Michael Jackson fans hoping for a DVD worthy of the career of the King of Pop will be sadly disappointed with Devotion: An Unauthorized Tribute to Michael Jackson. This DVD runs for over an hour completely devoid of any of Jackson’s music, videos or performance clips. “Unauthorized” is certainly an apt way to describe it, as the company that put this film together most likely couldn’t get the rights to the music.
Running time: 70 mins
Rating: [rating:1/4]
“Devotion” is also the perfect word to have in the title. The film’s stance is that Jackson was a merely a tragic victim of the environment around him, and glosses over a lot of the unpleasant aspects of the late performer’s life.
The story unfolds with the untimely death of the beloved Jackson and then takes us back to Gary, Indiana where it all started. After a very brief history of the Jackson Five and Motown Records, the focus swiftly shifts to Michael as a solo artist. The tension between the family and father Joe Jackson during the Jackson Five days is ignored completely. The only interesting thing the film is able to get out of this segment is an interview with Berry Gordy Jr., the founder of Motown Records.
What “Devotion” fails to capture, is that the iconic essence of Michael Jackson will always be found in his music. Yes he was a philanthropist, had eccentricities, and was slightly vilified by the media but it is his music that upholds his status as a legend. This DVD is basically a narrated list of Jackson’s awards, charitable contributions and wrongs on the media’s part.
The highlight of the film is the “Memorial Service” feature in the bonus features menu. Here, we actually get footage of family and friends remembering Michael and sharing some fond memories.
One resonating clip from an otherwise mundane film is from Jackson’s brief press conference in March when he announced his final shows at London’s O2 Arena. Jackson’s words of “when I say this is it, it really means this is it … the final curtain call” seem particularly haunting to hear from him.
Slightly vilified? What an understatement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lol onnly slightly vilified.. the word crucified comes to mind. they took the lies of those kids [chandler/arvizo] the ones with the extortionist parents /attorneys and ran with them. ran very very far away from the truth!!
Shame about the DVD i was expecting something original/moving/actually captured the essence of Michael. thnk u for the review