‘This Is It’ a worthy reminder of Michael Jackson’s artistry

It's a pity that all of the time, money and brainpower that went into what would have been Michael Jackson's final concerts will never be fully realized.

But, "This Is It," the concert film culled from more than 120 hours of rehearsal footage for Jackson's 50 London shows that were slated to begin mere weeks after he died in June, is a worthwhile document of Jackson's creativity.

The film opened worldwide today.

Fans will be moved to sing along to spirited performances of "Smooth Criminal" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" and simply moved by Jackson's sweet falsetto on "Human Nature." They'll also get a glimpse into Jackson's creative process and at what clearly would have been a spectacular production.

Along with the raw performance footage, the film captures Jackson practicing with his robust dancers, sharing his visions for the elaborate pre-taped videos to accompany the live performances and, of course, dancing.

Though painfully thin, Jackson usually appears spry as he effortlessly glides across the stage and pops and locks as heartily as his much younger dancers. Still, it's often a sad realization that this is the last piece of history from the entertainment legend.

For a full review of "This Is It," see tomorrow's Weekend section in the Times-Dispatch.

-- Melissa Ruggieri