Line #54 Film/Moonwalker


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5	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moonwalker.jpg]]
6	[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} A movie like no other.]]]]
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8	->'''Timmy:''' Oh, look, look, Grammy. [[StarstruckSpeechless It's M-M-M-Mi-Mi-MI—It's M-M-Mi-Mi-]]\
9	'''Grammy:''' Mantovani? \
10	'''Timmy:''' No. '''[[SuddenlyShouting MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!]]'''
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12	''Moonwalker'' is a 1988 film starring Music/MichaelJackson, and both his only major film appearance after ''Film/TheWiz'' in 1978 and his only film as the star, not counting the posthumous documentary ''Film/MichaelJacksonsThisIsIt''. It's best described as a MusicVideo anthology, with music mostly drawn from his 1987 album ''Music/{{Bad}}''. The eight segments are:
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14	* "Man in the Mirror" -- Clips of Jackson performing this song on the ''Bad'' tour are combined with clips from the original video taking a look at world movers and shakers over the 20th century.
15	* "Retrospective" -- A mixed-media montage of Jackson's career from his [[Music/TheJacksonFive Jackson 5ive]] days to what was then the present.
16	* "Badder" -- The "Bad" video remade with an all-kiddie cast.
17	* "Speed Demon" -- Michael is pursued around a movie studio by {{Claymation}} critters; he escapes by disguising himself as one (a rabbit).
18	* "Leave Me Alone" -- A song about a romantic relationship ending is visually presented as Jackson's commentary on the media picking on him for his eccentricities (both real and rumored).
19	* "Smooth Criminal" -- The centerpiece segment, taking up about half the film total, has Michael battling a drug-peddling supervillain (Creator/JoePesci) and his goons for the sake of his kid friends and children the world over. By the end, Michael has turned himself into a spaceship to achieve this goal. (Would it surprise you to learn that Michael himself came up with this storyline?) Note to fans of film music: the Music/DavidNewman credited as the screenwriter is not the composer.
20	* [[Music/AbbeyRoad "Come Together"]] -- Really the closing scene of "Smooth Criminal", Music/TheBeatles are covered by Michael in a nightclub performance.
21	* "The Moon is Walking" -- This Ladysmith Black Mambazo tune shot on one of the "Smooth Criminal" sets leads us into the end credits.
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23	For the Creator/{{Sega}} game based on the movie, which served as one of the first major hits for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, see ''VideoGame/MichaelJacksonsMoonwalker''. Not to be confused with the Film/JamesBond film, ''Film/{{Moonraker}}'', or the 2015 film, ''Film/{{Moonwalkers}}'', nor the one shot manga ''Moon Walker''.
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25	----
26	!!This film contains examples of:
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28	* TheSeventies: The video montage of Music/TheJacksonFive and ''Music/OffTheWall'' videos show the changing styles of the decade.
29	* TheEighties:
30	** All the clips from the ''{{Music/Thriller}}'' and ''{{Music/Bad}}'' albums come from this decade, as do the listing of his many accolades, as this was the decade when Jackson was at the height of his popularity.
31	** Most of the pop culture figures Jackson impersonates in the “Speed Demon” video—Creator/SylvesterStallone, Music/TinaTurner, [[Creator/PaulReubens Pee Wee Herman]]—were at their height during this decade.
32	* TheAggressiveDrugDealer: It doesn't get more aggressive than trying to inject a little girl personally! Even better, no reason is given for ''why'' he wants to get everybody (especially children) addicted to drugs. He just wants to.
33	** There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it line that ''might'' explain it: at one point, Frankie Lideo rants about how everyone in the world will ''know his name!!!'' (But they'd better spell it right.) It's possible the only reason Lideo's pushing drugs on kids is to make himself world-famous, to be known as the guy who did something so horrible.
34	* AllThereInTheScript: Joe Pesci's character is named "Mr. Big" in the credits, but is not referred to as such via dialogue. The villain reveals his name is "Frankie Lideo" early on (an in-joke; Jackson's manager at the time was Frank [=DiLeo=]...who later played a character nicknamed Mr. Big in the first ''Film/WaynesWorld'' movie), but no one else refers to him by name.
