Michael Jackson This is It: A Review

I recently attended, "Michael Jackson: This Is It" with a close friend of mine while the documentary was playing in the Washington, DC metropolitan area in late October. As a lifelong fan of Michael Jackson and his music, I was deeply saddened by Jackson's untimely passing in June of this year. In my opinion, "Michael Jackson: This Is It" was well worth the critical acclaim that the film has received.

The documentary captured footage of Jackson's final rehearsal for his tour in London, England, which had been scheduled to open during the first week of July. When my friend and I attended the documentary, the audience was medium-sized and very attentive. Throughout the course of the film, the tone varied between lighthearted humorous scenes and touching, poignant moments.

It could be that I was still in shock and a lot of denial about Jackson's tragic and very untimely passing. While watching the film, I marveled in admiration and wonder as Jackson rehearsed the Moonwalk flawlessly across the stage of the Los Angeles Coliseum. From a vocal standpoint, it was hard to believe that the audience was listening to a fifty year old musical icon as he sang the many hit songs of his repertoire of a remarkable career which spanned more than thirty years. In my opinion, Jackson's numerous hits, including, "Man In The Mirror," "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," and, "Smooth Criminal," sounded just as good vocally in, "Michael Jackson: This Is It" today as they did at the time of their initial release.

"Michael Jackson: This Is It" had many strengths. Jackson's songs are a timeless soundtrack for the lives of his fans. It seemed to me that the strongest element of, "Michael Jackson: This Is It" was the remarkable ability of close Jackson friend and film Director Kenny Ortega to use the film in an effort to humanize Jackson and publicly memorialize his life in the most wonderful, loving and touching tribute possible.

After seeing, "Michael Jackson: This Is It," I felt a deeper sense of sadness, grief and loss about Michael Jackson's untimely passing. Before Jackson's tragic death on June 25, 2009, I had been excitedly anticipating his upcoming comeback and London tour. I think seeing the film finally made his death a sad reality for me when I realized that the world would never again see Jackson Moonwalk across the stage or hear him perform any of his classic songs. "Michael Jackson: This Is It" is a fabulous and fitting farewell to a true artist who redefined music as we know it.