Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon [DVD]

David Gest was Michael's friend for a long time and presents this documentary with great love and affection.
Katherine is genuinely moving when talking about her son, especially when the documentary focuses on the false allegations against Michael in 1993 & 2005. I was moved to tears in places and was impressed that things were not glossed over as i thought they would be.
Dwelling very heavily on the early Jackson 5 days it was really interesting to hear from people who were there at the time and who talked of Michael with love and grace. What i was let down by was the lack of people who were supposedly Michael's life-long friends, such as Diana Ross, Emmanuel Lewis, Macauley Culkin, Brooke Shields Quincy Jones !!??etc, even the family are low on the ground as we only hear from Katherine, Rebbie & Tito. Personally i would have liked to hear from ALL the family members so we could get a rounded perspective on Michael as a person.
Too much time given over to the early years and i would have loved more insight into the man Michael was and not the child he used to be. That said, this is still well made, entertaining, moving without being too sugar coated.
Fans will be pleased with the presentation and warmth of the interviews, but may feel let down by the lack of insight into the mind of Michael Jackson.

It could be argued we really don't need another DVD on Micahel's life,but the idea on this one being produced by DAVID GEST and including interviews by family members of Michael's,such as his mum,did seem like a brilliant one.
I won't deny i did enjoy it,even though the footage of the news of Michael's death did sadden me once more.
Other reviewers have stated that this should have been perfect,it isn't. So i agree there,it is such a pity not much of Michael's music is looked into,but then i suppose this is more about the man behind the music. I was surprised how much time was focused on his early days as a child star,interesting,don't get me wrong,but a story that's been told many times. A lot of his later years do seem to have been skipped through as a side thought,but i can't deny the bravery in the ones interviewed talking about subjects normally avoided,such as his changing features and his skin disease,about time this was mentioned as were other matters usually ignored.
It is a pity that so much was left out of Michael's life story condiering that's what this is meant to be telling,and with 2 and a half hours,it could've been done better. Also a big disappoitment is that not many of Michael's family or friends are interviewed,this was surprising for such a big release,you know,the life of an icon by those that knew him. So i thank GEST for doing this but i am surprised it's not a lot bigger and a lot better,it's done with love,yes,but it feels kind of rushed. The extras are very good,extended interviews and such,the bit that i appreciated was Michael's mother talking in depth about Tom Sneddon,showing a great deal of venom toward the poor excuse for a man. I will point out that those getting this on blu-ray should't be disappointed with the picture,but,even as a big fan,i can't deny as stated elsewhere,you might be better off renting it,i simply do not see this a perfect must have,but don't doubt other fans will love the footage of Michael. Very good it is,but it really should have been better.

There is no doubt that this documentary is well worth watching, featuring interviews with members of the Jackson family (Tito, Rebbie, mother Katherine) fellow performers, songwriters and friends of Michael. The early years of Michael's life and rise to fame in the Jackson 5 is covered in detail. Ironically for a documentary on the King of Pop, however, his musical achievements unfortunately take second place to lengthy discussions about the child molestation allegations & Michael's drug addiction. 'Thriller' is skirted over and there is no mention at all of Bad, Dangerous, HIStory or Invincible. This documentary could have been so much better if full length performance clips were included. All we get are fleeting clips of Jackson 5 TV performances. I would recommend renting rather than buying, You only need watch it once.

The Blu Ray picture is better than the DVD, but it is not a night and day difference, & with very little music included to benefit from HD audio, you are better off buying the cheaper standalone DVD version.