Michael Jackson: 'This Is It' Inc.
Is Jackson's posthumous concert-rehearsal movie a loving tribute or a morbid cash grab?
Michael Jackson's This Is It
(John Isaac/MJJ Productions)
Spliced together from footage of Michael Jackson’s final concert rehearsals before his death, This Is It is expected to take in $400 million during its limited two-week run. Some Jackson fans are complaining that the film is a distasteful and morbid cash grab by Jackson’s family and Sony, and that Jackson would have been horrified at his portrayal in the film. Does This Is It exploit Michael or immortalize him?
The film is ghoulish: This “morbid patch job” of a film, says Lou Lumenick in the New York Post, only serves to help Jackson’s family and “longtime enablers” at Sony “cash in” on the singer’s death. We can be “confident that a perfectionist like Jackson would never want to be remembered by a shoddy piece of exploitation like This Is It.”
“It’s Bad”
It’s a respectful final tribute: “This Is It is not in any way ghoulish,” says Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly. The singer looks healthy in the film, so there’s no temptation to scrutinize him for telltale signs of an impending death. “As the last set of images we’ll ever have of Michael Jackson, This Is It offers a raw and endearing sketch of a genius at work.”
“Michael Jackson’s This Is It”
The movie’s success just gold-plates his legacy: The audience enjoys the privilege of seeing a perfectionist at work, says Richard Corliss in Time. And ultimately, the film will only add to Jackson’s legend. “For a modern entertainer who dies before his time, immortality is measured in residuals.” So if This Is It does well at the box office, “the movie does earn him a redemptive legacy.”
“Michael Jackson’s This Is It Review: He’s Still a Thriller”
Show: Oldest | Newest
4 Comments
Posted by GaryDl, Thursday, October 29, 2009, 1:17 pm A genius? Please... While MJ was talented, he was a derivative entertainer whose reputation rests on one album and some fine dancing from over 20 years ago. Strip him of the pyrotechnics, special effects, and dance steps, and you have a singer of no more than decent ability singing pop tunes of little originality. Put him on a stage, with a chair and a mike, and the audience will filter out. His death was tragicbut let's stop making him into some sort of epochdefining talentwhich he assuredly was not.
Posted by bah humbug, Thursday, October 29, 2009, 2:26 pm Hear, hear! Grow up, world, and get over it.
Posted by Michael, Thursday, October 29, 2009, 4:22 pm Hmmm....kind of like Elvis huh? Let's try to recall what a performance of his would have been like without all the theatrical movements....
Posted by Sara, Thursday, October 29, 2009, 11:15 pm I happen to love the music that was recently released that showcases only Michaels voice. The remixes are excellent and only prove what an incredible vocal talent he was. Michael didn't need all of the glitter but he wanted it so that the furthest person in the audience could see his dance moves. I love that about him. When you become the global superstar and humanitarian that Michael is, the record breaker for most charities supported or anything else Michael set records in, come back and we'll listen. Until then shut up.
Post a Comment