VHS Movie Reviews for Moonwalker [VHS]

Moonwalker [VHS]

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VHS Movie Reviews of Moonwalker [VHS]

Movie Review: Present
Summary: 3 Stars

Bought this for my sister. She says its great, was in great condition and got there quick.

Movie Review: Imaginative and Entertaining Retrospective/Noir Musical
Summary: 5 Stars

If I were to take a trip back to my childhood, the aptly-named "Moonwalker", the brainchild of Michael Jackson, would be one of the prominent stops. Even back when I wasn't necessarily an MJ fan (I am now), this movie captured my imagination. Rather than a whole, cohesive movie, it's a collection of mini-films, for the most part well-woven together. The first part is a performance of "Man in the Mirror". The second is a retrospective on Michael Jackson's career, with clips from his music videos and performances from his early career to his "Bad" days (which is the era when the movie was made, and it shows). The third is a re-enactment of the "Bad" video by a younger counterpart of the cast. The fourth part is a mini-movie which features Michael Jackson escaping from maniacal fans and press by racing a motorcycle as a rabbit-man and eventually doing a dance duel with him (you really need to see it to believe it). The fifth is a video for "Leave Me Alone", and the sixth and final part is a noir/sci-fi film where Michael and three young kids on the streets who have befriended him try to escape a drug lord (Joe Pesci) who wants Michael's head after the latter discovers his plans to get all kids addicted to drugs.

"Moonwalker" never made it to theatres in the US (it did, however, in Europe and South America), but that didn't stop the VHS release to be sold in over 800,000 copies within a year of the movie's release. It is a truly engrossing trip through the imagination of the legendary musician/entertainer. While many musicians have tried their hands at filmmaking and only succeeded at showing that they have no talent at it, Michael Jackson surprises. Not only does he show that he has as much feel for staging and visual storytelling as he has for music, he manages to make this movie his own, weaving into both the collage and story some truly imaginative moments.

Take the midway point, where we sort of hit the "present". The "Bad" video is reenacted by younger actors, in a truly hilarious but nonetheless competent spectacle. After that, Michael Jackson emerges onto the 'streets' of Hollywood and is hounded by an assortment of stark-raving-mad, claymated fans and press. An attempt by a humoured Michael to escape his chasers ensues, but as he finds out, trying to hide out in Hollywood studios (especially when you're Michael Jackson) is about as easy as hiding the punch at a banquet.

But his way out of this situation is possibly my favourite part of the movie. Disguising himself as a leather-clad rabbit man, he manages to escape the studios on a bicycle, which transforms into a motorcycle. At this point "Speed Demon" kicks in as the rabbit-man drives at breakneck speed down the highway, ocean and sky. And still the relentless fans and media are hot on Michael's tail, his disguise not fooling them. This all makes up a truly stunning piece of claymation, both excellently-paced and delicious to behold. Driving out into the desert, Michael takes off his disguise only to have the rabbit disguise reanimate itself, and the two do the best dance duel I've ever seen. It's especially stunning to see the claymated rabbit dance like MJ, and Will Vinton and co (who were responsible for the claymation segment, while Michael himself is live-action) truly deserve an applause for this as well as Michael.

Following is the video for "Leave Me Alone", a truly imaginative, satirical portrait of the mass hysteria the media attribute to Michael. Michael humorously visualises this as an amusement park constructed on top of him, while a miniature version of him goes through a has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed tour, frequented by lots of dogs in suits. This video may feel like a filler but its imagination and vision more than make up for it.

This is when the 'movie' itself begins. My favourite part is when Michael steps into a 30s-style club and "Smooth Criminal" kicks in, resulting in a truly artistic music-video sequence, climaxing in the middle, when the music dies and the club-goers chant, for almost a minute, before the music kicks back in. I won't spoil the rest of the movie for you, but these are my favourite parts.

If you are a Michael Jackson fan then this belongs in your collection for sure. Whether or not you are a fan, if you want to see a really imaginative, creative journey through Michael Jackons's imagination, I can also recommend this. One thing is for sure; the tagline couldn't be more correct. This truly IS a movie like no other.

Movie Review: Best movie of all time
Summary: 5 Stars

I watched this movie when I was about 5 years old. and to this day it still remains one of my favorite movies of all time. I am a die hard Michael Jackson fan and anybody whom is in love with Micahel as much as I am needs to buy this movie. He is truely a great entertainer and a brilliant performer/actor. Very good story, GREAT MUSIC SEQUENCES, classic Michael Jackson at his greatest!I mean, what else could you ask for? He was the hero in this movie and is my hero in real life. Even with all the alligations surrounding him, you can't deny his emaculate influence to the music industry and the world. It has been a long time since I have seen this movie and I am so glad that I recieved the opportunity to buy a copy for myself. His legacy will continue no matter what....

Movie Review: The moon is walking
Summary: 5 Stars

This movie is not on region 1 DVD yet and STILL it has over a hundred reviews with a 4.5 star average. The explanation is because this is simply an awesome film and treasure chest from when Michael was at his peak. Well, Thriller was his peak but this is close. You don't necessarily have to be a Michael Jackson fan to like it, but being an 80s fan is obligatory. Especially given the amount of Claymation in this film.

