Like most kids who grew up in the ’80s, I loved Michael Jackson. There’s a reason Thriller is the #1 selling album ever. However as I grew older my interest in his music waned. His personal life took over his professional one and people seemed to all but forget about the music genius aspect of him and only focused on what the news media wanted us to. And I’d be lying if I said I was immune to their onslaught.
However, all that changed when I saw This Is It in the theater. It renewed with much vigor my love of his music and he fell into heavy rotation on my iPod.
I gushed profusely about the film in my theatrical review and while I was excited to view the Blu-ray with all its special features, I was worried; would I have anything else to say about this documentary that I loved?
Watching a film a second time is always an interesting experience because it gives you second chance to revisit what you liked and disliked about the film and see if you still feel the same way. Happily, I very much enjoyed This Is It the second time around and look forward to a third and fourth in the future.
Besides being a magnificent look into the preparation of the concert that would never be, you get tons of really great music. All the songs included here are classics and the live performances give them new life. Sure some of the performances are a little rough, what do you expect? It was rehearsal. But glimpse you get of these rehearsals tells you how amazing the final production would have been.
This film is presented in 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. If it’s possible, this film looks even better on blu-ray than it did in the theater. And the sound is fantastic. You can really crank this sucker up and feel the music.
Thriller Vignette: (4 min.) The complete short film shot for the concert. Bits are seen in the film, but this is the whole thing uncut. It’s pretty cheesy, though still entertaining. It’s obviously shot for 3-D, too bad it’s not presented that way.
Smooth Criminal Vignette: (4 min.) Same as the Thriller Vignette, however this one is totally amazing! MJ is spliced into old classic black & white gangster films with the likes of Bogie, Edward G. and Rita Hayworth. Fantastic stuff.
The Making Of Smooth Criminal: (11 min.) This shows how they put MJ in the old films. Typical making of type stuff but pretty interesting.
Staging The Return: The Adventure Begins & Beyond The Show (40 min.) A great behind the scenes look at the film that gives you more insight on different aspects of what the show would have been including a most spectacular finale not mentioned in the film.
The Gloved One: (15 min.) This bit talks about the costumes for the concert. I’m not a big costume guy, but there were some really impressive outfits planned for this show. To quote MJ himself, “It’s everything I’ve always wanted.”
Memories Of Michael: (16 min.) Kenny Ortega as well as the musicians and dancers reflect on their memories of their time with him. Very touching and personal.
Auditions: Searching For The World’s Best Dancers: (10 min.) This piece looks at the worldwide talent search for the eleven dancers that would join MJ on stage for the show.
MovieIQ: Get info on the cast and crew while you watch the film and send playlists of your favorite songs to your computer or phone.
Theatrical Trailer
The really great thing about this film is even if you’re busy doing stuff around the house, you can pop it in and just listen to the music as you do other things. Plus it has tons of fantastic special features. If you’re a Michael Jackson fan, then this is absolutely a must own!
Sony Pictures presents Michael Jackson’s This Is It. Directed by: Kenny Ortega. Starring: Michael Jackson. Running time: 111. Rating: PG. Released on DVD: January 26, 2010. Available at Amazon.com
