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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
It's hard not to watch This Is It without feeling a mixture of sorrow and elation. When he passed away in the summer of 2009, Michael Jackson was in the midst of rehearsals for his final tour, an ambitious 50-date engagement. In editing 120 hours of rehearsal footage together, Jackson producer Kenny Ortega proves that it would've been an event for the ages. Michael performs material that spans his career, from a Motown medley to multi-platinum hits from Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad. Though he hadn't toured in 10 years, it becomes instantly apparent, despite rumors to the contrary, that Jackson was still in full possession of that unmistakable voice--high-pitched whoops and all--and that he still had the gravity-defying moves of a man half his age. Jackson and Ortega also collaborated on some real showstoppers, such as a graveyard-set "Thriller"; an imposing "They Don't Care About Us," in which several dancers appear to morph into thousands; and a film noir sequence in which the singer slides in and out of Gilda and other black-and-white classics, singing "Smooth Criminal" all the while. Not everything works, like the Jackson 5 numbers, in which he flubs a few lyrics, claiming that his earpiece isn't working properly, but as he readily acknowledges, "That's what rehearsal is for." It's a tragedy that he didn't get the chance to share this dazzling show with the world, but Ortega allows fans to feel as if it actually happened--at least onscreen. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Stills from Michael Jackson: This Is It (Click for larger image)
Stills from Michael Jackson: This Is It (Click for larger image)
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Product Description
SEE THE EVENT OF A LIFETIME AT THEATERS – LOOK FOR IT SOON ON DVD AND BLU-RAY. Michael Jackson's This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's This Is It captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. Directed by Kenny Ortega, who was both Michael Jackson's creative partner and the director of the stage show.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
615 of 648 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
When Michael Jackson died on June 25th 2009 it seems a part of the world died with him. It made many people sad all over the world and it seems that for once everyone was being nice to this man who had always been abused by the Medias; journalists, interviewers and others. When I heard of the "This Is It" movie concert I didn't know what to think. I knew it was rehearsal footage from the 50 concerts he was to perform at the O2 arena but I didn't know what was going to come out of it or what they were going to do with it. When I saw the trailers I knew I had to see this and that "This Is It" was going to be something special like I've never seen. And that's precisely what I got, I even bought my ticket in advance for the movie and feel like it was much worth it.
It amazed me how good MJ still was, the dance moves were great and fascinating to me. He was clearly the one in charge of the whole thing. He gave precise instructions of what he wanted, made sure everything was right and did everything that needed to be done. The film shows just how much Michael was respected, there were parts of it where they asked him if he wanted anything or what he thought and if he liked something, it seems no one assumed anything at all. When he talked the crew would listen and he asked things in the nicest way, never to hurt anyone. There's not a part that doesn't make him look like the nice guy he always was. There are mixed feelings about him after all the bad things that have been said about him but after watching this I don't know one could possibly believe them.
To be honest I loved every minute of it, every song was special and was great to watch. Right from the beginning of "Wanna Be Startin'Somethin'" it was amazing. No matter how many people surround him he's always the one who does things better than anyone else and the one you're watching. This Is It was really a unique experience, I felt they chose the right footage parts for the movie and made him look great in every sense. They could truly have messed things up but they didn't and came out with an amazing documentary, it's sort of a testament to his fans, it's just very special. I really liked the Thriller 3D part, it was a 3D video shoot and afterwards you see MJ coming out onstage from a spider, the show would have looked awesome. They Don't Care About Us was amazing, The Smooth Criminal part was very interesting, so was the Earth Song which had a beautiful video of a little girl in a forest, waking up to see that all of it has been destroyed. I won't go further but every song had something about them.
The stage show would have been grandiose, the fireworks, the "fireball" (quite impressive I won't spoil anything), pyrotechnics, the videos that accompany the songs are all very impressive. This could very well have been the best show ever had he lived to perform them. In the end I was quite amazed by the 1: 48 minutes I watched, I can't wait to see it again and the message Michael gives at the end is very inspiring. From the auditions of the brilliant performers to the credits with the "This Is It" song I was captivated.
The said special features will feature more of the rehearsal and a two part documentary on Michael's history and his comeback along behind the scenes. I can't wait to see more of the rehearsal and hopefully the extras will be great and there will plenty to watch.
