Michael Review: Michael Jackson Biopic Glosses Over the King of Pop’s Complicated Legacy

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It’s fitting the film concludes with Michael Jackson‘s “Bad” era. Considering the movie isn’t very good, ending with that title or song just makes sense.

Antoine Fuqua’s new film doesn’t truly celebrate Michael Jackson’s life and work; it presents a simplified and somewhat superficial account of his complicated story. The film focuses on lighter moments, like Michael Jackson playing Twister with his chimpanzee Bubbles, and avoids many difficult truths. Notably, the movie only covers events before the public accusations of child sexual abuse against Jackson came to light.

The film only touches on the disturbing stories about Michael Jackson’s father, Joseph. While it shows him as a demanding and controlling figure who pushed his children relentlessly, it doesn’t delve into the allegations of infidelity. The movie portrays Joseph as overbearing, focused on his children’s careers, and prone to physical punishment – all serious issues, but just the tip of the iceberg. This is a key problem with the film; it never really explores these difficult subjects in a substantial way.

This film delivers on the promise of concert footage mixed with dramatic scenes. However, it avoids truly exploring the artist’s life – possibly due to family involvement and the casting of Jackson’s nephew in the lead role. Ultimately, the movie seems more interested in capitalizing on Michael Jackson’s fame than offering any meaningful insight, and it doesn’t say anything of substance.

If You Wanted to Watch a Bunch of Michael Jackson Performances, Here You Go

Biographical films face a tough challenge: they need to accurately portray a person’s life and achievements while also being entertaining. In the case of someone like Michael Jackson, whose work revolutionized pop music, the film should have been equally groundbreaking. Unfortunately, it falls into the same trap as movies like Bohemian Rhapsody, reducing a truly iconic artist’s legacy to something unremarkable.

The “Thriller” music video remains incredibly famous, but the documentary about its making doesn’t fully explore what made it special. Michael Jackson specifically asked director John Landis for shots that showed his full body, including his feet, believing it would help the audience connect with the dance – a technique Fred Astaire had shared. However, the film focuses mostly on close-ups, missing the point of Michael’s request. Surprisingly, it also leaves out the most recognizable part of the “Thriller” dance itself.

Aside from some strange and confusing creative decisions, the film offers a rather uninspired portrayal of Michael Jackson. It simply ends by stating his story goes on, and that pretty much sums up the entire movie – it’s just a basic account of Jackson’s life without anything truly remarkable to offer.

There’s Nothing Unique About Michael

The film hints that Michael Jackson might have taken risks creatively, but ultimately doesn’t explore that idea in a meaningful way. It simply recounts the facts of his life, from his time with The Jackson 5 to his solo career, without offering any new insights. If you already know the basics of Jackson’s life story, you won’t learn anything new, which makes you wonder what the purpose of the movie is.

Films such as This Is It offer a stronger display of Jackson’s abilities, so if you’re looking for something that lets you appreciate his work separately from his personal life, those options exist. However, as a biopic, Michael tends to portray the controversial aspects of his life in a very positive light.

I have to say, while Jaafar Jackson really does capture his uncle’s spirit – he’s fantastic in the role – the movie as a whole just…didn’t do it for me. Everything except that final performance of “Bad” felt like a pretty average imitation of the real thing. It wasn’t bad enough to be good, you know? It just left me wondering why they even bothered making it. It honestly felt a bit pointless.

Ignoring the Controversy Makes Michael Even More of a Waste

As a huge fan of Michael Jackson’s performances, I’ve been looking for a film that celebrates his artistry without getting bogged down in the controversies. Unfortunately, the movie Michael just doesn’t do it for me – it’s a really dull look at his work and doesn’t offer any new insights. It’s frustrating because they’re teasing a follow-up, but this first film doesn’t really honor Jackson at all, and a second one would likely have to deal with all the difficult parts of his life anyway. It feels like they’re avoiding the real story instead of celebrating his genius.

It’s tricky to celebrate certain famous figures because many have been revealed to have serious flaws. For example, while Elvis Presley was an icon, films like Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla have highlighted troubling aspects of his life and relationships. With Michael Jackson, biopics seem to lack both appreciation for his talent and the courage to honestly address his problematic behavior, simply presenting facts without deeper exploration – a similar issue exists with films like Bohemian Rhapsody.

Biopics should respectfully portray an artist’s life and work, or at least offer a fresh perspective. This film, however, feels like a wasted opportunity, focusing heavily on a single, feel-good event – the brief truce Jackson’s “Beat It” video brought to gang tensions. Like the ending of Bohemian Rhapsody, it sacrifices historical accuracy for the sake of recreating famous performances, prioritizing spectacle over truth.

Look, if you’re a die-hard Michael Jackson fan and just need to see more footage, then go for it. But honestly, this documentary doesn’t really offer anything new, and it feels a bit like a cynical attempt to make money off his legacy – something I suspect his dad, Joseph Jackson, would have totally approved of. The one bright spot? Hopefully, it means we’ll get another hilarious interview with Bubbles the chimpanzee and John Mulaney!

Michael is in theaters now.

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2026-04-25 01:37