Moonwalker

Moonwalker; musical, USA, 1988; D: Stanley Kramer, Will Vinton, Jim Blashfield, Colin Chilvers, S: Michael Jackson, Sean Lennon, Kellie Parker, Joe Pesci

Michael Jackson is performing at a concert in front of fans. A short clip gives a resume of his life. Some kids sing "Bad" in an underground parking lot. Michael is followed by annoying fans in front of a studio, hides in a costume department, disguises himself as a rabbit and escapes on a motorcycle. While playing with three kids, Michael finds an underground storage below the meadow, where he finds out a criminal, Frank Lideo, wants make drug addicts out of every child in the world. Frank's army chases after Michael, but after he spots a falling star, he transforms into a robot, shoots a laser at Frank and saves the children.

Praise didn't find its way to this syrupy, tasteless film which was described as a generally unfunny ode to singer Michael Jackson who himself gave the idea for the film, which is why even the attribute of narcissism can be added to it. Jackson shows himself as a superhero, a children's' darling and overman who in the end even transforms himself into a robot and breaks the logic of this world. A little imagination, why not? However, it wasn't incorporated into any kind of order and is full of unconnected episodic chaos, especially in the disgusting claymation characters in the "Speed Demon" segment who are chasing after Michael in front of a studio, which is why the distribution in the theatres was without success. The opening concert clips are the best part, and it would have been the most honest if the authors just made a documentary about his tour than to craft such an equivalent of an artistic gibberish, since the main story starts finally after some 30 minutes into the film, yet its terribly blatant - Joe Pesci plays such an exaggerated villain that he even, in one scene, slaps a little girl and wants to "make a drug addict out of every child in the world". Michael Jackson was a great singer with great songs, but he should have avoided such a cheap film, where the only good things are his video spots anyway.

Grade:-