35	* AnimalMotifs:
36	** The "Leave Me Alone" video represents the {{Paparazzi}} as dogs, because they are constantly [[StealthPun hounding]] Jackson. The chorus even ends with the line, "Just stop dogging me around."
37	** Mr. Big heavily associates himself with spiders, picturing his drug empire as a web ensnaring the globe.
38	** Jackson himself is represented by rats; likely because his theme to ''Ben'' was his BreakthroughHit as a solo artist.
39	* AscendedExtra: “Speed Demon” was one of only two songs never released as a single from the ''Music/{{Bad}}'' album[[note]]the other was “Just Good Friends,” a duet with Music/StevieWonder[[/note]], but it receives the longest vignette in the movie besides “Smooth Criminal.”
40	* {{BFG}}: Being a drug dealer, it makes sense that Frankie has a WaveMotionGun the size of a building, hidden behind a retractable mountainside. Which is controlled using hand cranks. Yes.
41	* {{Broken Aesop}}: "Man in the Mirror" is about making the world a better place, with visuals focusing on peacemaking and charity and brief shots of famous nonviolent peacemakers—UsefulNotes/MahatmaGandhi, UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr, and UsefulNotes/NelsonMandela. It's harder to take that seriously when "Smooth Criminal" has Michael shooting off a machine gun during the sequence in Club 30s and blowing up all the villains in the climax.
42	* ButNotTooEvil[=/=]{{Bowdlerize}}: The Blu-Ray release was edited; we no longer see Mr. Big attempt to inject Katie, nor do we see Michael (try to) threaten Mr. Big.
43	* ButNowIMustGo: Subverted. Michael turns into a space ship and flies away after saving the day while his young playmates say "He's leaving"...but he doesn't actually go anywhere and comes back minutes later.
44	* TheCameo: Advertising/TheNoid in "Speed Demon".
45	* CaptainObvious: After everyone sees Michael run into the costume room, one of the gangsters walks up to the door and says, “I think he’s in there.”
46	* {{Claymation}}: Most of "Speed Demon", courtesy of Will Vinton Studios. The montage also features a clip from a claymation video for "ABC" from the '70s.
47	** The "Elephant Man" in "Leave Me Alone" is also realized through this method.
48	* CoolBike: In "Speed Demon", Michael turns a bike into a motorcycle at the beginning of the song. He also turns it into several things, including a jetski.
49	* CoolCar: Michael transforms into one.
50	* CoolOldLady: The grandma in "Speed Demon" can ride a motorcycle, and dresses like a commando.
51	* CoolShip: Michael's third form.
52	* CreatorInJoke: The film contains several references to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_DiLeo Frank [=DiLeo=],]] Jackson's real-life manager at the time.
53	** During "Speed Demon," Spike leads his pursuers through a "[[Advertising/JackInTheBox Frank in the Box]]" drive-through window. The building's roof is decorated with a giant bust of [=DiLeo=], surrounded by cheeseburgers.
54	** The main antagonist of the "Smooth Criminal" segment, "Mr. Big" (played by Creator/JoePesci), reveals his ''real'' name during his character's introduction: [[SignificantAnagram Frankie [=LiDeo=]]].
55	** [=DiLeo=] himself appears in the background right before "Come Together," as Michael prepares to go onstage.
56	* {{Crossover}}: For ''This is It'', Michael briefly revived his "Smooth Criminal" persona and filmed a brand new vignette, featuring him interacting with characters from ''Film/{{Gilda}}'', ''Film/TheBigSleep'' and ''Film/InALonelyPlace''. Check out the vignette in full [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86JKhJVyD5E here]].
57	** As mentioned above, Advertising/TheNoid[[labelnote:*]]another of Vinton's characters[[/labelnote]] from Domino's Pizza's "Avoid The Noid" campaign appears in the "Speed Demon" segment as one of the members of the mob in a few scenes.
58	* DamselInDistress: Katie gets kidnapped near the end and Michael has to save her.
59	* DanceBattler: In the "Smooth Criminal" sequence, Michael dances and fights gangsters at the same time.
60	* DeusExMachina: It's not like we ever find out why Michael has the ability to turn into a superfast car, shielded robot with energy cannons, or a giant spaceship. It would seem to be the result of his [[Main/MakeAWish wishing upon a shooting "lucky star"]], but why does it conveniently appear every time the chips are down?
