Speaking ill of the dead is bad form and Michael Jackson's This Is It affords little opportunity where the late King of Pop is concerned. Watching this commemorative concert documentary is an affirmative, uplifting experience. It won't alter the course of non-fiction filmmaking but will cement Jackson's reputation as a supremely talented and, yes, iconic entertainer.

Culled from footage taken between March and June of 2009 as he rehearsed in Los Angeles for a series of London comeback performances, the movie doesn't reveal anything remotely controversial or shed any light on the private man. It's a portrait of a consummate professional possessed of a rare gift for singing, dancing and communicating. While obviously aimed at fans, skeptics and detractors won't wonder what all the fuss has been about when they hear Jackson sing and watch him move. Beneath the scandal, beneath the sordid courtroom saga and celebrity hoopla, there was an artist.

Cynics may still choose to see it as a money-grab that exploits Jackson's sudden demise at the age of 50 this past June 25th. But although it burnishes a reputation and offers grief-stricken disciples an entertaining and revenue-producing outlet, This Is It can also be viewed as a tribute to the work done by scores of people involved in prepping the concerts, whether onstage or off. The film's release means all their time and effort did not go to waste.

It begins with the most visible of those: the eleven principal dancers (chosen from 5,000), who express their good fortune and gush about MJ in brief interviews. With Kenny Ortega -- director of both film and the concert -- at the helm, the bulk of the running time (which could have been trimmed by ten minutes or so) consists of Jackson performing many of his most popular numbers. Along with "I'll Be There," "Beat It," "Billie Jean," "The Man in the Mirror," and a Jackson 5 medley, there's a snazzy version of "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," a feel-good rendition of "Black or White," and a surprisingly moving new eco number titled "Earth Song."

Updates of "Smooth Criminal" and "Thriller" occasion taking the audience onto the sets of new videos that were going to be part of the concert shows. In the former, Jackson is inserted into footage from the classic noir film Gilda, as well as various Humphrey Bogart gangster flicks. Throughout, we witness Jackson collaborating with the musicians, dancers and tech people. Ortega is always eager to run interference. It's never necessary however. Jackson doesn't exhibit any diva behavior and, while definitely "hands-on" and an authoritative presence, is unfailingly polite and always puts a positive spin on his instructions.

During certain numbers, he's holding back vocally and is apologetic about needing to save his throat; yet there's no inkling of exhaustion or Jackson being strung out. It must also be said, it doesn't appear he's inventing new moves or doing much that's terribly novel. Even the titular number This Is It is a Paul Anka song he recorded in the late 1980s. Nevertheless, that realization doesn't take away from the high level of musicianship and stagecraft on display.

There are excerpts from a March 5th press conference announcing the concerts during which Jackson uttered the fateful statement, "This is the final curtain call," and what qualifies as his mantra, "It's all for love." We also see him addressing cast and crew during a pep talk on the night before he passed away, as they prepared to move the production to London. To Ortega's credit, that's the nearest thing to schmaltz or morbidity we're exposed to. And the closest thing to overt idol worship is the cruciform pose Jackson adopts at the end of one number.

Tasteful in the extreme, unless crotch grabbing offends, This Is It was never going to a forum for uncovering dirt or speculating about what caused his death. Its reticence is still praiseworthy. It's a relief not to have "Wacko Jacko" come to mind as you watch -- his surgically created simian androgyny even looks natural in this context. Any controversy surrounding the artist or his death disappears when the lights go down. The movie can only help Jackson's artistic reputation, and the concerts, had he lived to perform them, would likely have done the same.

(Released by Sony Pictures and rated "PG" for some suggestive choreography and scary images.)