You Rock My World (Official Video)

I loved this song and video so much when it was first released and I still do.
 
It's beautifully shot and definitely an underrated video. Lets face it, by 2001, nothing MJ came back with would've pleased everybody. Anything he did was going to get analysed, criticised and judged unfairly. I actually think YRMW is a great song with a cool video. Just a shame MJ didn't make any more videos from Invincible. Unbreakable, Threatened and Whatever Happens especially were just begging for a shortfilm!!
 
The track itself was a typical Darkchild production; completely safe and unimpressive for MJ, but it was a fine choice for a lead single. Worth noting that it hit No.10 on the Hot 100 based on radio airplay alone; had Sony given it a full commercial release in the United States, it might have hit No.1. I also like how the song came off like a late 90s/early 00s version of "Rock With You".

The video, on the other hand, I'm not too fond of. It was clearly inspired by Rush Hour 2, as if the director decided to reference that movie just because he heard Chris Tucker was going to be in it. While I can understand that sort of thinking, the video still comes off as very lazy, like a poor man's "Smooth Criminal". Marlon Brando's cameo was weird, too.
 
The shoot looks incredible, no expense spared. Michael Madsen is always excellent value. I like that they built a story around a song that doesn't really lend itself to a larger narrative. Michael's dancing is great with some new shapes, he pursues his girly like he does in so many other music videos, there's a great spotlight scene for her to dance and then....

.....that's where the good points end. The story is quite frankly ridiculous. Michael has no justification for hopping on the bar and smashing bottles. If I was Chris Tucker, I'd be hauling his ass back on the street and hollerin 'What you think you doin Mike?' He's lucky all he gets is Madsen half-heartedly smashing a bottle too. Where's his gun? And then he just turns away and let's the heavies get in on it (as he should). Yep we get a percussion and dance section which is AWESOME but the whole 'big man' carry-on needs to be dispensed with.
Michael does the Smooth Criminal/Dangerous flip on one guy, cool as a cucumber, then punches Mr 'Big Man' which is a bit mean seeing as he wasn't being aggressive in any way. But the grand finale....Mike starts a fire and loses it! Runs around like a cat chasing his tail. Brando waddles in, happy as a clam with his club burning down around him. Picks up his $1m cheque. Bing bang later.
And of course Mike snogs his mystery girl (who knows his name of course) and away they drive!

Silly silly stuff.
 
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