It was fantastic, and I believe so, even for people who aren't fans. I guess the emotional aspect only came near the end when you realise "Okay, you'll never get to see something like this again". Don't expect a story or a plot behind it. Just watch it like you're watching a brilliantly pieced together concert from different days.
Which only means one thing. There won't be 'plot spoilers' in any reviews, you can read them all you want. What I really loved about the movie was how brilliantly executed the choreography and the visual effects were. AND I loved the parts when the 3D remakes of Thriller, Earth Song and Smooth Criminal blended in perfectly with the live performances.
I also appreciated how I could finally see what really goes on in the production of a Michael Jackson concert (though, of course, a slightly under 2hours film isn't going to show you much, and only the bare minimum. But it's better than nothing.) I liked how MJ's passion for his live performances came through and his perfectionism showed. He was extremely detailed and specific in the entire choreography, the dance routines, the way each sequence fuses into the next, and using the exact right tempo and style in music to create the most appropriate dramatic effect for the performances. He was a creative genius and I don't think people realise how heavily involved and how much creative control he actually had in the performances he has put out there.
The film "imbues the King of Pop with a humanity that all the photos ever taken of him could never hope to replicate" - http://bit.ly/4dJBeQ
His apparent child-like demeanour is quite moving, to say the least. Physically though, he looked frail and far too thin. One of the saddest things from this movie was the realisation that for these very talented dancers and musicians who have trained their hardest and looked forward to a chance at achieving their dreams by using the concerts as a stepping stone to their future, would have had their dreams dashed alongside their grief for a new friend made.
And it is also quite sad, of course, to know that in reality, MJ might have loved performing so much because that's probably the only thing he was really good at...that aside from showbiz, he was probably one of the loneliest things in the world. People around him probably never could see him beyond all the fame and money (or lack thereof in the past several years). Except children, of course, which deeply endeared him to them. Now that might spark you guys off a totally different topic altogether. I'm choosing to keep as mum about my own opinions on them as the dead man himself.
Back to the movie, it definitely produced a different feel than anything I've watched at a theatre. Probably because it's one of the only movies where I realised I was surrounded by crying girls and GUYS at the end of the movie (Signs you're actually surrounded by fans or people who are very in touch with their emotions. -shrugs) and one of the first where almost everyone stayed in their seats patiently till the credits rolled to the end. I really can't say more. I don't know where the money's going to and whatever, but try watch it anyway. And just enjoy the last performance by the late King of Pop.
Oh right, on the topic of credits. You
should wait till the end because, there are additional clips right at the end. Don't say the internet didn't tell you!
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