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Jacko Premier: This is It

Leicester Square was packed in the early hours of Wednesday morning for the premiere of Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

The West End Odeon helped make cinema history as it hosted a screening being shown simultaneously in 18 different countries around the world, with the Nokia Theater in LA being where the event was anchored.

Duncan James of Blue fame was the interviewer on the stage above the red carpet in London. While LA saw the Jacksons, Will Smith and J-Lo, the London show was graced by the presence of Peter Andre, Mel B and Westlife.

The highlight of the Leicester Square pre-show was an impressive performance by Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity, an elaborate routine done to a Jackson medley. The lowlight was Peter Andre’s Michael Jackson ‘move’ which he’d clearly been practising at home.

Singer Maxwell fell flat on his face as he climbed the stage, much to the crowd’s amusement, while Abby Clancy tottered around in enormous heels and a tiny frock. The arrival of X Factor runners-up JLS caused mayhem, with teenage girls screaming wildly. The boys promptly jumped on stage to do some a cappella Jackson.

One MJ lookalike wandered around wearing inch-thick foundation, sunglasses, a glittery jacket, and a spectacularly glum expression, no doubt because it was probably his last payday. His mood was improved, though, by the fans who queued up give him a hug and whisper “I love you Michael”.
Those patrons lucky enough to be grasping a ticket were ushered quickly into the massive cinema to eagerly await the main event.

As a fan of Jacko’s music I was looking forward to the film although I wasn’t convinced it would be “the most brilliant piece of filmmaking ever” as Liz Taylor had claimed on Twitter earlier.
Director Kenny Ortega shows us the production of one song after another, often knitting different performances together cleverly. There is no escaping the realisation that a truly spectacular series of shows was planned for the O2.

The crowd gasped as they watched eleven of Jackson’s dancers turn into a cast of 11,000 using CGI for They Don’t Care The short film made for Smooth Criminal is incredible. Jacko stars alongside Rita Hayworth and Humphrey Bogart in a 40s style crime caper that shows the star retained a desire to innovate and use high technology to enthral his audience.

The piece de resistance for the London gigs was surely going to be Thriller. The graveyard scene from the original video is reshot in 3D and shown on a giant screen as a backdrop to the performance. A giant 3D spider, a cast of dancers in ghoulish makeup and a parade of “dead brides and grooms” sweep through the aisles above the audience. No expense is spared as lighting, sound and visuals combine to create a dazzling experience.

The overall feeling walking away from the film was that Jacko was a consummate professional, a perfectionist involved in every area of the production. He clearly envisaged the O2 gigs as a way to cement himself as a music legend.
Ortega said “Michael was the architect and we were his builders”. It’s a great shame that Britain wasn’t able to witness the final production. Still, at least some of the magic has been captured on film for his fans to savour.

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