What I am going to say is going to surprise a number of people. Heck, I'll be honest. It surprised me, but here goes: I recently saw the most spiritual film I have seen in some time on DVD, it wasn't just one of the most spiritual films I have seen in the last year, it is one of the most spiritual films I have ever seen. Are you ready for this? It was Michael Jackson's This Is It!

Now don't get me wrong, I was never what I would call a huge fan of Michael Jackson. I liked him, I grew up with him, I was as taken in as most everyone else with the bizarreness of Michael Jackson; but as a student of psychology, as a musician who has been blessed to work with some phenomenal bands, I sort of understood why he was the way he was. This man, from the time of a small child, had a lifestyle thrust on him that very few people have ever understood. Even the so-called King of Rock, Elvis Presley, had somewhat of a normal childhood. Michael Jackson, from a very young age, never knew the reality of a childhood we could relate to, and the danger to the development of one's personality is not lost on me. It is also certain that the perfectionist, driving attitude of his father had some impact on him, not only psychologically, but in the music and life he lived.

Many critics of Michael Jackson will want to delve into his past, the accusations, of which he was acquitted. I will simply state my opinion here; this discussion isn't the job of a reviewer, maybe the job of someone in the judicial system or news press. But while we may all have opinions, this movie don't address those issues, and I for one am glad it doesn't. To have done otherwise would have us focus on various things, mainly speculation. What I am going to comment on is the movie.

First, a pet peeve of mine, the review of a DVD needs to be done on the DVD. I go to the theater and stay until the end of the credits because I owe the people who read my reviews that courtesy of reviewing the entire movie. I try to research the movie, and share my open and honest opinion of the movie. Regarding DVDs, I realize people work hard to get the money they have to either rent or purchase a DVD. I want to know when I read a review, is the product worth the purchase? What is different than the theatrical version of the film (unless a direct-to-DVD release)? I will admit, as a film lover, as a DVD lover, I want to know about things like Easter Eggs and Special Features. Why? Because that is one of the very purposes for many to buy the DVD. I suspect that the overwhelming majority of people who purchase DVDs are purchasing a movie they have already seen.

Now as to this particular DVD, while there will always be a loss of vibrancy in the transfer from the Digital Big Screen Version to the small screen version, I think the transfer and vibrancy here hold up tremendously well. In fact, if you didn't see the digital version in the Theater, you may find that the Blu-ray or HDTV version is even better than the screen you saw it on. I was extremely impressed with the video quality. The sound quality was also exceptional and as good as any DVD transfer of a live performance (albeit a rehearsal performance) I have seen. From the packaging to the quality of the product, this DVD oozes with exceptional quality. The DVD also features some wonderful special features including two documentaries, the making of, and much more. It is a joy to see a DVD release that provides this, and for the fans of the movie the special features alone will make this purchase worthwhile. I especially enjoyed the Memories of Michael feature that shows the impact he had on others. While one may not have the feelings towards Michael these individuals do, there is no doubt, he had a lasting impact on those he came into contact with.

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