2. Moonwalker Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson, who was arguably at the peak of his powers back in 1988 with Thriller behind him and the recently released Bad having been a hit, decided to capitalise on his worldwide stardom with a film bearing the name of his signature dance move the moonwalk. While that may seem intriguing that connection with the dance move is purely title based. Moonwalker is an unmitigated mess, with the first 25 minutes of the film showcasing how talented Jackson is, utilising stop motion, archive footage and stage performances to hammer home the point that Jackson is a God. Its so overwhelmingly pretentious that it is possible to leave the room, come back and nothing of any interest would have happened. When the story does finally begin, its all very muddled and makes no coherent sense. One minute Jackson is skipping through beautiful fields, and then the very next scene stumbles across a drug deal involving the films antagonist Joe Pesci. Logic was never expected really. Jacksons world was inevitably one that was designed to represent the ideologies of the imagination, endlessly twisting and turning from one set piece to another. Sadly, it doesnt weave both imagination and plot well and leaves the film looking like 4 or 5 different shorts. Add to that, the various music videos of Jackson performing original songs such as Leave Me Alone, a stinging attack of the superficiality of the media. The problem with the message of the song is that Jackson is choosing to convey it in a film that stars himself. The over the top nature of the film reaches its zenith come the end of the film when Jackson suddenly becomes a destructive robot, defeating everything and anything around him. Its incredibly silly and only inspires gaufs of laughter than wondrous feelings of creative inspiration. The only redeeming feature of the film is the incredible music video for Smooth Criminal, showcasing exactly how talented Jackson was. Sadly it ends all too soon and the ridiculousness continues. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceU4ANZKdOM