This is it! Usually means the end of something amazing. With the death of Michael Jackson earlier this year, it was an end to something extraordinary. It was an end to a musical genius who brought us some of the most memorable songs of all time and dance moves that people today still try and nail down. However, no one could do them like he could, and there will never be anyone that will ever be able to be the King of Pop. I have been a fan of MJ since I was a little girl and I can remember trying to nail down the Thriller dance moves in my living room, of course I failed hardcore, but I still tried over and over, because to me it was something I needed to learn. You may ask why I am sharing this; well I will give you the answer. On Halloween I had the chance, along with a theatre full of people, to get inside glimpse into the life of a legend. I got to see This Is It.

The movie opens with a white text on black screen explaining what you are about to watch, it was the first time in my memory that an entire theatre went silent. You could hear a pin drop. No one moved, no one whispered and then the opening began and you got to see the direct effect that the man had on so many people. The Dancers opened the show with short speeches talking about the impact that he had on their careers. How one dancer flew all the way from Australia just to get a chance to dance for MJ. The tears and the respect these dancers had for the man they were auditioning for was astounding. During the course of the movie you got to hear testimonials from the band, the production crew and so forth on the impact that the King of Pop had on their lives. It was nice to see these people talking so candidly about a man that they got to work with up close and personal with. You got to see the dedication and work ethic that each and every team member put into his final shows. How much they wanted it to be as perfect as the King of Pop wanted them to be.

Perfection is one thing that resonates throughout the whole film. You get to see how much MJ strived to keep everything on schedule, keep everything perfectly inline and on time. You get to see the man in his element and interacting with the people who were going to be sharing the stage with him for his final 50 shows. His sense of humour will make you laugh right along with him. There were so many moments in the theatre that people broke out in applause at the pure genius of the man on the screen. People will talk and people will say that he was sick and frail, but the man that was dancing on that stage and busting moves left, right and centre, was at the top of his game. Sure, there were moments where he got tired and needed to maybe take a rest and just sit there, but we all have to remember he wasn’t the same age as when Thriller came to life. I found myself at times just breaking into a smile and enjoying the moments that flashed across the screen in front me. To watch him joke around and laugh was purely riveting. Watching as he sang his greatest hits and belted out note after note. It all flowed so perfectly. The video montages that were filmed were beyond amazing. My personal favourite (as if you couldn’t guess from my opening paragraph) was the Thriller video, which was shot in 3D. I would have personally loved to have been able to be in London and see this show live. To be able to feel the passion and power up close and personal. However, I would have to say that the movie gave me enough of that passion and power, it showed me just how much of a musician and performer MJ actually was. I was honoured to be able to spend those moments in the theatre watching a piece of what he was trying to create for his curtain call.

Now mind you I am not an over the top MJ fan, but I did love the music and the way he forever changed how music videos were done. I will always respect the impact that his music made on so many people and how it changed so much for so many people. If you can’t at least remember that and take that away from his life and what he left for us then I don’t think words should be shared. Of course people make mistakes and people do things that most of us might not agree with, but always remember he was a man, who was once a boy, he was a father of three small children. He gave us so much musically and his talent and love for what he did will forever be missed. I have to admit that I am an emotional person and the only part of the video that made me tear up was at the end of the film when they dedicated the film to his three children. My heart aches for those children and all they have lost in their life.

I would greatly recommend you going and seeing this movie, even if you weren’t an MJ fan I think you need to see something that brings across the importance of music and performance.

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