The Star Wars–style titles that begin Kenny Ortega’s hastily assembled Michael Jackson tribute documentary explain that the film has been whittled down from 100 hours of behind-the-scenes video shot between last April and June during rehearsals for the King of Pop’s planned 50-date “This Is It” London concert series. The footage, most of it in hi-def, was intended for Jackson’s private consumption, but “with the permission of his estate” (and no doubt to the relief of the show’s investors, who stood to lose millions due to his untimely death), the resulting movie offers a glimpse of what might have been.
“For the fans,” concludes the ridiculously long-winded opening title crawl. That’s for sure.
For those expecting something deeper than Ortega’s High School Musical trilogy, this ain’t it.
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