More than 100 die-hard Michael Jackson fans half-filled the auditorium at the Dana Cinema Complex for the opening night of the King of Pop's final performance, This Is It.

The low key turnout might have had something to do with all the posters and pre-publicity highlighting the movie's arrival for the following day. But Bahrain, and a number of other countries around the world, couldn't wait that long and opened for a couple of showings last Wednesday night.

Fans across the globe went dressed to impress on the occasion to mark their adulation of the late entertainer who died aged 50 shortly before starting a 50-date musical extravaganza in London.

In Beijing a troupe of impersonaters delighted crowds by moonwalking and singing. In Tokyo, fans flocked to the 'King of Pop' shop stacked with official Jackson merchandise in anticipation of the film. However, in Bahrain the audience was a little more subdued. No one arrived dressed in sequins and there wasn't a single white glove in sight. But, for the fans that did make it, it proved to be a magical experience.

As I walked into the cinema foyer Billie Jean was aptly playing in the background, giving movie-goers a taste of what was to come.

I spoke to fans about what they were expecting from the film and what Michael Jackson meant to them and the responses I got were plainly off the wall. One fan revealed that she had organised the final day of her honeymoon around Jackson's opening show at the O2 Arena.

Another fan told me that she had tickets for one of the gigs in the English capital on her birthday but Jackson's untimely death put paid to that, and she hoped the documentary would prove to be the next best thing.

This Is It is comprised of hundreds of hours of rehearsal footage and behind the scenes clips taken as the singer prepared for his comeback shows. The movie offered an unprecedented glimpse into the inner-workings of the biggest selling artist of all time.

It proved to be a fascinating insight into the immense preparation and effort that went into creating what was to be Jackson's greatest performance. It shows how meticulous and carefully orchestrated each seemingly trivial detail was planned.

The visual effects that were to accompany the performance are nothing short of breathtaking. If you were impressed by the grandeur, special effects and prosthetics of the original Thriller video, trust me, the updated version really does beat it.

One of my favourite parts of the film shows just how much of a perfectionist the late Jackson really was. As he rehearsed one of his hits with the band he abruptly stopped and told the keyboard player that the sequence needed more 'sizzle'. The bemused keyboard player attempted the part again, and once again Jackson told him that there was still not enough 'sizzle' and concludes: "I want you to play it the way that I wrote it."

For me, another highlight of the documentary is Jackson performing the infamous crotch-grabbing sequence during Billie Jean. The attention to detail is extraordinary. It was like watching a bizarre mix between a Broadway musical and a pantomime.

At times Jackson appeared strong and forceful, with a dominant stage presence that captivated his stage-crew and dancers. At other times he appeared frail and tired, lending credence to the rumours that he could have been unable to perform the mammoth tour dates ahead of him.

It will be up to the audiences to decide on that one.

Towards the end of the film the dancers, band and stage-crew gathered in a circle and Jackson told them that the shows at the O2 were going to be a 'great adventure' and that it was 'all escapism' where the audience would be taken on a journey to a place they had never been before.

In This Is It you can see Jackson put his heart and soul into his performance. The question remains, was this documentary meant to be a tribute to one of the world's greatest performers, or simply a publicity stunt to generate more money for the Jackson estate?

My verdict, all in all, this film was no thriller, but it wasn't half bad.

Showing in Dana Cineplex

Name: Robin John

Age: 29

Occupation: Account Manager

From: Mumbai, India

I've been a die-hard Michael Jackson fan my whole life, I grew up listening to him and really love all his songs. He's really inspired me in life and I'm so sad that he's gone, but he'll never been forgotten."

Name: Ebony Allen

Age: 27

Occupation: IT Consultant

From: Philadelphia, US

"I've been a fan of Michael since I came out of the womb! I love him and my three-year-old son does too, he even tries to do the moonwalk. I had tickets to see Michael perform in London on my birthday. This film was epic, I laughed, I cried, It was great."

Name: Hisham Janahi

Age: 20

Occupation: Student

From: Tubli

"The film was great, I loved it ... but it was also really sad since I've always been such a huge fan. During the film I wanted to cry a little. He was an amazing performer and will be greatly missed."

Name: Maan Aldubayan

Age: 23

Occupation: Medical student

From: Saudi Arabia

"The whole thing was perfect. The film lived up to all my expectations. He may be gone but he's still living in my heart."

Name: Abeer Aldubayan

Age: 24

Occupation: Teacher

From: Iraq

"I liked the film, but I feel it would have been better if there had been more about the tragic ending to his incredible story. Overall, I really liked This Is It.