It's hard for me to describe what watching this movie was like and what I felt about it. I know this is rehearsal footage but it's truly brilliant and while it main not catch Michael at his best it certainly catches him at his most honest. I don't have anything bad to say about either this movie or the man himself, This Is It is a must see. It doesn't matter if you watch in its theatrical run or on DVD/Blue Ray when released, this is amazing and his fans just have to see this. I will certainly be amongst those who buy it and watch it over and over again. This man gave his life to music and his fans and I don't remember where I heard or read this but I do remember that someone said: "He was a gift of god, he was a kind human being who's been mistreated by many opportunists, he's been taken advantage of but he was the nicest person and could never harm anyone" or sometime like that. These words are very truthful and really mean something to his fans.
It amazed me how good MJ still was, the dance moves were great and fascinating to me. He was clearly the one in charge of the whole thing. He gave precise instructions of what he wanted, made sure everything was right and did everything that needed to be done. The film shows just how much Michael was respected, there were parts of it where they asked him if he wanted anything or what he thought and if he liked something, it seems no one assumed anything at all. When he talked the crew would listen and he asked things in the nicest way, never to hurt anyone. There's not a part that doesn't make him look like the nice guy he always was. There are mixed feelings about him after all the bad things that have been said about him but after watching this I don't know one could possibly believe them.
To be honest I loved every minute of it, every song was special and was great to watch. Right from the beginning of "Wanna Be Startin'Somethin'" it was amazing. No matter how many people surround him he's always the one who does things better than anyone else and the one you're watching. This Is It was really a unique experience, I felt they chose the right footage parts for the movie and made him look great in every sense. They could truly have messed things up but they didn't and came out with an amazing documentary, it's sort of a testament to his fans, it's just very special. I really liked the Thriller 3D part, it was a 3D video shoot and afterwards you see MJ coming out onstage from a spider, the show would have looked awesome. They Don't Care About Us was amazing, The Smooth Criminal part was very interesting, so was the Earth Song which had a beautiful video of a little girl in a forest, waking up to see that all of it has been destroyed. I won't go further but every song had something about them.
The stage show would have been grandiose, the fireworks, the "fireball" (quite impressive I won't spoil anything), pyrotechnics, the videos that accompany the songs are all very impressive. This could very well have been the best show ever had he lived to perform them. In the end I was quite amazed by the 1: 48 minutes I watched, I can't wait to see it again and the message Michael gives at the end is very inspiring. From the auditions of the brilliant performers to the credits with the "This Is It" song I was captivated.
The said special features will feature more of the rehearsal and a two part documentary on Michael's history and his comeback along behind the scenes. I can't wait to see more of the rehearsal and hopefully the extras will be great and there will plenty to watch.
It's hard for me to describe what watching this movie was like and what I felt about it. I know this is rehearsal footage but it's truly brilliant and while it main not catch Michael at his best it certainly catches him at his most honest. I don't have anything bad to say about either this movie or the man himself, This Is It is a must see. It doesn't matter if you watch in its theatrical run or on DVD/Blue Ray when released, this is amazing and his fans just have to see this. I will certainly be amongst those who buy it and watch it over and over again. This man gave his life to music and his fans and I don't remember where I heard or read this but I do remember that someone said: "He was a gift of god, he was a kind human being who's been mistreated by many opportunists, he's been taken advantage of but he was the nicest person and could never harm anyone" or sometime like that. These words are very truthful and really mean something to his fans.
131 of 141 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"This Is It" is likely one of the best concert films ever produced, and that's saying something considering that the actual concerts never happened, and the limited time available to shape the ample rehearsal footage into a polished final product.
While the film includes interviews with those associated with Michael Jackson's planned London concerts, many snippets of creative discussions, and other "behind the scenes" activities, director Kenny Ortega wisely focuses on performance in the film. Serving that end, "This Is It" is chockful of energetic, heartfelt songs, meticulously-produced dance numbers, and other incredible elements that would have been included in the concerts, including some wonderful filmed sequences (one "co-starring" Humphrey Bogart and Rita Hayworth).
And when Ortega chooses to include footage of performances that are interrupted (usually by perfectionist Jackson) with creative banter on how this or that song should be tweaked, or how a musician should lengthen or highlight a chord or bar of music, it's all extremely fascinating. We see from Michael Jackson's interaction with his musicians and producers that, despite his time away from the limelight, he was still sharp, engaged, and still very much touched by genius in the area of music and performance. Oh, and he also repeatedly came off as a gentle, nice person. And a generous one: a particularly touching scene shows Jackson urging his female back-up guitarist to step up and not be afraid to make the most of a solo moment ("this is your moment to shine!").
