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No 'Thriller,' just a final gift for the fans

Despite patchwork of footage, Jackson gives fans what they wanted in 'This Is It.'

By Rick Bentley / The Fresno Bee

Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 | 03:22 PM Modified Thu, Oct 29, 2009 11:25 AM

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In the opening minutes of Michael Jacksons This Is It, the words for the fans flash across the screen.

The new documentary is designed to be a gift to anyone who tried to mimic Jacksons Billie Jean dance moves in front of a mirror, did the Thriller dance at a Halloween party or shed a tear when Jackson died only a few months ago.

To those loyal MJ fans, it really wont matter that the movie is patchworked together from rehearsal footage of what would have been the pop singers London tour.

This footage often features bad lighting, audio that comes and goes and scenes where the camera operators can be seen.

It wont matter that there are no hints of the condition of Jacksons health except for a few brief concerns about saving his singing voice. No true fan will care that the only interviews are dancers and crew who sing the praises of Jackson as if their livelihood depended on it.

Documentary, Musical
Running time: 2hr 1min
Rated: PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images.
Visit the official site
Cast: Michael Jackson, Orianthi
Produced by: Kenny Ortega, Paul Gongaware, Randy Phillips
Directed by: Kenny Ortega

Grade: B-

Fresno joins Jackson fans worldwide at flim premiere

No diehard fan will notice that technically, the documentary is uneven going from shaky hand-held camera footage to scenes professionally shot.

And the audio of the musical performances is way too crisp to have been captured by the few cameras that captured more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage.

The technical problems create an artistic unevenness but not enough to distract the fans from watching every move Jackson makes.

There are a few sour notes such as Jackson trying to perform some of the original Jackson 5 numbers and an ecological message that goes way beyond melodramatic.

The true fans wont care because these few bumps and bruises are the exceptions to the general rule that This Is It is supposed to be a reminder to fans of what they lost.

Everything about This Is It is designed to celebrate the entertainer and not the Michael Jackson who became tabloid fodder for his legal problems and eccentric ways.

That is what is being given to the fans.

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TV and movie critic Rick Bentley can be reached at rbentley@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6355. Read his blog at fresnobeehive.com.

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