Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #176 in VHS
• Released on: 1991-07-01
• Rating: Unrated
• Formats: Color, HiFi Sound, Soundtrack, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Customer Reviews

Youve Been Hit by A Smooth Criminal.
This video was my favorite movie when I was little and i still love it as a teenager. It begins with a live performance of Man in the Mirror. And then goes into a huge MJ medly wich include I Want YOu BAck, ABC, The Love You Save, Whos Loving You, Ben, Dancing Machine, Blame It On The Boogie, Shake Your Body Down To the Ground, Can You Feel It, Rock With You, Dont Stop Till You Get Enough, Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, Human Nature, State of Shock, We Are the World, The Way You Make Me Feel and Dirty Diana. Then we see a little kid version BAD. The clamation Speed Demon is next and is very funny. THen its the video Leave me Alone and then goes into the actual hour long Moonwalker movie. I think the best part of this whole video is the 10 minute performance of Smooth Criminal. Michael's dance moves during this song seem to defy gravity. He ends the movie with Come Together. If you stick aroung till after the credit you get the actual Smooth Criminal music video which is pretty tame compared to the movie version.

belongs on DVD
When Michael Jackson's "Moonwalker" was released on video in early 1989... Michael Jackson was still the king of pop. If anything, this could be the final stand of this amazing chapter of his career (beginning with the release of Thriller and ending here).

Michael Jackson's "Bad" album was a great record, while it wasn't as good as Thriller or Off The Wall, it was still as satisfying a followup one could expect. He had 7 big hits (5 #1's) off this album and a massively successful world tour. This video montage was released as his tour (which included a very young Sheryl Crow) was winding down, and it provided a big treat for his fans...

Here's what was included:
- Man In The Mirror - a live performance of the #1 hit (the music video for the song only had about 5 seconds of MJ)
- a classic MJ video montage - a neat little megamix going from the Jackson Five days through the Bad album.
- Badder - a remake of the Bad video but with kids featuring Brandon Adams as a mini-MJ. Cute but not one of the highlights of the set.
- Speed Demon - a mini movie making great usage of the claymation boom of the late 1980's (ie. California Raisins). MJ fighting against Claymation paparazzi and animated as a rabbit. The highlight of the video is the end when motorcycle clad MJ and the bunny have a dance-off.
- Leave Me Alone - music video that got plenty of MTV/VH1 airplay back in the day. MJ basically saying what he feels about the tabloids by opening himself up as an amusement park.
- Smooth Criminal - the centerpiece of this collection. An extended mini-movie also featuring Joe Pesci (right before Lethal Weapon and Home Alone took him to the next level and made him an A-list star) as an evil drug lord intent on pushing drugs to kids. Great special effects, including Michael morphing into a car as well as a spaceship in the climatic finale.
- Come Together - the end of Smooth Criminal leads us to a live performance of the Beatles classic, which didn't appear on a MJ album until HIStory six years later.
- The Moon Is Walking - over the closing credits, is another video with MJ and Ladysmith Black Mambaso.

A Fun Thrill-Ride From Beginning To End
Many can remember watching this video as a little kid or a teenager and loving it. Luckily, it is still one of the greatest musical/visual spectacles out there. But be warned, while the film is still magical, it may seem a bit to some like going back to Disney World for adults who watched the film as a child. Amazing, but not like it was at the time. The video is pretty timeless, but the best of special effects then may not have the wow-effect today.

The review may be broken down into each section of the video. This film contains:

-'Man In The Mirror' [concert footage/tribute to great peacemakers]
-'A Retrospective Of 24 Years Of Hits' [history as of 1988]
-'Badder' [cute kiddie remake of 'Bad']
-'Speed Demon' [CLAYMATION sequence}
-'Leave Me Alone' [short film]
-'Smooth Criminal' [the 45-minute feature]
-'Come Together' [concert at the end of SMOOTH CRIMINAL]
- and as the 'THE MOON IS WALKING' song played through the credits by an African group called Ladysmith Black Mombazo.

- Man In The Mirror is a great 'BAD' concert recap which successfully gives the respect to former men and women who have 'made that change' while showing off Michael's undoubtable charisma onstage. Uses a good bit of the split screen technique, which was a revolution back then.

- The look back at the '24' years of Michael's history is great. It traces 'ABC' to 'BAD' flawlessly, with some neat high-tech transition animations aiding it and gives lots of hard to find clips of little Michael. Nice little set up of memoirs and newer memories like 'Thriller', 'Beat It', and 'The Way You Make Me Feel'.

- The 'Badder' features a group of little kids in a mini-Michael Jackson bad cover. It's flat out cute, and the kiddies do a good job. You still get the feeling that no one does it like Michael.

- 'Speed Demon' is cute and is a comical view of what Michael's life is like with his tremendous fame. The segment combines CLAYMATION with live action fairly well. The short features "Spike" the rabbit, as well as an all-star cast being spoofed by the CLAYMATION creators. Very cute!

- 'Leave Me Alone' is a classic short film. The bizarre carnival theme laughably, yet with a severe undertone shows the rollercoaster ride which the Tabloid and media have locked Michael Jackson into. Sometimes scary, sometimes funny or cute - the piece is unique and meant to mock and illustrate the bogus media mayhem.

- 'Smooth Criminal' is, though I won't spoil it, full of awesome dancing and an adorable adventure. Michael Jackson, Joe Pesci, and son of legend John Lennon - Sean Lennon. The music video portion is beyond belief and your kids will be trying to mimic it eternally. The action/adventure storyline is fun (a bit corny), but meaningfully set against drugs. A sort of blend between Star Wars and E.T.

- 'Come Together' is an awesome performance. The Beatles hit is performed with much enthusiasm and forms a nice triumphant little ending.

- The credits and behind the scenes selection is also very nice. The sort of chant is accompanied by the group doing some cute little dance with bits of Michael and graphic element sequences dispersed through out.

Altogether A GREAT family film that adults will love and children will cherish. Catches your attention and keeps you happy throughout. You'll LOVE it!

- AnDie