'This Is It' shows Michael Jackson as we want to remember him

By Sarah Sluis

I knew Michael Jackson first as someone photographed with scarves and clothes covering his head. Magazine articles speculated about his appearance and plastic surgery, allegations were put forth about his sexual abuse of children, and his own children had mysterious paternity and maternity.

That's not the Michael Jackson you see in This Is It. For a younger generation, many of whom filled the seats at my Wednesday night screening, the concert documentary offers an opportunity to see the King of Pop back in peak form. He's guarded, not reclusive, and his exacting nature comes across as perfectionism, not diva behavior.

Because Michael Jackson is holding back on singing in the rehearsals to preserve his voice, the most stand-out songs are those staged with elaborate choreography. The dancing has incredible energy, precision, and ingenuity. Even surrounded by powerful dancers half his age, Jackson comfortably holds the lead. The dancers also help cue our awe. A casting session whittles down the hundreds of immensely talented dancers vying for a spot, and the ones that remain seem overjoyed by the opportunity to work alongside one of their idols. They applaud during rehearsals and show an incredible amount of respect for the man who has influenced contemporary dancing.

For those curious about the challenges of staging big concert productions, plenty of behind-the-scenes moments abound. The audience at my screening got a big kick out of Jackson's direction to let a song intro "simmer," and shouted the phrase back at the screen with a joyful glee--"Let it simmer, Mike!" One of Jackson's accompanists, after getting grilled by Jackson about the "simmering" pace, goes on to convey his respect for a pop artist who is such a perfectionist. He actually knows all his records and exactly how everything should sound. In the age of Auto-Tune, Jackson is a welcome anomaly. Though it seems he was planning on using echo effects live, judging from one performance, he brings with him a history of pop singing independent of the technological crutches standard in today's music world.

This Is It is worth going to the theatre for the crowd, but not necessarily for the IMAX. While the quality is far better than you would expect, the aspect ratio sometimes shifts to something smaller and grainier. Director Kenny Ortega, who was in charge of both the stage and film production, puts together an engaging two-hour experience. He expertly conveys half-completed effects, and instead of feeling like you missed something, you fill in what could have been. By showing us the strength of Jackson's would-be stage performance, This Is It seals his reputation as an icon.

Just how big will Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' be?

By Sarah Sluis

In a month, the King of Pop will give a last performance in This Is It. Sony paid a reported $60 million for worldwide rights to Michael Jackson's concert rehearsal footage, in a deal brokered just after the musician's death. Kenny Ortega, who was the director of the concert (and has also directed and

choreographed the High School Musical series), is also directing This Is It, which will also include interviews.

I've checked out the trailer for This Is It, and despite the fact that Michael Jackson was a little after my time, to be discovered in my teens along with the Stones and the Beatles, the trailer really communicates the excitement and energy of his music: it's timeless. The stages are huge, the dances are frenetic, and the few clips of Jackson speaking depict him as a reserved, grateful performer who was passionate about his music and a perfectionist. There's nothing negative, and there's certainly no hint of his drug use or the way I often thought of him: captioned in a newspaper article, his body and face shielded by his hand, a handkerchief, coat or umbrella. Will the movie continue in this vein, or will it give hint to the struggles that Jackson faced?

Yesterday, Movietickets.com reported that over 160 shows had sold out, and advance ticket sales for the film were about 82% of the site's business. It's definitely on track to recoup its $60 million. While the movie is only set to be released for two weeks, I'm sure Sony has a third week in reserve if the movie dramatically exceeds expectations, just as the release of the Hannah Montana concert movie

was extended due to demand. Over 30 million people watched television footage of his memorial service, and a good percentage of that audience will be willing to pay to see the movie.

With more studios pursuing special event, limited releases, the success of this movie could provide another positive case study for this type of release, which is currently used much less frequently than more common wide or small-to-big releases. Moviegoing is a "special" event for many, and releasing a picture for just two weeks is one way to add value. For example, this Friday, Disney will re-release Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D as a double feature. Originally, Disney had scheduled these two movies at different times leading up to the release of Toy Story 3, but apparently changed its tune. My guess is that in a recession, a double feature offers a greater value proposition and is more likely to draw in families. While This Is It will appeal to a largely different audience, including regular concertgoers, films using limited release strategies are ones we'll be watching in our Monday feature "Weekend Roundup."