This movie is a collection of segments. The first involves some live Michael footage. I usually don't watch this. I don't like the song, don't know what it is, but it's this wimpy feel-good "heal-the-world" nonsense.

After this the movie really kicks in. It's this montage that basically is out to show you how awesome Michael is. It's a career retrospective that, given Michael's recent actions, is kind of sad. This segment is really eerie for some reason. It's filled with strange visuals. For example, at one point the screen showing Michael footage turns into a starship and flies away. There's also some Claymation, natch.

Next there's some more weirdness involving a superfluous remake of the Bad video only with the adults replaced with children. At one point the little "Michael" holds his hand over his mouth like he forgot his line and...well this is just kinda weird. Nothing can prepare you for the absolute weirdness of the next segment. Heck, who am I trying to kid, this whole thing is weird.

Things really take a turn for the terrifying when we are introduced to claymation psychos stalking Michael! The really strange thing is they are claymation when they are shown up close, but in the long shots they are real people wearing huge heads! This segment is filled with cartoon hijinx . People getting squished like pancakes for example. Michael, being chased by the aforementioned claymation stalkers, transforms into a claymation rabbit in order to escape. This is just the first of many transformations Michael will transmogrify into during the course of this film. Michael takes to the streets and is pursued by the terrifying stalkers that take to the street as well. Michael transforms into many people at different points in the chase including Pee Wee Herman. This part of the film is used to showcase the "Speed Demon" song. His retreat vouchsafed, he takes off the rabbit mask. Much to his chagrin, the Rabbit mask becomes the rabbit. After a dance off, Michael obviously wins by using a super-duper-presto-chango-spinning-dance-tornado. Sadly, this takes place in a no-dancing-zone and Michael is given a ticket.

This next segment is basically a music video for the song "Leave me alone." This video focuses on the many rumors(and truths) that the tabloids printed about Michael. Great 80s visuals including dogs in suits, Bubbles the chimp, and Michael dancing with the elephant man's bones.

Finally we have the Smooth Criminal segment which is the centerpiece of the film. This part is a very strange tale, penned by Michael if I'm not mistaken. In this little fable, Michael and three children romp in a field when they stumble upon an eerie cave. Two of the children go in to retrieve their ball and Michael and the girl are forced to enter in order to find them. Filled with spiders and webs, the cave offers quite a perilous challenge. They stumble upon the hideout of a mob boss, played by Joe Pesche. This drug lord reveals his plan to get children hooked on drugs. I suppose this plan is yclept "Bugs and drugs" because the mobster repeats this phrase for seemingly no reason. I could make the statement that spiders are not bugs, but I'll let this go. The mob boss spots them and with what turns out to be my favorite part of the whole movie, proceeds to scream at them "DEEEEEAAAAAD! DEEEEEAAAAAD! DEEEEEAAAAAAD! I assume Michael and the kids escape because we next see Michael exiting his house where he is shot at by the mobster's army. Due to his supernatural powers, Michael is saved and, once again, takes to the streets. When he is cornered by the thug army he does what any iconic superstar does, he transforms into a car. Car-Michael escapes and the mobsters pursue him on motorcycle-back. Meanwhile, the little girl from earlier bivouacs in a decrepit on dive yclept "Club 30s." She is soon joined by the two boys from earlier. Car-Michael arrives at the seen and transforms back. Michael enters Club 30s and he must have time travel abilities as well because with a flash of light the dive is now filled with patrons in appropriate period costumes. Michael now sings Smooth Criminal." Don't prematurely assume that things are over for this segment because after the song Michael meets up with the boys that divulge the horror to Michael that the girl has been kidnapped. All that remains is a spider covered teddy bear. Michael, undoubtedly pissed, goes off in search of her only to be surrounded by the mobster's army. Do you think things are over for Michael? I hope not because you've obviously forgotten that in this film Michael has supernatural powers. As the drug lord begins to inject smack into the little girl Michael uses a scream-attack that shatters all the glass within a 50 mile radius. Awestruck, the mob-army can only stand stoically as Michael undergoes yet another transformation. He turns into a robot like being that continues to utilize the scream-attack and uses missiles and a secondary weapon. Cumulonimbus clouds form in the backdrop and Michael now unleashes his tertiary weapons system: a double cannon that protrudes from his stomach. After all his goons are history, the mob boss takes flight. He wasn't trying to escape however, instead he wishes to unleash his most powerful weapon at Michael: a huge particle beam cannon! All this time Michael has been transforming into his final and ultimate form: Starship Michael!!! He unleashes his coup de grace beam attack and the mob boss is blown to smithereens!

With this amazing segment finished there's really no reason to continue watching. Nothing in this review is made up, it's all in the movie. If you have not seen this movie, don't wait for the DVD, get the VHS post-haste!!!

Movie Review: first saw moonwalker in the theatre..
Summary: 5 Stars

when moonwalker first came out...and just like millions of teens like me, i had to go and buy the vhs tape which i treasured. but i have a feeling that moonwalker won't be on dvd for the u.s. anytime in the near future. and who can blame michael?? i'm sure in other countries, his public image is a lot better than america when we have people like nancy grace trashing him on a daily basis. but for 1988, this tape kicked [...]!! and you def. got your $$ worth...but i would love to see it on dvd for the rest of us.
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