Smooth Criminal is the greatest "long form" music video of all time, IMO.

[Ambient_Malice]

Every time I watch it, I'm blown away by just how flawless the performance is. The pacing is perfectly calculated to the point where just as its about to wane at the five minute mark, we are treated to the bizarre blue-lit, wailing, foot stamping section, and then out of the blue Michael screams "ANNIE ARE YOU OKAY?" The lights come on the song roars back to life.


And the genius is that just when you think Michael Jackson couldn't get any cooler, he introduces the gravity defying lean, followed by the smooth shuffling.

Michael tried for something similar with You Rock My World in 2001, but while that video is great, it simply isn't TIGHT the way Smooth Criminal is tight. There's no point in Smooth Criminal where the video loses momentum. It doesn't lose momentum, but rather crashes suddenly to a halt. Michael was very fond of this trick. When performing songs such as Human Nature or She's Out of My Life, he's suddenly stop singing and wave his arm. The band would immediately stop. And we would wait. And wait. And then suddenly he'd snap his arm and the band would roar back to life.

I think Smooth Criminal is really the purified essence of the musical genius of Michael Jackson. And I've never seen anything that comes close to topping it.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Well, you're not the first to remark on how good a music video Smooth Criminal is. For example, the Nostalgia Critic called, and I quote, "?the coolest fucking thing I?ve ever seen in my life." in his Moonwalker review.

Spoiler: More of what he had to say

I do agree with him on the blue-lit wailing scene. Not the weirdness of it per se, but I think it lasts a little too long. Otherwise, a flawless music video.

It also helps that Smooth Criminal is a phenominal song in its own right.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

If Michael Jackson was the king of anything, he was the King of Music Videos, like everytime it came out in MTV it was like an event that mattered.

 

[Thaluikhain]

It also helps that Smooth Criminal is a phenominal song in its own right.

And not to mention that he's just stylish. It wouldn't work without that song and without him dancing.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

It also helps that Smooth Criminal is a phenominal song in its own right.

And not to mention that he's just stylish. It wouldn't work without that song and without him dancing.

Not just that. It's also the way the music video makes everything look. Those angles, that lighting and just the cinematography in general make it all look really great and 'larger than life'. Then add top-notch editing. Some really talented people worked on this.

Then again, I suppose working with the best people isn't hard when you're Michael Jackson, though finding/recognizing them is a talent in itself, probably his biggest after his talents as a performer.

 

[Thaluikhain]

It also helps that Smooth Criminal is a phenominal song in its own right.

And not to mention that he's just stylish. It wouldn't work without that song and without him dancing.

Not just that. It's also the way the music video makes everything look. Those angles, that lighting and just the cinematography in general make it all look really great and 'larger than life'. Then add top-notch editing. Some really talented people worked on this.

Then again, I suppose working with the best people isn't hard when you're Michael Jackson, though finding/recognizing them is a talent in itself, probably his biggest after his talents as a performer.

Oh sure, everything has to be working just right and pulling in the same direction, if one element isn't quite there it can pull the whole thing down.

 

[Glongpre]

It is indeed great for a music video.

However, these exist...

Spoiler: :o

Spoiler

I am joking, but they are pretty awesome

 

[Callate]

Michael Jackson was an incredibly talented musician and dancer. "Smooth Criminal" is a testament to that.

 

[Saltyk]

I prefer Thriller, myself. His music videos were always great. He had Martin Scorsese direct a music video for Christ's sake! Dude was a legend even when he was alive.