MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT
RYAN: We were lucky enough to attend the New York premiere of “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” and it was more than a movie; it was an experience.
CAROLINE: Honestly, I was prepared to be kind of disturbed by this movie knowing how much Michael Jackson had diminished over the years. He’d gotten so painfully thin and freaky looking. But now, after seeing it, I cannot believe the fine form he was in as a performer. The quality of his voice and his amazing dancing in this movie was almost as it was in his heyday.
RYAN: We kept thinking we shouldn’t expect too much since this was just rehearsal footage and not MJ full out performing, but his dancing was so on, his voice was incredible and he’s totally with it and funny. He knew exactly what he wanted and he even directed people a little bit. It just makes me angry all over again that he’s gone.
CAROLINE: I can’t say Michael looks great in the movie; he’s something between a skeleton and a scarecrow. But he really still had it. I’m in shock at how much I enjoyed this movie. The song choices were amazing and I was grooving along to almost every single one. They were so far along in the rehearsal process that you could really see what the concert would have been like. The flow of the show was going to be perfect and they were going to play every MJ hit you wanted to hear.
RYAN: I turned to you in the middle and said, “I don’t want this to ever end.” And if this was just the rehearsal footage, I can’t imagine how freaking amazing the actual show would have been!
CAROLINE: I could almost hear the enormous applause that would have been at the end of every number. The energy was incredible. It would have been a stellar show, and a definite comeback for him. Even though he was so sick, he was still very capable. Fifty shows might have killed him, but he was ready to do it and really psyched for it. It’s now even more shocking to me that he died.
RYAN: It’s just so sad. I still can’t get over how effortless his dancing was. We watch “So You Think You Can Dance” and we know how much work goes into dancing phenomenally, but watching him you can see how much better he is than everyone else. He wasn’t just a dancer; he was dance. And he was music. The songs are lyrically beautiful and musically complex and have a great message. He truly deserved all his fame and recognition because he really was better than everyone else. They played his new song “This Is It” over the credits.
CAROLINE: He can still sing! Who knew? The movie is mostly rehearsal footage, and with each new number I was so excited to see what they were going to do with it. And they also delved a little into the musicians and dancers and their audition process, which I loved. The movie might have been 10 or 15 minutes too long, but that’s OK.
RYAN: We could have done without that one nature song; I’d rather have seen “Remember the Time.” But it was so fun to see him talking like a regular person who was actually funny and full of love and respect for his team. He never talked down to anyone. It was great to see him as a real person because as a culture, we totally dehumanized him. He was like a god or a king and we put him on such a pedestal, so it was neat to see the real man.
CAROLINE: I agree, but I’m a little torn since we know how incredibly troubled, sick and basically demented he was. I was able to put that aside while watching the movie, since it doesn’t focus on any of the negativity, but it was the sad reality. This movie is a real love letter to Michael Jackson the entertainer, and it was such a treat. Fans and non-fans alike will be in awe.
RYAN: I never got emotional, even though I thought I would after seeing the trailer. Just realizing this is the last time we’ll ever see him is so sad. But the movie is really a celebration of how fabulous he was.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: Your two weeks start now, people. Get your tickets!
RYAN: You must see this in the theater. It will have such a better impact than it would on TV. I absolutely loved this movie.
CAROLINE: It’s incredible and thrilling and I highly recommend it. Even if you liked Michael Jackson only a tiny bit, you should see this movie. It’s a reminder of what could have been.
— RATING —
