The overall Rating of the movie Michael Jackson’s This Is It Are is Generally favorable, as metacritic.com has it at a 67 Score out of 100. Not bad, in fact it seems that many movie reviewers loved it. Chicago Sun-Times (100), Los Angeles Times (80) , Entertainment Weekly (75) and The New York Times (60).
Here are the more favorable reviews:
[An] extraordinary documentary, nothing at all like what I was expecting to see. Here is not a sick and drugged man forcing himself through grueling rehearsals, but a spirit embodied by music. Michael Jackson was something else. -Chicago Sun-Times
Differing greatly from the rough, casual mood of many behind-the-scenes pop docs, this one is instead of a piece with Jackson’s body of work: dazzling and strange, blurring the line between fantasy and reality.-Los Angeles Times
Reveals little about the personal aspects of the deeply troubled man behind the sunglasses — it naturally deals with none of the darker aspects of Jackson’s life — but it deftly underlines his commitment to showmanship. -Miami Herald
The Mixed and less favorable reviews in the media.
Neither a concert film nor a documentary but a ghoulish “event” offered just in time for Halloween, This is It is sadly — and reprehensively, if you ask me — the movie equivalent to the National Enquirer’s infamous post-mortem shot of Elvis Presley. -New York Post
Those who stuck with the troubled pop icon after his universe shifted from the charts to the tabloids probably will find equal measures of inspiration and heartbreak in the documentary. For everyone else, it’s a strange offering. -San Francisco Chronicle
More bonkers Jackson-at-work moments would’ve helped, but mostly we just see the kid from Gary, Indiana, dispensing hugs and God-bless-you’s to an awed cast and crew. Watching various dancers and guitarists grin irrepressibly during their one-on-one run-throughs with the man is one of This Is It’s few pleasures. -Dallas Observer
4 Comments
Insightful comment, and i wholeheartedly agree. I adore/d Michael Jackson and was breathless with excitement watching the movie, but as a recovering alcoholic of 22 years, I can spot a functioning addict a mile away. I can’t fault him for going down that path; I am so sorry he did, for he truly was genius, a tortured genius. He had a major hand in his own demise, whether by the questionable actions that caused ridicule and courtroom trials, or by surrounding himself with greedy, unscrupulous doctors who couldn’t or wouldn’t say no to him.
I am heartsick that he left us so soon, ad for all he had to experience, and elated for all great things he’s left us to enjoy forever. Thank you to the moviemakers for leaving us with this thiling look at what would have been an unmatchable show. God bless you, Michael.
I know exactly what you mean as I was a Hotel Restaurant Manager for years and sadly had that kind of living until my family suffered a lot more than I could have ever imagined. I am a big Michael Jackson fan and I don´t blame him for whatever he did. I know how easy is to go down that road.
Thank you for that comment, it has made me reflect back a lot on those days.
I spent years taking drugs, the ability of an addict to hide, and appear normal is what addiction is. We take stuff to feel normal, and then we get through work, social situations, be with our friends, but family and partners usually are the one who suffer from our addictions as well as ourselves. I love the doc This is It, and yeah we saw various songs put together, of Michael singing and dancing, but he didn’t talk much and when he did it was a bit slurred a couple of times. He died with track marks all up his arms, not long after these shots, he was an addict, sadly, he was. When you have lived with addiction and around it you have first hand knowledge that you could do what he did, on drugs. He was doing what he did since he was 5 years old, thats 45 years. If your a brick layer or a plumber, after 45 years you could do your job trashed on drugs too. Remember when trashed on alcohol its much easier to be recognized, I have seen and used to know people (20 years ago) on heroin take shots and go work in an office, and have shots all day while there, others on coke or speed would own hair salons, work in customs, be bouncers, office workers, stock brokers, beauty therapist, bar maids like myself, doctors, don’t think addicts are all in Kings x back alleys, the majority are right next to us at our jobs. It just various how much emotional pain people are in, to how much and how often they use.
The greatest and the best! Every other thing is crap!!!!!! Leave him alone!!!!!!