This Is It... if you're a Michael Jackson fan

Announced as a film ‘for the fans’, this documentary will definitely appeal and please Michael Jackson’s diehard followers and admirers. For everyone else, it’s a chance to satisfy our curiosity.

Recorded during the rehearsals for Jackson's 50 concert dates at London’s 02 Arena, the film follows the team as they prepare all aspects of the show-that-never-was. Concentrating mainly on Michael practising on stage, it’s a chance for the world to see what the show would have been like.

As Jackson says, the show is filled with songs the fans want to hear, so the movie shows him rehearsing each major hit. Although initially interesting, a clear pattern soon forms in the film: footage of the team preparing short films or special effects for the song, then Michael and everyone on stage practising.

It is obvious that the show would have been amazing. Filled with special effects, from a 3D Thriller film to a wall covered in flames, fans would not have been disappointed by the theatrics of it all.

The question everyone will want answering from this film though is if Michael was actually well enough to do these shows in London. On camera, his voice remains much the same, although there are parts of the film where he seems to struggle, claiming he is saving his voice.

It is his dancing and physicality on stage which has changed the most. Michael's dancing still consists of the same moves, which often drove his dancers in to cringe-worthy frenzy of appreciation and awe, but it has declined. There isn’t the same energy in his performances and by choosing to walk round stage or standing still, it is clear that Michael was struggling with the physical aspects.

It was when the cameras moved away from the incessant practising that the film became interesting. Watching Michael work with everyone around him and being so hands-on with all parts of the show, it becomes clear, again, just how talented he was.

The film was disappointing in some ways. There wasn’t much variation in the footage shown, no interviews with Jacko and hardly any interviews with the team around him. All of this these things would have made the film much more interesting, not only for Michael's fans but anyone else watching.

However, the movie is still worth seeing during its limited two-week run at the cinema, even if it is just for that curiosity. It manages to display Jackson’s natural talent for performing and music, the respect people had for him and why, after all these years, he is still considered the King of Pop.

With several early screenings sold-out throughout the country and in Liverpool, Michael can still draw in the crowds. Chelsea Morgan, who went on the opening day in Liverpool, said: "Having nearly bought tickets for the London shows it was really good to see what it was going to be like. I was so excited to come tonight; I booked my tickets as soon as they came out."

Adam Ruane, who doesn't consider himself a Jacko fan, said: "I was dragged here by my girlfriend, but I really enjoyed it surprisingly. I didn't realise how much of a professional and perfectionist he was. It was a bit weird just watching rehearsals; it’s not really a film."