To be completely honest, when I heard that Michael Jackson had passed away early last summer my first thought was “yeah, I don’t really care, he molested kids.” I mean sure, it’s hard not to acknowledge the man’s genius and everything that he contributed to the world of music and dance, but the image that his name conjured in my head was a pale, boney face covered by huge sunglasses and dark hair, avoiding hundreds of paparazzi cameras while being escorted into a court room.

However, just a week after his death, I dreamt that I met Michael himself in a hospital and then we played baseball. The next morning I woke up feeling refreshed and as though I had made a connection with a new friend. Did the King of Pop actually come to me in a dream? Chances are I’m not that important. But did my dream entirely alter the way that I view him and lead me to defend him over the next few months when everyone else made fun of his life? You bet it did. I expected This Is It to be an extension of that dream: something that showed off the loveable side of Michael and made people forget why they had ever doubted his sanity.

As I handed my ticket over to be ripped and returned, I was also given a fake Michael Jackson’s This Is It concert pass. This was a reminder that I wasn’t about to see Indiana Jones tactfully avoid pits full of snakes or Batman beat up worthless criminals. Rather, I was going to see a hero in his own right, once again creating something to inspire millions of people.

The “This Is It” concert series was going to be Jackson’s last tour, but five days before he was set to leave on the trip, he sang his last note and danced his last step. As such, the movie was not about the life and death of Michael Jackson but rather the making of these concerts. It was a compilation of shots from the rehearsals that contain both Michael singing and dancing to his songs as well as him choreographing and planning every other aspect. And after watching the film, I can say that it’s tragic no one was able to see his final curtain call.

When the shots of Michael first came onscreen and I saw that face that was so clearly recognizable from the covers of countless gossip magazines, I was disappointed. He looked fragile, creepy, and frankly like a skeleton from his Thriller video. But as he began to sing and dance across the stage, I remembered why it is that people love him despite his flaws. And as the movie continued, it struck me that this man paved the way for decades of music. Everything about him was iconic, and who was I to judge someone who contributed such vast amounts to pop-culture?

As high-schoolers, we’re all too young to remember the era of MJ before the plastic surgery and lawsuits. It’s tragic that that’s our outstanding impression of him. As the movie continued, we watched him dictate precisely how he wanted every detail of his final concert. And not just the singing and the dancing, but he knew exactly where and when the lights should turn on and how long he wanted every musical rest as to emphasize the groove of the song. He even directed actors for the videos that would play behind the stage.

These efforts were not in vain. The final product would have been amazing, every song its own epic masterpiece with MJ clearly holding the brush. It takes talent to create something that makes me and the other people who came with me to see it — four teenagers whose definition of popular music consists of Soulja Boy — turn to each other with every new dance move or special effect and say over and over “that was filthyyyyy.” By the final song, “Man in the Mirror,” I was upset that no one would ever see the final product of such a talented man, but more so in awe at how one person could have such an extraordinary vision and bring it to life with his almost unlimited resources.

It’s inspiring to watch anyone so talented doing exactly what they love and doing it with such creativity and intensity. If you want a movie with action and drama, go see The Stepfather. But if you want a movie that will inspire you and show you a whole new side to one of the greatest performers in history, this is it.