It's also uplifting (and even a little funny) to see Jackson not being able to resist giving full-fledged, amazing rehearsal performances despite the many times he says, "Now I'm going to hold back a little and save my voice for the shows". After one such performance (Jackson singing a wonderfully re-imagined "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with an enthusiastic but pretty outclassed duet partner), Jackson apologizes to the crew for again getting lost in the moment and not holding back. To which Ortega essentially tells him to not worry about it because, after all, how can Michael Jackson not help but be Michael Jackson?
"This Is It" will be a wonderful DVD to own (I'm sure the extra features will be amazing), but I'm glad that I made the trip to see the movie on the big screen. If you can, see it that way first to get all the more impact from this entertaining, illuminating, and bittersweet farewell to Michael Jackson, both the musical icon and, more importantly, the man.
While the film includes interviews with those associated with Michael Jackson's planned London concerts, many snippets of creative discussions, and other "behind the scenes" activities, director Kenny Ortega wisely focuses on performance in the film. Serving that end, "This Is It" is chockful of energetic, heartfelt songs, meticulously-produced dance numbers, and other incredible elements that would have been included in the concerts, including some wonderful filmed sequences (one "co-starring" Humphrey Bogart and Rita Hayworth).
And when Ortega chooses to include footage of performances that are interrupted (usually by perfectionist Jackson) with creative banter on how this or that song should be tweaked, or how a musician should lengthen or highlight a chord or bar of music, it's all extremely fascinating. We see from Michael Jackson's interaction with his musicians and producers that, despite his time away from the limelight, he was still sharp, engaged, and still very much touched by genius in the area of music and performance. Oh, and he also repeatedly came off as a gentle, nice person. And a generous one: a particularly touching scene shows Jackson urging his female back-up guitarist to step up and not be afraid to make the most of a solo moment ("this is your moment to shine!").
It's also uplifting (and even a little funny) to see Jackson not being able to resist giving full-fledged, amazing rehearsal performances despite the many times he says, "Now I'm going to hold back a little and save my voice for the shows". After one such performance (Jackson singing a wonderfully re-imagined "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with an enthusiastic but pretty outclassed duet partner), Jackson apologizes to the crew for again getting lost in the moment and not holding back. To which Ortega essentially tells him to not worry about it because, after all, how can Michael Jackson not help but be Michael Jackson?
"This Is It" will be a wonderful DVD to own (I'm sure the extra features will be amazing), but I'm glad that I made the trip to see the movie on the big screen. If you can, see it that way first to get all the more impact from this entertaining, illuminating, and bittersweet farewell to Michael Jackson, both the musical icon and, more importantly, the man.
224 of 248 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was in the movie theater and watched with awe the entire premiere of this phenomenal movie just after midnight October 28.
THIS IS IT the Movie is extraordinary. Rarely am I so gripped by a movie that I did not want to blink! I was hoping the movie would be made available in DVD - buying this DVD is a MAJOR GIFT!
During each rehearsal Michael Jackson was passionately hands on regarding every facet of the concert experience he was creating. The energy Michael and ALL who were involved in these rehearsals created an experience that is almost indefinable in words - it transports you with awe INTO the soul behind the creation of the music.
The movie Director, producers, special effects, make-up, costume, musicians, the dancers who performed with Michael during these final rehearsals before his passing are all PHENOMENAL.
I feel we owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to the special people who filmed the rehearsals that made this movie. What a GIFT you have given humanity!
Michael Jackson will forever be a gift to humanity. When you see this movie you will understand why.
{An Update} Tonight, December 3, 2009, I saw the final showing of this amazing film for the 5th time. I was just as glued to the screen as I was the first time. I never cried before for what I could only describe as a poignant ending, but I did tonight. THIS IS IT is so much more about the care Michael Jackson had for humanity, and our planet.
He said, "I've always loved trees, I get upset at the mismanagement of our planet, that every minute trees the size of a football field is cut down in the Amazon rain forest... It's up to us to fix this and we only have four years left before it's irreversible. People say the government will fix this, "they" will fix this, "they", they who? It's up to us. This is it...That's why I write these songs, to inspire people, to give them hope, I'm so glad I can give that to the world."
When he spoke to all of the people involved in the rehearsals he said, "This is an adventure, a great adventure. To take people places they've never been before, to show them talent that they've never seen before."
