October 30, 2009

At the Movies: King of Pop recaptures magic one last time

Watching “Michael Jackson's This Is It” will have fans grieving once again, but this time, it won't only be for the fallen King of Pop, but for what we lost — a brilliant entertainer who gave every inch of his body and soul for what might have been one of the most spectacular comebacks of all time.

MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT

Director: Kenny Ortega Cast: Michael Jackson Rating: PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images Running time: 111 minutes

Jackson never got to complete that comeback, dying days before his London concerts were to begin in July, but “This Is It,” culled from hundreds of hours of rehearsal footage for those shows, does it for him. Even though it's been well edited, the amazing performances Jackson delivers in this film are not a result of camera magic, but Jackson's own.

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Previous columns:

• At the Movies: Cocky coach comes to life in ‘Damned United', 10-23-2009
• At the Movies: ‘Couples Retreat' veers from silly to sappy, 10-09-2009
• At the Movies: 'Capitalism' may be Moore's most hopeful, 10-02-2009
• At the Movies: ‘Fame' update sticks to the tried and true, 09-25-2009
• At the Movies: The joke's on us with ‘The Informant!', 09-18-2009
• At the Movies: Mike Judge’s ‘Extract’ could use more flavor, 09-04-2009
• At the Movies: ‘World's Greatest Dad' a fearless comedy, 08-28-2009
• At the Movies: Tarantino's ‘Basterds' inspires, frustrates in equal measure, 08-21-2009