HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Michael Jackson's This is It

Michael Jackson’s This is It

Studio: Sony/Columbia

Year: 2009

Rated: PG

Program Length: 111 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 1080p

Languages: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA

Subtitles: English SDH, English, French

The Program

If Michael Jackson had not died of a heart attack on June 25, 2009, he would now be entering the final stage of 50 concerts which had been scheduled to be held between July, 2009 and March, 2010 at the O2 arena in London, England. An estimated 7,000 fans showed up for Jackson’s press conference in London in March 2009, when the concerts were first announced. It was to be the entertainer’s first significant concert run since 1997, and it promised to be the show business event of the year. After Jackson’s death it came to light that more than 100 hours of rehearsal and backstage preparation footage had been filmed. The result is a remarkably interesting and entertaining documentary, Michael Jackson’s This is It.

I never saw Michael Jackson perform in person, although I did stand in line for friends at McNichols Sports Arena in 1988 to buy tickets to his Bad World Tour. I confess that any interest I had in him had waned to nearly nothing as his life became increasingly bizarre and mired in controversy. However, it is now apparent to me that his “This is It” concerts would have been electrifying.

The film opens with comments from dancers who traveled from around the world to audition for the show. All of them acknowledge that Jackson’s dancing was very influential, and they seem to be in awe at the prospect of performing with him. Footage from the London press conference confirms that the various scandals which had sapped Jackson’s energy and wealth had not turned his fans against him. When rehearsals begin in April, 2009 it is apparent that Jackson already has a clear vision of what he hopes to accomplish. It is quite revealing as he works with his musicians, singers and dancers to help them understand exactly what he wants and needs from them. He seemingly never loses his temper. On the contrary, he always projects a sense of soft-spoken, gentle empathy. At one point a performer apologizes for making a mistake, and Jackson quietly responds, “That’s what rehearsals are for.”

The show was planned to be a multi-media extravaganza. A huge high-definition LCD screen was to be used to show several innovative vignettes which would introduce some of Jackson’s signature numbers. In addition to singers, musicians and dancers, gymnasts were brought on board to perform aerial dance routines similar to those done by Cirque du Soleil. During the course of the film, Michael Jackson performs the following songs, which encompass the entire length and breadth of his career:

Wanna Be Startin’ Something

Speechless

Bad

Smooth Criminal

Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough

Jam

They Don’t Care About Us

HIStory

Human Nature

The Way You Make Me Feel

I’ll Be There

I Want You Back

Shake Your Body (Down To the Ground)

Thriller

I Just Can’t Stop Loving You

Who Is It

Beat It

Threatened

Earth Song

Black or White

Man in the Mirror

Billie Jean

This is It

Heal the World

Michael Jackson’s This is It is rated PG for “suggestive choreography” and “scary images.” The “scary images” are part of the “Thriller” portion of the show, and they might well be frightening to younger children. The “suggestive choreography” consists of occasional crotch-grabbing by Jackson and his dancers.

Jackson’s singing voice is in fine form, and his supporting singers, musicians and dancers are excellent. Particularly impressive is the blonde Australian female lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris, who has achieved some fame in the United States during the past year. Those who might be looking for evidence that Jackson’s health was failing will be disappointed. He is pencil-thin, to be sure, but he exhibits a great deal of energy and he clearly is intensely involved in every aspect of the production. The only thing resembling a health complaint is when he says that he has to conserve his voice.

One of the tag lines for the film is “Discover the man you never knew.” However, in reality the film provides little insight into the controversial aspects of Jackson’s life. The footage was never intended to become a documentary, so the only time Jackson speaks is when he is talking with his fellow performers or his director, Kenny Ortega. At times his words are uttered so softly that English subtitles appear to help the viewer understand what he is saying. However, the film is a revelation when it comes to Michael Jackson the performer. Singer, dancer, choreographer, arranger, songwriter – he does them all.

It is difficult to reconcile the Michael Jackson we see here – talented, innovative, gentle, solicitous of his fellow performers – with the man who underwent repeated bizarre plastic surgeries, was accused of pedophilia, and infamously held out his infant son over the fourth-story railing of a hotel room in Berlin. Be that as it may, Michael Jackson’s This is It focuses only on the performer. Even for a non-fan, it is an exhilarating and entertaining ride. 

The Video

This Blu-ray transfer is very impressive, as we have come to expect from Sony. The film is properly framed at 1.78:1, although some shots are windowboxed. It is unclear if the windowboxing is due to different cameras being used or if it is simply a stylistic choice. As has been noted, much of the rehearsal footage was never intended to be shown to the public, so there is occasionally some variation in the quality of the images. For the most part, however, the images are extremely sharp and clear. Colors and flesh tones are accurately rendered. The digital filming reportedly was done on Redcode RAW.

The Audio

The lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is superb. The musical numbers soar, with an expansive soundstage which almost makes the viewer feel like he or she is present at the rehearsals. The sounds are spread across all five channels, and there are a number of effects which give the subwoofer a chance to do its thing. This is a reference-quality Blu-ray disc when it comes to reproducing music performances. It has been reported that some of the music comes for pre-recorded sources, but all of Michael Jackson’s singing was recorded live.

The Supplements

This Blu-ray disc is packed with extras which are sure to please all Michael Jackson fans. Among the BD exclusive features are the introductory vignettes which were produced for the numbers “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller.” The “Smooth Criminal” vignette runs for four minutes and is in black & white. It is a tribute to classic cinema and includes footage of Jackson seamlessly inserted into snippets from crime films such as DEAD RECKONING, IN A LONELY PLACE, THE BIG SLEEP and THIS GUN FOR HIRE. If you have ever wanted to see Michael Jackson be chased and shot at by Humphrey Bogart, your prayers have been answered. The vignette is extremely well-done and very amusing. The “Thriller” vignette also runs for about four minutes and is in brilliant color. It basically consists of an assortment of grotesque zombies emerging from their graves. Both vignettes are presented in 5.1 audio.

Also included is a two-part “making of” documentary. Part One is entitled “Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins” and covers how the show was envisioned. “Staging the Return: Beyond the Show” has the director and crew talking about the final rehearsals and the decision to create the concert film.

“The Gloved One” is a featurette about the costumes which were created for the show.

A featurette called “Memories of Michael” gives the director and members of the crew the opportunity to reflect on their experiences working with Jackson.

There also is an interesting featurette, “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers” which shows how a pool of 5,000 applicants was winnowed down to the 11 dancers who were hired for the show.

Also included are the original theatrical trailer and trailers for several other Sony Blu-ray titles.

All of the supplements are in high definition. BD-Live features will be activated on the release date.

The Packaging

The single disc comes in a standard Blu-ray keep case.

The Final Analysis

Michael Jackson’s This is It is likely to be remembered as one of the great concert films, in spite of the fact that it contains only rehearsal footage. The filmmakers have brilliantly figured out how to present this footage in a manner which gives the viewer a clear sense of what it would have been like to attend a “This is It” concert. At the same time, the film provides an incisive look into the creative talents of Michael Jackson. Whatever one’s feelings about Michael Jackson the man might be, he undeniably was a remarkably gifted entertainer.

Equipment used for this review:

Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player

Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specification by Gregg Loewen

Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver

BIC Acoustech speakers

Interconnects: Monster Cable

Release Date: January 26, 2010