This precious soul named Michael Jackson leaves us with an awareness to take responsibility for the changes we must make. I feel one of the best ways we can pay tribute to him is to start planting trees in his name in honor of each person who wants to keep his memory alive.
Each of the five times I was glued to the screen watching the movie THIS IS IT moved my heart in ways I've never experienced before. The loss is HUGE, but I know he's watching, so I'd like to say, Thank You Michael Jackson for giving us a lifetime of your heart that will remain in our hearts forever.
THIS IS IT the Movie is extraordinary. Rarely am I so gripped by a movie that I did not want to blink! I was hoping the movie would be made available in DVD - buying this DVD is a MAJOR GIFT!
During each rehearsal Michael Jackson was passionately hands on regarding every facet of the concert experience he was creating. The energy Michael and ALL who were involved in these rehearsals created an experience that is almost indefinable in words - it transports you with awe INTO the soul behind the creation of the music.
The movie Director, producers, special effects, make-up, costume, musicians, the dancers who performed with Michael during these final rehearsals before his passing are all PHENOMENAL.
I feel we owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to the special people who filmed the rehearsals that made this movie. What a GIFT you have given humanity!
Michael Jackson will forever be a gift to humanity. When you see this movie you will understand why.
{An Update} Tonight, December 3, 2009, I saw the final showing of this amazing film for the 5th time. I was just as glued to the screen as I was the first time. I never cried before for what I could only describe as a poignant ending, but I did tonight. THIS IS IT is so much more about the care Michael Jackson had for humanity, and our planet.
He said, "I've always loved trees, I get upset at the mismanagement of our planet, that every minute trees the size of a football field is cut down in the Amazon rain forest... It's up to us to fix this and we only have four years left before it's irreversible. People say the government will fix this, "they" will fix this, "they", they who? It's up to us. This is it...That's why I write these songs, to inspire people, to give them hope, I'm so glad I can give that to the world."
When he spoke to all of the people involved in the rehearsals he said, "This is an adventure, a great adventure. To take people places they've never been before, to show them talent that they've never seen before."
This precious soul named Michael Jackson leaves us with an awareness to take responsibility for the changes we must make. I feel one of the best ways we can pay tribute to him is to start planting trees in his name in honor of each person who wants to keep his memory alive.
Each of the five times I was glued to the screen watching the movie THIS IS IT moved my heart in ways I've never experienced before. The loss is HUGE, but I know he's watching, so I'd like to say, Thank You Michael Jackson for giving us a lifetime of your heart that will remain in our hearts forever.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Inside OK outside not
The DVD was fine,it played like a new one, just the cover was not a new cover. It was sealed on one side, but the paper inside was slightly faded, not bright and clean looking.
Published 3 days ago by John Watamoto
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great music....great behind the scenes footage
A brilliant montage of the making of a show. Anyone who loved Michael's music and
performances will be blown away. Read more
performances will be blown away. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Randi Burdick
1.0 out of 5 stars
I hated it, I was expecting more action
It was not what I expected. Not enough action. I am thinking of throw it away. I was very disappointed with the content.
Published 25 days ago by PETER J. TORRES
5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT CUT
THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER MICHAEL JACKSON NOR THERE WILL BE AN IMITATOR TO MATCH HIS PERFORMANCE. LONG LIVE MICHAEL
Published 29 days ago by Hugo Cornejo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
This cd and dvd combo is great. The way it's put together. I just love to watch the dvd over and over again. Big fan of MJ.
Published 1 month ago by J. Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect gift for Michael Jackson fans
This Blu-ray video shows a wonderful depiction of his final performance rehearsals. It is both a joy to watch and sad to see. Read more
Published 1 month ago by PartMusicPartGeek
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Great movie. Interesting to get a glimpse into his concert preparations and the process of how a concert is made.
Published 1 month ago by Michelle Campbell
4.0 out of 5 stars
WHAT A CONCERT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN !
The only drawback in viewing this is that it's sad that this great performer had to leave us so soon in his life.......fascinating performances..... Read more
Published 1 month ago by paul the hornet man
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masterful dancing
A fascinating look at what is required to put on a concert. A side of MJ that most never got to see. He was truly gifted.
Published 1 month ago by Lynn Reinhard
5.0 out of 5 stars
A peek at a genius.
I've never before realized MJ's talent, as the media has always made a living on his "weirdness". In reality, and this DVD shows it, he had an amazing gift for music, dancing and... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bronco Man
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