The Dixie Sun

Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: submitted Pictures of Michael Jackson were blown up and placed outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles where fans signed them. Throughout "This Is It" Jackson states his love for all of his fans and supporters.

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" is a string of behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson and crew preparing for a concert tour set to premiere in London in 2010.

The film was edited from over 100 hours of rehearsals by Kenny Ortega, the director of Jackson's concert, along with four cutters. They took footage Jackson originally wanted shot for his own personal use and pre-shot sequences for the concert tour's video-screen spectacle, and turned it into a memoir of his legacy when he died.

The film itself is inspiring and nostalgic of everything Jackson. I witnessed the real "Man in the Mirror" as he meticulously sifted through every inch of his concert, making sure every detail was ideal and perfected. I watched a 50-year-old man dancing with the energy of his youth. It made it hard to remember that his death was caused by the misuse and abuse of painkillers.

I saw dancers travel from all over the world to audition to perform alongside Jackson. I heard Jackson sing a tribute to his brothers in a solo of Jackson 5's "I'll Be There," ending by saying how much he loves each of them.

I watched previews to a concert that had already been sold out, and the extreme special effects that went into making Jackson's imagination come to life. I observed pyrotechnics that had never been attempted before. I got a sneak peak at costumes with enough Swarovski crystals to satisfy a queen. I grinned at an innocent, humble man expressing his love for a crew that was largely there just for the joy of being in his presence.

I sung along as Jackson sang famous hits, sounding just as fresh as he did when the songs were recorded. We sang "Man in the Mirror" and I looked at his surgically altered face, tortured by ridicule and fame. I listened to "Smooth Criminal" and began to recall all the cases he won when criminal charges were placed on him. He sang "Black or White" and I remembered how he overcame black America and white America in a way that no one else was ever brave enough to take on.

Through it all, his agelessness breaks through and captivates the audience. I forgot I was just watching backstage footage of casual rehearsals.

"This Is It" gives the audience everything it asks for, and it surprised me in ways I never expected. I observed the love and unity Jackson brings to a crew of friends and strangers. I watched his demeanor demand the room's attention just by walking into it. I smiled with a sense of pride as they gave him the utmost respect just for being who he is, and having such a constant optimistic attitude.

Jackson's passion is evident and unavoidable as you watch him prepare a labor of love for his fans and supporters. You can attend "This Is It" and leave with a sense of fulfillment and closure. There could not have been a better way to let the King of Pop go out in his very own style. Rated PG.

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