Michael Jackson: This is It

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" raises a question: That's it?

One of the great performing artists of the past half-century, and the send-off he receives is this documentary that's something of a half-movie?

Culled from a video collection of the late King of Pop in rehearsals for a never-to-be series of 50 concerts in London, the film features Jackson as he half-sings several songs. He half- dances his storied choreography. This is not a concert film; it's a concert-practice film, and it makes for a half-hearted affair that never explores Jackson the artist, the man, the enigma.

I know what some of you are thinking: You saw enough retrospective footage after his death on June 25. You heard enough rumor, fact and innuendo in the weeks that followed about doctors and drugs and past legal troubles, and you don't need that rehashed in "This Is It."

Fair enough. As the film says at the beginning, the documentary is "for the fans."

But as someone a tad younger than the 50-year-old Jackson and one who followed his career from his earliest performances and even 1970s Saturday morning cartoons, I found little in "This Is It" to enjoy as a fan. I don't want to remember Jackson lip-synching songs inside an empty arena on out-of-focus video.

Sold as a rare behind-the-scenes look, the film shows the performer as a gaunt stick-figure hidden behind sunglasses and ringlets of black hair in his face, but he does not appear sick, exhausted or stressed in the weeks leading up to his death. He is in control, focused. He runs the show.

He is surrounded by dancers who worship him, and a band of sycophants, with tour director Kenny Ortega (who compiled the film footage for the documentary) playing the No. 1 yes-man. Jackson's genius is never challenged or even mildly debated.

Should it be? Probably not, and I couldn't help but wonder what Jackson the perfectionist would have thought of releasing "This Is It" in this rough-cut form, but we'll never know.

The film opens with subtitles detailing that Jackson was rehearsing this spring with a collection of dancers, musicians, backup singers and Ortega, and these events were being filmed for Jackson's personal library.

More than a dozen songs unspool against footage from weeks of rehearsals, and the result is odd to watch. There is consistent lip- syncing, with Jackson trying to save his voice. It saps any palpable electricity from tune after tune, most of which are cut together from multiple rehearsals, but with nary a hiccup in the sound.

The imagery of this facade is both weird and monotonous.

When he does go uncut on a version of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," pairing up with a female backup singer and riffing on his hit, the result is memorable. He then immediately complains about having to sing out loud, only half-jokingly.

The most dynamic peeks come in looks at mounting the massive tour, like filming new video content full of zombies for "Thriller," which would have made for a dynamic opening to the song in concert, much like some of the video content displayed at the recent U2 concert in Norman.

Bottom line: The rough footage that was produced was never intended to be seen by the public, and it looks it.

Sony reportedly paid $60 million for 100-plus hours of video, in what feels like a post-mortem cash-grab, while saying it's being done "for the fans." Michael Jackson: This is it

Stars: Michael Jackson, Kenny Ortega

Theaters: AMC Southroads 20, Cinemark Tulsa, Starworld 20, RiverWalk, Owasso, Eton Square, Broken Arrow, Sand Springs

Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Rated: PG (some suggestive choreography and scary images)

Quality: (on a scale of zero to four stars) Set list

Among the songs heard in "This Is It":

Wanna Be Starting Something

Jam

They Don't Care About Us

Human Nature

Smooth Criminal

The Way You Make Me Feel

Medley: I Want You Back/The Love

You Save/I'll Be There

Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)

I Just Can't Stop Loving You

Thriller

Beat It

Black & White

Earth Song

Billie Jean

Man in the Mirror

Michael Smith 581-8479

michael.smith@tulsaworld.com

Originally published by MICHAEL SMITH World Scene Writer.

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