It seems everyone has an opinion of Michael Jackson — the man, the songwriter, the entertainer. However, for all that we have heard of his shocking, perhaps scandalous personal life, we’ve known little of Jackson’s professional life — until now.

“This Is It,” prophetically billed by 50-year-old Jackson as “My final curtain call,” sheds light on the process of orchestrating a spectacular stage show. Edited and directed by Kenny Ortega, “This Is It” shows Jackson working to perfect a richly complex presentation. Far from a slapdash vehicle to pay off Jackson’s mounting debt (a rumored $500 million dollars), the concert represents a superb treatment of Jackson’s work, one transforming the entertainer’s songs into Broadway-worthy productions.

Reports that Jackson showed up for a mere handful of rehearsals are borne out in this footage. During each rehearsal he wore one outfit. In various rehearsals spliced together, he wears four different outfits. Behind the scenes Jackson was surely working hard. By the time he showed up to rehearse at the Los Angeles Staples Center, his moves conveyed the grace of one no longer needing to think them through. His physicality, while restrained, was everything audiences expected. Rather than dancing, Jackson gives the appearance of floating across the stage.

Those aware of the rumor mill may have heard Jackson was no longer able to sing. Not only do we see and hear Jackson sing in full voice and in falsetto, doing so sends the singer into minor fits. At one point, an uncharacteristic edge creeps into Jackson’s voice when he admonishes his crew, “Understand, I’m warming up my voice. I need to save my throat.” Less than a minute later, Jackson breaks into full voice to the delight of his starstruck cast.

Onstage Jackson’s leadership’s style is one of quietly exuding charisma that inspires the cast rather than dominates every moment. As we watch and listen to Jackson doling out orders, we begin to understand the detail-oriented vision informing his work. He explains the funky sound he seeks, or the feeling behind a pregnant pause inserted into one of his songs, or the power he senses in a rain forest bulldozer’s maw snapping silently shut. Jackson was intimately acquainted with each piece of the puzzle and knew precisely how the pieces fit together.

Investors in the show wisely hired Kenny Ortega as the creative director for the concert series. Ortega, famous for directing the Opening Olympic Ceremony at Salt Lake City, agreed to also direct “This Is It,” the film. Several of the show’s filmed segments reveal Ortega’s genius in conveying Jackson’s emotional intent. In one section a little girl attempts to save her patch of rain forest from man-made destruction; in another demons and zombies flesh out Jackson’s “Thriller.” In yet another, Jackson is cut into old movie classics. It is Ortega’s guiding hand that adds something immeasurable to this rehearsal documentary.

The film starts off modestly. During brief interviews, the principal dancers, 11 of the 5,000 to audition, gush with enthusiasm for the project. Then Ortega cuts straight to Jackson in rehearsal. Snippets of dancers attempting to learn the entertainer’s signature moves reveal them to be more difficult than they appear. While backup singers frequently rest, dancers are worked to exhaustion. When not rehearsing, they are led in Pilates workouts, or drilled in their posture, or critiqued on their work over and over again. On stage, they are charged with enhancing every move Michael makes.

My sole complaint is that fully half of Jackson’s lyrics are unintelligible. It has always been so because Jackson is more concerned with the sound and the visual power of his performance than he is with the words. Fortunately, the multimedia production helps to clarify his intentions, but unless you know the lyrics to each verse, some of the nuances are lost.

In the end, the documentary is both powerfully entertaining and deeply emotional. Even Jackson’s detractors are likely to lament, “Is that all there is?” Yep. This is it.