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• Gallery: Premiere of "Michael Jackson This Is It"

Movies & More reviewer John Gillispie is joined this week by The Herald-Dispatch "Stay Tuned" blogger Angela Henderson to give their opinion of "Michael Jackson's This Is It," rated PG and showing the intense rehearsals that Michael Jackson and his dancers went through shortly before Jackson's death.

JOHN: Are you going to need a tissue, Angela?

ANGELA: Oh, I'm OK now, but I was near tears when we watched "This Is It." It's sad to think that a musical genius such as Jackson is gone forever. And Jackson's physical endurance during the dance rehearsals was amazing.

JOHN: The movie is sad because of Jackson's death, but it is also packed full of many of his greatest songs and features amazing dance moves by Jackson and his dancers in addition to some special effects that suggest the 50 concerts in London were going to be mind blowing.

ANGELA: You're right about those special effects, and I don't think "This Is It" even scratches the surface of what concert attendees in London would have seen.

JOHN: Those special effects include new "Thriller" footage.

ANGELA: By the way, we are keeping this column to what the movie presents -- Michael Jackson and his music.

JOHN: As a fan of pop culture, I found this movie fascinating. It presents Jackson in a behind-the-scenes way in which I have rarely seen him. As a musician, he knows exactly what he wants from the band and politely goes about getting exactly what he hears in his head.

ANGELA: I couldn't believe how the musical director actually argued with him. Who knows Michael Jackson songs better than Michael Jackson?

JOHN: Especially when everyone else on the set treats Jackson with kid gloves, even the movie's director Kenny Ortega. And don't get me started on how the young dancers hired for the London concerts treat Jackson with such reverence. At first, I thought it was charming, but as the movie goes on, the fawning starts to get to be a little much.

ANGELA: Alright, John. Here is where I have to step in and tell you to stop being so cynical. I thought the way the dancers treated him was very sweet. I can only imagine how amazing it was for them to share that stage with him in rehearsals and how sad it was knowing they wouldn't get to do the actual shows. Okay, I might need those tissues again.

JOHN: Jackson's music was the soundtrack of my years in high school and college, so it's difficult not to be familiar with it. As you know, I even broke out singing a few lines during the movie, which I know is bad movie etiquette, but the sound was loud enough so I don't think anyone else heard me except you, Angela.

ANGELA: You have to expect some singing along in a concert movie, but since the showing we attended had less than 20 people in it, I doubt that your singing disturbed anyone else. I was most disturbed that we didn't get to see him do the moonwalk. I know it was only rehearsal but he could have thrown in just one.

JOHN: So, I guess the bottom line is that "This Is It" will be very interesting to fans of Jackson and entertaining to anyone who appreciated his music. I did think the ending was kind of flat, especially since I am not a fan of the recently released song "This Is It."

ANGELA: Unfortunately, John, that's what we get for staying through the closing credits. While it is admirable that Jackson was pushing a "Save the Earth" agenda with the concerts he was planning to do, I have to agree with John that the movie maintained a high energy level right up until those very last minutes when things fall flat. So you may consider leaving right after the last frame. That's when you'll be reaching for the tissues anyway.

John Gillispie is the public relations director for the Huntington Museum of Art. Angela Henderson is a freelance writer. Contact the writers at jgillisp@hmoa.org.