After much anticipation, the day finally came for the This Is It premiere. First off: The film starts off with a “disclaimer” of sorts: “For the fans…” This is very true. It truly is for the fans primarily. As seen in my previous blog post, I was at first a bit hesitant about what the film would ultimately be like. Concert movie? Documentary? Director/Producer Kenny Ortega was right when he described it as a “musical mosaic.” Wall-to-wall music? Check. Concert experience/rehearsal footage? Check. Documentary-style interview? Check. And with perfect balance. Everything said about the movie in the press was very true. The audience gets sucked into the reality of the movie and is suspended within it. It is very easy to forget the tragic end to the story while watching This Is It, as no mention of it is made. The movie makes you wanna groove while watching it; it gives you a feel for what he was soon going to show the world. All the classics were there: “Wanna Be Startin’ Something,” “Smooth Criminal,” “I’ll Be There,” “Black or White,” “Thriller,” “Billie Jean;” they were all present. With pieces of various rehearsals strung together seamlessly, the movie flowed together flawlessly. My only gripe was that Michael wasn’t in his full fighting mode. That isn’t to say he didn’t look fabulous — he did — but for example, in “Billie Jean,” the moonwalk in the bridge was completely out of sight. The fedora was nowhere to be seen. But alas, “that’s why we have rehearsal.” A moving tribute, This Is It is enough to (temporarily) satiate the fans’ hunger, and even for the casual MJ-listener, it is an interesting view inside the mind of a perfectionist, detailing the intricacy of the planning behind his comeback tour. Worth it to watch in theatres? For novelty and if you’re an impatient fan. Worth it to watch on DVD? Definitely. 4/5