When I told an acquaintance I was on my way to Manhattan to see This Is It, the just-released Michael Jackson film, I got a roll of the eyes and a shrug.

"It's just a bunch of people making money on a dead guy," he said.

OK, you know what? All the business-first pragmatists, the habitual cynics, the perpetually glass-half-empty folks can keep carping about how people are exploiting a music legend that died, but try seeing this film and then let me know if it doesn't shake up your thinking. It is rehearsal footage of Jackson's in-progress "This Is It" tour. Pure music and dance and message.

If ever there was a doubt of director Kenny Ortega's genius, it is displayed in layers through this project. First layer, bringing an audience a final chance to witness sheer artistry in Jackson himself. Second layer, letting us in on the genesis of what eventually becomes the magic we typically see in final product and how even process can be exhilarating.