Description
Legendary musical superstar Michael Jackson takes the stage one last time in this theatrical concert film compiled from over 100 hours of rehearsal footage for the 50 shows he had been scheduled to perform at London's O2 arena at the time of his death. Take a trip behind the scenes to see the mastermind behind such classic pop hits as "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" prepare for the concert that would have crowned his entire career. Produced in collaboration with the Estate of Michael Jackson, the film details the elaborate preparations that took place for two months beginning in April of 2009.
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Los Angeles Times (10/30/2009, ) "[H]is dancing is uttery assured....[THIS IS IT is] edited like a real concert film, and the sound is almost too good to believe."
USA Today (10/30/2009, ) 3 stars out of 4 -- "Jackson shows signs of the physical and vocal fluidity and sheer charisma that he retaied....Jackson's creative team and crew emerge as engaging personalities in rehearsal and interview segments that are surprisingly funny or moving."
Box Office (10/28/2009, ) 5 stars out of 5 -- "Here, we see the master close to the top of his game....The tour Jackson called his 'final curtain call' might be his last bow, but his inspiration lives on."
New York Times (10/29/2009, ) "The rehearsals draw heavily from Mr. Jackson's older hits, notably from the 1982 album THRILLER, beginning with 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'' and moving through 'Human Nature,' 'Thriller,' 'Beat It' and 'Billie Jean.'"
Wall Street Journal (10/30/2009, ) "[Jackson] lives vividly in THIS IS IT, a spectacular record of rehearsals for a show that wasn't to be."
Movieline (10/28/2009, ) "[S]till capable of generating chills, the focus is more powerfully on the dancing, with Jackson moving his dancers through marks, tweaking their steps and coming up with on-the-spot cues."
Hollywood Reporter (10/27/2009, ) "[The film] captures one of pop culture's great entertainers in the feverish grips of pure creativity. The screen is filled with performers, musicians, choreographers, crew members and craftsmen, but the movie's laserlike focus is on Michael Jackson."
Variety (10/28/2009, ) "[H]is intense perfectionism is breathtaking to see here....THIS IS IT is a classy film that only affirms the man's talent."
Chicago Sun-Times (10/30/2009, ) 4 stars out of 4 -- "[The film] benefits from the limited number of cameras by allowing us to experience his work in something closer to realistic time....[It] provides both a good idea of what the final concert would have looked like, and a portrait of the artist at work."
Entertainment Weekly (11/06/2009, ) ôTHIS IS IT offers a raw and endearing sketch of a genius at work.ö -- Grade: B
