Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009
"This Is It"
The King of Pop may be gone, but his star still shines brightly; Hollywood conceded this weekend to Michael Jackson, declining to program any other wide releases opposite this much-hyped documentary that takes viewers behind-the-scenes of what was supposed to be the Gloved One's comeback concert series. Director Kenny Ortega (the same guy who choreographed Jackson's show and helmed all three installments of the "High School Musical" franchise) assembled the film from hundreds of hours of rehearsal footage and studio sessions with Jackson and his massive crew. Currently set to be in theaters for only two weeks, "This Is It" will either be the capstone on MJ's career ... or the kick-off of a whole new wave of posthumous tie-ins. 1 hr. 51 mins.
-Ethan Alter is a New York-based film critic and journalist. He can be reached at nycfilmcritic@gmail.com.