So, have Sony and director Kenny Ortega managed to cobble together a coherent, respectful, non-creepy 3-D concert movie from the 80-plus hours of rehearsal footage from Michael Jackson’s aborted This Is It tour? That much is not immediately clear from the teaser trailer that closed last night’s VMAs. We see only quick-cut shots of dancing, pre-practice speechmaking, and warm-up exercises. How much of the taped footage does Jackson actually appear in? What portion of the film’s running time will be filled out by backstage interviews and computer-generated 3-D animation? Will this be awesome and life-affirming, or sad and legacy-besmirching? Since It is still probably being wildly edited together in preparation for its two-week run beginning October 28, maybe not even the filmmakers know for sure right now. Click for video!
