Fireworks burst and crackle in rapid succession. Ten-foot flames chase each other across the stage. A perfectly in-sync army of a thousand dancers stomps unison on an enormous screen in front of a backdrop of the crumbling Roman Empire.

Dazzling and electrifying as these images are, the truly amazing spectacle in front of it all is the King of Pop, whose magical presence is the real focus of the recently released film, “This Is It.”

Michael Jackson fans across the country filled theaters for the midnight release of the film on Oct. 27, and Mount Pleasant’s Cinebarre was no exception.

The lobby was filled with fans sporting special “This Is It” access badges and white gloves on their right hands as a DJ spun  all of Jackson’s adored tunes. Cameramen mingled with the crowd, interviewing fans and capturing shots of the tribute.

Local dance company Dancefx highlighted the tribute with a chillingly dead-on recreation of the dance sequence from “Thriller.” Twenty-something zombies, outrageously adorned in ripped-up ‘80s attire, teased hair and garish dead makeup limped through the lobby and closed in on 11-year-old Warren Mazyck, who led the pack in a red suit as Michael Jackson, wowing the fans with his flawless reenactments of Jackson’s moves, from triple spins to perfect moonwalking.

But the real highlight of the evening was “This Is It.” The opening credits proclaimed “This is for the fans,” and fans of Michael Jackson could not have asked for anything more.

   The movie is essentially a recreation of Jackson’s upcoming concert, the sold-out, 50-city world tour that would have restored the King of Pop to his rightful throne at the pinnacle of the entertainment industry. However, if fans had seen the completed performance extravaganza, they would not have seen the behind-the-scenes footage that captured the tireless precision and incredible manpower that Jackson and his crew devoted to the production of the show.

Many of the numbers were montages created from several rehearsal takes, often beginning with Jackson giving careful instructions on how he wanted the lighting, dancers’ formations, and each and every note of his songs so they sounded exactly as he wrote them. After his meticulous directions were noted, he would softly say, “God bless you,” and the real rehearsal would begin.

But Jackson’s rehearsals are equivalent to others’ full-out performances, even when he claimed to be “conserving his throat.” Jackson’s entire body would light up, his impish grin growing underneath his trademark aviator glasses, and his piercing, unmistakable voice belting out his hits in a voice as clear and strong as his 20-year old self.

The most magical thing to watch is Jackson’s moves. Even at 50, he still had the same lithe, satin-smooth fluidity combined with impossibly quick, razor-sharp tics and pops that make his dancing take your breath away and “thrill you more than any ghost could ever dare try.”

Even with the world’s most talented young dancers backing Jackson up, the audeience’s eyes stayed glued to the King, wondering how any human could move with such electrifying grace and begging him to not stop until you get enough.

Though Jackson performs mostly old standards, they do not feel dated. He recreates some of his best music video moments on stage, from the mock-gangster brawls of “Smooth Criminal” and “Beat It” to the iconic and enduring “Thriller.”

The production has a distinctly modern feel, with an array of elaborate multimedia videos, like new footage for “Thriller,” with three-dimensional ghost brides and pirates, and the opening number’s “light man,” a humanoid robot that flashes video clips from Martin Luther King, Jr. to President Obama, and then opens up to reveal Jackson.

Noticeably lacking are completed costumes and fully constructed sets, but Jackson more than makes up for that with his trademark attire, practicing his signature moves, appropriately dressed in a navy marching band jacket and penny loafers.

The film runs for just two weeks in theaters and is a must-see on the big screen. Jackson’s heartfelt, sincere love of performing and entertaining genius is evident in this movie, a majestic tribute to the King that proves that he is “it.”