Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Michael Jackson’s postmortem victory tour reaches fever pitch today with the worldwide release of “This Is It,” the ballyhooed documentary about his preparation for the London comeback concert that never was.

Jackson’s fans will surely be thrilled to see the Gloved One singing, dancing and crotch-grabbing as he rehearses for 50 sold-out dates at London’s O2 arena. The rest of us might wonder what all the fuss is about.

Drawing on more than 100 hours of footage taken before Jackson’s death in June, director Kenny Ortega offers an inside look at a consummate showman getting ready for his first performance in more than a decade. But this isn’t the same Michael Jackson who once thrilled audiences with his distinctive falsetto and acrobatic dance moves.

Looking painfully thin, the 50-year-old King of Pop struggles to keep up with the dancers, musicians and backup singers during strenuous rehearsals. His voice is weak and strained, and he sometimes appears to be lip-syncing to his old records; gone is the Fred Astaire grace and Gene Kelly athleticism.

Don’t expect any new insights into Jackson’s much-analyzed personality, either. He rarely speaks and when he does, he’s so subdued that subtitles are frequently used for clarity. And when others talk about him, they do so in the reverential tones reserved for Jesus or Gandhi. (Ortega, Jackson’s longtime collaborator, comes across more as a yes man than a creative equal.)

Shootout With Bogart

To mask Jackson’s declining powers, it appears concert producers were going to rely heavily on gimmicks such as mini- movies and spectacular sets for the performance.

While Jackson sings “Smooth Criminal,” we see his image grafted onto old gangster movies, including a scene of him in a shootout with Humphrey Bogart. “Thriller” is accompanied by a video of monsters prowling through a graveyard and “They Don’t Care About Us” is illustrated with shots of futuristic soldiers.

When Jackson rehashes “Billie Jean,” his elastic-man gyrations seem stiff and almost painful.

The film takes a glancing look at Jackson’s supporting players, including “A Chorus Line” tryout for the coveted dancing roles. But the focus remains on Jackson, whose show was apparently going to be a blend of Broadway musical, Hollywood tribute, gymnastics exhibition and rock concert.

Judging from the movie, it’s fortunate the tour never took place.

“This Is It,” from Sony Pictures, opens today around the world. Rating: *1/2

What the Stars Mean:

****          Excellent
***           Good
**            Average
*             Poor
(No stars)    Worthless

(Rick Warner is the movie critic for Bloomberg News. Opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer on the story: Rick Warner in New York at rwarner1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 28, 2009 06:01 EDT