I Can't Believe I Rented It: Michael Jackson's This Is It

Well, actually I went to the theater and saw this.

I had no plans on talking about this movie, but on a whim I decided to hop on the keyboard and see what comes out. I don't even know if I'll complete this.

By now, we all know the story leading up to "This Is It." So what the "movie" actually is, is just what they said it was. It's rehearsal footage, with some short interviews and back-backstage stuff sprinkled in. You get to see when the crew showed him things they had been working on for the show, how in awe the dancers were at the prospect of working with Michael, things like that.

For some, that won't be enough. There is no narrative holding things together. It's more like a barebones concert film, and the only audience was the dancers and crew. Someone's probably already complained that there's no footage of the paramedics trying to revive him.

For me, it was bittersweet, but still fantastic.

Bittersweet, because it's a reminder of what might have been. I don't want to over dramatize this thing, but that's what it was. And it would have been a great show. Michael going at 70% speed (he was saving himself for the shows) was better than any of the headliners out today. He still had all the moves, he could still sing all of the songs. As everyone who was around him at the time of his death has already said, he was in great shape and ready to go.

But while it was great to see him perform (even if it was a dress rehearsal), we also got to see sides to him that we never got to see.

We've all heard him speak in interviews, and most of us probably imagine that he's this soft-spoken dude all the time, who doesn't speak up, but when it comes to his shows, the man is in total control. Of everything. If he doesn't like something, he's cutting you off and that's the end of discussion. And he has no problem repeatedly stopping something until it's to his liking. But he's polite about it, and he ended everything with some kind of loving statement. It's like he's saying, "It's nothing personal and we're still cool...but you're not about to f*** up my show."

And there's also some glimpses into how he interacts with people. Not really on a personal level, because it's not like they're just lounging around. They're putting together the biggest concert of his career. But that doesn't mean that there can't be some jokes and some lighthearted moments.

There were a couple here and there, and it was good to see them, because we forget sometimes that Michael Jackson was a real person, because we only ever see him as this larger-than-life figure on stage, or as this weird guy, hiding behind masks, with post-its all over his face. We don't ever just see him sharing a joke with another human being. Well, we get a couple of those moments here.

But if you're not into Michael Jackson's music, then there's no point in even putting your money down to see it (which is a decision that I'm sure you made long before this was released). Like I said, there's no storyline running through this, because it's not a true documentary. It's just footage that was taken to document the process. And everyone else wasn't waiting for a review before they decided whether or not they should see it. It's Michael Jackson in concert. And for his fans, that's more than enough.

Which means, I really wasted my time watching this.