After much hype (”much” being a dramatic understatement), the highly-anticipated “This is It” hit theaters on the 28th. The movie follows Michael Jackson’s final rehearsals, leading up to what would have been his massive 50-date London concert series. Unfortunately, Michael passed away before his vision could become a reality.

But luckily, filmmakers had over 100 hours worth of rehearsal footage to work with in creating Michael’s final masterpiece: a glimpse into what would have been one of the sickest concert experiences of all time. Giant walking puppets, 3D visual effects, complex dance choreography, high-powered fans, pyrotechnics and enough energy to light the city of New York for a week, seeing this film was a bittersweet experience for me. We clearly have lost one of the great musical geniuses.

And the critics seem to agree. The film has a fresh rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Roger Ebert raved that the film is “an extraordinary documentary,” and described Michael as “a spirit embodied by music.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Kenny Ortega (director of the “High School Musical” series), directed the film and is featured prominently throughout as director and co-choreographer. All I can say is, thanks Kenny for sharing this remarkable footage with us.