61	* DisproportionateRetribution: Two cowboy movie actors chase after Michael for disrupting their shot.
62	* EleventhHourSuperpower: Robo-Jackson.
63	* EnemyMine: In "Speed Demon", the cowboy actors plays the heroic sheriff and an evil gunslinger, and they team-up to get Michael.
64	* EveryoneChasingYou:
65	** "Speed Demon" deals with Jackson being chase by everyone imaginable; a group of fans from a studio tour, some cowboy actors who wanted to get revenge on him for ruining their movie shot and film crews!
66	** "Smooth Criminal" also deals with Jackson being chased down by Mr. Big.
67	* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: Especially in montages.
68	* {{Evil Redhead}}s: The two fat guys riding mopeds in "Speed Demon".
69	* FacelessGoons: Mr. Big's men.
70	* TheFilmOfTheSong: Most of the film is dedicated to highlighting songs from the ''Music/{{Bad}}'' album, with especially long vignettes devoted to “Smooth Criminal” and “Speed Demon".
71	* ForTheEvulz: Mr. Big wants to get all the children of the world high on drugs...why? Because he wants to be famous... apparently.
72	* {{Foreshadowing}}: "Retrospective" shows a couple elements that show up in later segments. The TV turns into a spaceship, a snippet of "ABC" features the Jackson 5 in Claymation, and a silver metallic robot.
73	* FriendToAllChildren: Michael in "Smooth Criminal".
74	* GroinAttack: The kid standing in for Michael in "Badder" clearly hurts himself when he grabs his crotch.
75	* HamToHamCombat: Music/MichaelJackson vs. Creator/JoePesci!
76	* HeKnowsTooMuch: Presumably why Mr. Big is after Michael, when he and the kids stumbled upon his hideout in the flashback.
77	* ImpactSilhouette: In the "Smooth Criminal" sequence, during the music number, Michael shoots a gangster and [[BlownAcrossTheRoom blows him across the room]] and through a brick wall, leaving a man-shaped hole.
78	* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: Mr. Big's entire army of FacelessGoons all shoot at Michael outside his apartment at point blank range. And all Jackson has to do is duck, and they ALL miss!
79	* InMediasRes: "Smooth Criminal" opens in the city with Mr. Big's goons gunning Michael down (or so they think); we then {{Flashback}} to how Michael and Katie discovered his scheme.
80	* {{Irony}}: The highway officer got Michael's "autograph", which the Claymation characters tried to get from him.
81	* {{Jetpack}}: Michael sprouts one in "Speed Demon".
82	* LargeHam: Creator/JoePesci as Mr. Big.
83	%%* MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext: Come to think of it... No, it makes even less sense in context.
84	* MediumBlending:
85	** "Speed Demon" is a mixture of claymation with live-action in the mix.
86	** "Leave Me Alone" is live-action mixed in with various forms of animation.
87	* MessianicArchetype: The whole "Smooth Criminal" mini-movie is about Jackson's fantasy of saving the children by [[DrugsAreBad ridding the world of drugs]].
88	* MindScrew: The page description is just the beginning.
89	* {{Montage}}: The first third of the movie is a montage of Jackson’s career from Music/TheJacksonFive through the ''Music/OffTheWall'' and ''Music/{{Thriller}}'' albums. The rest is devoted to highlighting songs on the ''Music/{{Bad}}'' album.
90	* MoonwalkDance: Duh! Though Jackson only performs it a few times during the music video of "Smooth Criminal". Earlier in the film a cop gives him a ticket for moonwalking on the road in a "No moonwalking zone".
91	* MusicVideoOvershadowing: "Leave Me Alone" is actually about a romantic breakup.
92	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: After dressing up as a rabbit, Michael is able to get past everyone chasing him. But [[RecognitionFailure he's so upset that they don't recognize him]] that he does his [[SignatureMove signature dance moves]], so they'll keep chasing him. Says much about Jackson’s AwesomeEgo.
93	* NightmareFace: The boy and his grandma in "Speed Demon" upon seeing Michael Jackson.
