It had to happen. In light of Michael Jackson’s untimely demise, we saw the unfolding of several largely well-meaning tributes, culminating in This Is It, the concert film chronicling the performances staged for his final tour. I first saw This Is It on a flight over to Tokyo and thought it was a very respectful and upbeat look at the work of a timeless showman. Michael moved with ease and sang with passion, maintaining the beacon of pop king.
It was easy to forget he was once part of a family of performers - the Jacksons. The Jack5ons. The lives of Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon are captured in this A&E documentary that clocks in at almost five hours and feels like it, too. The brothers seem forever cursed to straddle the line between coming into their own as individual artists or existing as a group sorely missing its key component, the little brother that could. Michael looms over this documentary, which opens with the brothers coming together to produce a reunion album – its release would coincide with the "This Is It" tour, clearly a good sales move.
Then, Michael’s passing changes everything – but not really. This show is not difficult to stomach – it is polished and pretty respectful, but in moments when it does allow us a glimpse under the masks worn by the Jackson 4, it is not a pleasant affair. The brothers squabble amidst posh restaurants and the show makes feeble attempts at showing that the family still functions normally – look, they play basketball and have barbecues too, only they do it on private courts in outsized mansions!
There is no doubt the brothers have a cultural legacy to carry on and a wealth of talent to fall back on. But without Michael, The Jack5ons: A Family Dynasty turns into an examination of what happens when you take away the greatest spark of talent in an otherwise average group. There is no spontaneity to be had in this 6-episode show and reality seems fleeting – the Jacksons are performers and much of what they do on camera seems to be in service of the image they must hope to craft. This is an image of a family-friendly group of brothers, whose ties are strong enough to withstand tragedy and rise above to make great music…and lots of money.
It’s a thin attempt aimed at everyone as a crowd-pleasing reality show but I’m afraid it will only please long-time fans whose major jones was to find out how the other four lived. With Michael’s long-time habit of cloaking his personal life, the viewer can unselfishly pretend that Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon’s daily lives share something in common with their late brother. Whether it does or doesn’t, we’ll never know. It does lead me to wonder why so few family members outside the brothers and their immediate family (wives and children) make an appearance in the documentary. Janet and LaToya are nowhere to be seen and neither is patriarch Joe Jackson. Katherine Jackson appears briefly as an arbitrator for yet another argument.
It’s thin storytelling but then again, through most of the wining and dining, the practicing and of course arguing we see the brothers do not make for good entertainment – it is a look into their lives, a willful invasion of their privacy and a welcomed one. It was bound to happen – a way to recapture fame by familiarizing viewers with the daily goings on of the Jackson 4 seems like a great move – if only the brothers didn’t come off like men in their twilight years struggling to recapture that old fame, the spark of which was undoubtedly the one person who is no longer with them.
DVD Bonus Features
The DVD features no extras and is split over two discs, with three episodes on each. The presentation is solid, with no real problems with audio or video but nothing outstanding either. Recommended for people who love the show but don’t want to sit through the commercial breaks.
"The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty" is on sale March 30, 2010 and is not rated. Documentary, Drama, Reality, Television. Directed by Jodi Gomes. Starring Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Tito Jackson.
