fans and the world. More, it is so easy to feel the heart of the director gathering these scattered shootings into an almost 2 hours adventure. It feels so much Love to the King of Pop and so much consideration to his fans. The quality of communication between Michael Jackson and K. Ortega gives a clear clue of what type of relationship the two have developed, for the love of art and giving to others.In my opinion, "This Is It" is to be watched many times, but as much as one would get easily captivated by the magical moves, voice, discussed technicalities by MJ, the movie is also a good opportunity to explore what it is like to work with a world icon, vis-a-vis the director, technicians, musicians, vocalists, dancers and everyone involved. It feasibly goes on exploring the songs along with dances and decoration; it pauses at times when a remark needs to be discussed, it repeats a given part, dance, musical key note, a played instrument, etc. All of these details have been kept in the movie to give fans a chance to re-live work-on-process, sculpture refining, magic in-motion. That is how "intimate" this feature film is and this is why it is worthy of several watching.Michael Jackson's rehearsing is beyond any expectations! His level of energy and "mental presence" are very unquestionable, yet, it puts the viewer in a position of confusion; how can this man with this level of energy and readiness of giving die so suddenly!? And the sad truth is there would be no logical answer, that maybe the consolation would come from watching "This Is It" as it is. With every song, MJ is pouring all of his heart and emotions - the man is not taking anything for granted. He simply lives in the moment of the song, feels it deeply, expresses it with a voice and a body language, pauses to change, edit or discuss a detail or two, rehearses and repeats to an "overkill" degree and leaves the audience, me in person, literally breathless! He was 50 years old, yet, nothing of what he does and how, would give you a clue of his biological age! He was simply young at heart and immortal in soul. Selfless, giving, friendly, humble, respectful, easy-going and loving are easily noticed when watching MJ with everyone around him. He believes a work is a team-effort and he doesn't miss a chance to show gratitude to those around him. He is fit for his title: the King.There is also a big focus on the effort that was made to re-film parts of some of the biggest hits to include in the live show, all under MJ's direct supervision. The man was just too much involved in the nuts and bolts of his show – nothing of a surprise to his fans - the perfectionist.All in all, the general working atmosphere felt friendly, loving and space was allowed for any talent to explode, be it intellectual or physical. In MJ's rehearsals, there is a welcoming ground for anyone to be. Everyone would look at ease doing what he/she is supposed to do and the tension is left behind – that's what I have felt while watching the entire movie.Then, hats off to K. Ortega. Not only did he manage to piece together the genius and artistry of Michael Jackson, but he also excelled to present the human-MJ, person, soul and heart to his fans and to those who knew little about him. Ortega generosity included short interviews of musicians, dancers and technicians – their presence has been reserved for being key-players in the project.As the movie reaches its end, so the King's. A beautiful spiritual-like scene is captivated where every one is holding hands and Michael's words of gratitude come out – the message conveyed was larger than the clock of his body – it was as global as he is. RIP MJ, a true King that ever lived.

I didn't expect to like this film as much as I did. There's been some criticism about turning the rehearsal footage into a film, but that's exactly what makes this film so different from anything else we've seen with or about Michael Jackson. What's most engaging about the film is being able to witness Jackson's creative process versus just seeing the final product, and observing how he worked behind the scenes and how he thought, managed and directed his artists and technicians.While I enjoyed Michael Jackson's work off & on over the years, all the negative press, media frenzy and over-exposure made me lose interest over time. Watching this film obscured the negative for me. Jackson's creative genius, intelligence, humor, depth, dedication, kindness and charisma made him incomparable as an artist. We see an artist who is mature, wise, self-aware, capable, mindful, kind and respectful to everyone around him. Yes, it's irrefutable that Jackson was eccentric and childlike, but he seems neither weird nor wacky here. There have been many brilliant people throughout history who were viewed as "weird" by their contemporaries because they were unusual and different from the pack or purely interested in-- and focused on-- what inspired them. Jackson also appears quite strong and lucid in all the footage and seems completely inspired & energetic. The film also does a great job of showing how much heart, integrity and care went into this tour by everyone involved. How lucky were all those who got to watch the magic up-close, and how lucky his fans are that all this was actually captured on film so thoroughly. The dancers are incredible and the dance routines and sets breathtaking. The concert would have been amazing. But for me, being able to glimpse this magical artist behind the scenes was the real gift.

It is hard to write a review for something so bare-bones and incomplete as "This Is It". It's not really a concert movie, the kind that drops the viewer into the audience, experiencing the big show better than any ticket holder ever could. No, this simple handicam special is more like a full-length "bonus feature" on a real Jackson DVD. It's Michael Jackson at half-speed, so as not to blow out his vocal chords or wear his body down for the "real" shows - 50 potentially stamina-sapping performances planned for London's 02 Arena. It's ghoulish to watch a clearly not-young Jackson: inspired at times, sometimes going through the motions, reclaiming past hits, old dance moves - and not think about what is really happening in his life, and what is just about to. The other reaction is that the film seems shamelessly calculated. The only reason this footage exists is to allow technical crews and talent viewing backstage see where the show needed tightening or improvement. Hastily chopped-in reminiscences repackaged and padded out as a feature film, THIS IS IT smacks of quick-buck opportunism, cold and morbid.Admittedly, the show looked like it would have been a wowzer, and there's no doubt that Jackson had talent to burn. You do see very bright flashes of it from time to time in several dialed-up performances in THIS IS IT.Most reports paint Jackson as a perfectionist about his performance (you even see it in this film where he dressed-down a crewmember), and through that lens, I think this film would certainly not have seen the light of day if it had been allowed to pass through Jackson's hyperultra-managed image factory. Despite it's inconsequential nature, as a last-chance to see him work, the picture may offer fans an emotional resonance not shared by this reviewer - and even some closure from his untimely death. For viewers interested in reliving the excitement and stage presence that thrilled audiences around the world for four decades, this film is decidedly not it.

I have to say, I never was a big fan of Michael Jackson but watching this documentary made me think very different on him musically.Most the time I just never bothered to listen to the man. But this is a must watch for a music fan. Anything you may have thought of the man "He's overrated" for instance, please take the time and watch This Is It. You will think completely different of him.For a musician that has the money and power to create such a blasting show and have computers to do CGI, for one, Michael didn't have to go all out and make every dance move correct and work his aged body, but he did it and it proved he truly had a passion for what he did.The band; what can I say? Jackson has a legacy of starting careers for musicians. Orianthi shows what made her wonderful on her solo album, along with all the other musicians.I will not spoil the rest but go out and watch it, this movie is AMAZING!!!