94	* NGOSuperpower: Ok, drug lords having armies of goons is TruthInTelevision, but Frankie Lideo still manages to outfit them with top-of-the-line combat gear and then there's his SupervillainLair with ''gigantic'' DeathRay.
95	* NoBodyLeftBehind: A man in "Smooth Criminal" tries to stab Michael from behind, only for Michael to shoot him. The man reels in pain for a moment, before suddenly flying backward into a wall, upon which he promptly disintegrates into a silhouette-shaped ash spot. Why this happens is not clear, though it's possible Michael's gun is [[DisintegratorRay magic]] [[SubvertedTrope or something]]
96	* OneWingedAngel: Michael's robotic form in "Smooth Criminal" is a heroic example, causing him to quickly turn the tide against Mr. Big's army.
97	* {{Paparazzi}}: In "Speed Demon", Michael was also being chased by them along with the fans. Among them is a mafia-like group carrying cameras instead of guns and bandoliers filled with films instead of bullets.
98	* RandomEventsPlot: Really, there's no plot to speak of as much as several loosely-connected vignettes. And even the ''vigniettes'' are pretty random.
99	* RogerRabbitEffect: "Speed Demon", with claymation characters.
100	* SayMyName: Katie does this ''a lot'' with regards to Michael.
101	* SceneTransition:
102	** "Retrospective" ends with a clip of the beginning of "Bad", setting up the "Badder" segment.
103	** Between "Badder" and "Speed Demon".
104	* {{Shapeshifting}}: Michael gets this ability while disguised as a rabbit, shapeshifts into different celebrities. The rabbit suit comes to life and turned into a mountain.
105	** In "Smooth Criminal", his ability comes from a wishing star.
106	* ShotForShotRemake: A group of children, featuring 80s BoyBand "The Boyz", do one of the ''Bad'' video.
107	* ShoutOut:
108	** The "Smooth Criminal" dance sequence is a {{homage}} to the Creator/FredAstaire-Creator/CydCharisse film ''Film/TheBandWagon''.
109	** Frankie's men have guns with cool [=LED=] ammo counters obviously inspired by the then-recent ''Film/{{Aliens}}''.
110	** The logo also looks to have been very much influenced by the font used for the title of ''Film/{{Tron}}''.
111	** The theme park in "Leave Me Alone" has two quick scenes from the ''Ride/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' ride.
112	* SpectacularSpinning: Several times, most prominently when the dance-off between Michael and the rabbit in "Speed Demon" comes down to who can execute the most impressive spin.
113	* SquashedFlat: The dancers from "Badder" were squashed by the tour guide in "Speed Demon".
114	%%* StuffBlowingUp: All over the place in the climax of "Smooth Criminal".
115	* SurrealMusicVideo: Well, surreal ''segment'', anyway. In the middle of the music portion of "Smooth Criminal" is a slow-motion, darkened, extra-noire interlude before the dancing resumes and leads into the anti-gravity lean.
116	* TalkyBookends: This is what the stories in "Speed Demon" and "Smooth Criminal" come down to -- they just go on a lot longer than music video channels would allow.
117	* TechnologyPorn: The extended-and-then-some robot TransformationSequence. Helped in part by it being a joint effort by regular Jackson collaborator Creator/RickBaker, and Eric Allard, the creator of [[Film/ShortCircuit Johnny Five]].
118	* TransformationIsAFreeAction: Lideo's entire army has Michael at gunpoint, but just stand there nervously shuffling their feet as he slowly grows larger and larger, sprouting more and more armor, guns and missiles. Their boss has to scream at them repeatedly to fire before they snap out of it but by then it's too late.
119	%%* TransformingMecha: Michael himself. Somehow.
120	* TransformingVehicle:
121	** Jackson in "Speed Demon" turns an ordinary bike into a motorcycle. It can also turn into a jet ski.
122	** The two fat guys in the same video can turn their mopeds into jet skis as well when chasing Jackson through the river.
123	* WaxingLyrical: Apart from the obvious, Frank "Mr. Big" Lideo quips that he has a "smooth operation".
124	%%* WouldHurtAChild: Mr. Big.
125	* YourHeadAsplode: Michael's battle robot mode includes a sonic weapon which causes several mooks' helmets (and presumably the heads inside them), to explode.

Context Film / Moonwalker