ON the eve of my 53rd birthday, my wife Debbie and I went to see Michael Jackson’s “This is It,” the film documentary on the King of Pop. On the first week of its release, the movie grossed more than $100 million worldwide.

I expected the theatre to be full, but it turned out that only a fifth of it was occupied. The two-hour film was like extended MTV clips put together, only that there were more footage of rehearsals than of all-out performances by the gloved-one.

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Michael Jackson reminded the production group that he needed to preserve his voice for his final curtain call in his 50 sold-out concerts in London. Despite his restrained vocal delivery, MJ gave the world a glimpse of the music genius and artistic dancer that he was.

When the film ended, what stuck out in my mind was the letter “M”--for Michael and:

Music: MJ is a child of Motown soul but extended his sphere, incorporating other genres (rock, R n’ B, jazz, disco) to his sound. He wrote simple songs and made these accessible.

But he added funky bass beats, imaginative orchestration and stylish vocals, turning these into masterpieces that left lasting imprints on popular music.

As he matured, MJ tackled serious issues through his songs: the environment, war, hunger and poverty. He expressed his faith in some of the songs that he recorded and popularized. Though you cannot categorize his uplifting compositions (“We are the World” and “Heal the World”) as gospel, actually they are.

Movement: The Moonwalk is one of modern times’ original dance movements that MJ created, and he danced it with ease and confidence. Crotch touching and the single glove are associated with MJ but these are embarrassing, if not silly. Robotic dance routines became popular with the macabre “Thriller.”

The film “This is It” shows an MJ so conscious about each beat that in some instances he demanded from the band that the proper effect and emotion be created by the sound to complement his dance and movements.

Maestro: MJ mastered his music and his dance. The musicians hired to accompany him respected him for his thoroughness in his music, telling them how the accompaniment should be done at certain moments in the song. The backup dancers were chosen by MJ himself and told to enhance the performance of the main star, they being extensions of MJ himself.

He conceptualized the choreography and though most of the dancers were 25-30 years younger than him, MJ, being the true master of dance, showed them the energy and expression required.

Magic: David Copperfield was reportedly sought as consultant for “This is It” and that MJ wanted a magical effect in his show. The backdrop was colossal, the accompanying videos amazing (like that running fire), the choreography captivating and the music fascinating. But even if it was stripped to its barest, the show would still have been magical with MJ, whose talent spells magic.

Man: In the Parthenon of music deities, MJ is now a bonafide member, joining the ranks of Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Bob Marley. He may even find more respect in death than when he was alive. Genius that he was, MJ was a human being with weaknesses and faults. He had weird collections (like the bones of the Elephant Man) as he had brilliant investments (like the Beatles catalog).

“This is It” revealed MJ as a kind and generous individual who cared for the earth, who was thankful to all who were there for him and who knew his God (he often said “God bless you”).

When we stood up to leave the theatre, two to three persons clapped their hands in appreciation to MJ. I did not. I thought that the film was too short to allow one to know the man that Michael Jackson was. “This is It” is not the final curtail call and I expect to hear more of MJ (through unreleased songs, movies and musicals) in years to come.