After I left work Wednesday, I went straight to the theater looking forward to seeing Michael Jackson’s This is It. Arriving an hour early so that I can pick my seat instead of being left with slim pickings was my goal. When I arrived to the theater I thought there would be chaos, but that wasn’t the reality. Unlike the last movie I saw, Law Abiding Citizen — for which I had to wait in line, This Is It’s line was not quite as long. The theater it was presented in wasn’t filled to capacity, and was also smaller than I expected. What I should take into account is the frequent showings of the movie — a total of 16. The only sold out showing was for the IMAX version, which only had one showing today. Surveying the crowd, it was pretty clear who the Michael Jackson fans were. From the girl who wore the sparkling glove, to the little kid with the Thriller jacket, or the schoolgirl carrying a backpack with Bad spray-painted all over it — people were showing their love and appreciate for all that Michael Jackson had to offer. Being the first person into the theater, I set my eyes on my prime seating location — square in the middle, in direct alignment with the projector. I was all set for theatrical enjoyment. Now, the previews start. A few spots in, what show is being pimped to the audience? The new Jacksons reality series that will air on A&E. In true ghetto audience fashion, someone bellows “figures they’d try to cash in.” I would have been surprised if the Jackson’s didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to pimp the show — it’s only fitting. Everyone wants to milk the money out of MJ while it still is possible. With everything I’ve read about Michael being too frail to do 50 concerts, let alone 10, is consuming my brain. The movie opens up with some words about the footage being recorded for Michael’s personal collection — and a good thing he did or else I wouldn’t be sitting here now. Note: I don’t recall my complete thought process as it happened in the theater. So I’ll just run through some random stuff that I do recall.
- When we first start off with his songs I think that he won’t be able to get through any songs, so I can see how he will end up lip syncing through the entire concert. He appears a little out of it — I cannot see him doing this for 50 shows, let alone 10.
- At some point they go through the audition process and show how much Michael was involved in picking the principal dancers.
- By the time we get to Human Nature Michael appears a lot more emotional. My friend thought that Michael might have forgotten the lines. I believe he is remembering something and is working through the pain of his own thoughts. Either way, it was the one time during the movie that I felt like I wanted to shed a tear. It was just a powerful moment — I could only imagine what he was feeling at that moment.
- I Can’t Stop Loving You is one song I’ve always appreciated. I like Siedah Garrett and how she meshed with Michael. However, the backup singer, Judith Hill, who is paired with Michael leaves much to be desired. I’m sure she must be nervous and all but she needs to get over all that. Sing the damn song, shine.
- You’ll laugh more than a few times during this movie. There is a point where Michael is talking to one of the musicians and dude tells MJ that a sound check is needed. Dude tells Michael that he wants it to sound the way he think Michael needs to hear it. Michael responds back with words that amount to “I want it to sound the way it was written to sound.” (not exact quote, but you have to see it to understand) Michael Jackson’s humor is in full swing, along with his talent.
- It is clear that Michael knows what he wants in a show. When he points that finger with the tape on it in a particular direction or makes a movement in a particular way you better move, and you better know it’s for you. But by all means, please know that he is making that movement and giving you direction, “with love.” L-O-V-E
- Words like ‘sizzle’ and ‘simmer’ take on a whole knew meaning. The director tried to correct Mike on a movement and Michael said that he wanted the moment to sizzle. He directed the band to take time and let the moment simmer. He commands the stage and rehearsals in such a way that you can only give him what he wants, creatively. It was great to see this side of him.
- Michael comes off funny, caring, emotional — human.
- No Moonwalk. What gives?
I need to cut this post short. It basically comes down to this… Michael Jackson, is a lot much older and a little more stiff than he used to be. However, the magic that he has always brought to the stage was still there. His passion for his craft, the genius that created the music, and the love of performing was clear and well represented. THIS IS IT is a concert I would have never seen in an arena, but if you ever liked to see Michael Jackson perform this movie isn’t to be missed.
