*SPOILER WARNING*
Released on Friday, April 24, “Michael” drew anticipation since before its release thanks to dedicated fans itching to watch the biopic on “The King of Pop,” Michael Jackson played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson.
The current critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes for the movie is just 38%, while the audience score is 97%. With such a drastic gap of percentages, I wondered what caused this divide.
Critics claimed that the movie was too focused on Jackson himself, leaving no development for other characters, like his brothers. I find this critique interesting as the movie is called “Michael.” I sure would hope that he is the focus.
While most die-hard Jackson fans are loving the biopic, others had concerns about crucial information that the movie missed out on.
An essential part of Jackson’s life that was not touched on was his role as the scarecrow in the 1978 film, “The Wiz.” Instead, there is a gap between when Jackson is working alongside his brothers as part of The Jackson 5 full time and when he started working on his album, “Off the Wall,” with iconic producer Quincy Jones.
I think that “The Wiz” is a very important arc in Jackson’s life for many reasons. Meeting Jones, the film’s music supervisor, on the set of “The Wiz” is one of the major reasons why people wish it had been included. We, as the audience, got no introduction to Jones before jumping right into making Jackson’s debut album.
This leads to another issue the film ran into: legal problems. Diana Ross was set to be played by Kat Graham, but the actress took to Instagram and X to reveal that “legal considerations affected a few scenes, including the ones I filmed with an incredible cast.” There are many reports that claim that, before legal troubles, the movie was over three hours long.
Despite all this, I believe “Michael” is a solid music biopic.
It is hard to capture a life like Jackson’s, especially in just over two hours. The film ends with Jackson touring his album “Bad,” which isn’t that far into his stacked career.
The film revolved around the earlier conflicts Jackson had to deal with, such as separating himself from his brothers, the tragic Pepsi commercial and the tough way in which Jackson was brought up by his father, Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo).
Delivering a haunting performance as Jackson’s father, every time Domingo appeared on screen, you anticipated his words with anxiety.
Words are not enough to describe Jaafar’s acting. He delivers a stellar performance that proves that, as Jackson’s nephew, he’s a Jackson himself. There were times when the camera would pan out and you would see Jaafar get completely lost in Jackson’s character. It is clear he studied Jackson’s mannerisms and talent extensively, and it sure doesn’t go unnoticed.
Other things in the film that I felt were importantly highlighted is Jackson’s humility, as he was always giving back to kids in need while visiting hospitals, as well as Jackson’s vitiligo, something that is often misunderstood by the media.
At the end of the movie, there is a line that reads, “His story continues.” Deadline reported that Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Chair, confirmed potential plans for a sequel during an earnings call.
“I can tell you that the creative team is hard at work making sure that we’re in a position to deliver more “Michael” soon after we release the first film,” Fogelson said.
If you’re a fan of Jackson, this will be a treat no matter what. Critics will always have something to say, so it’s best to go into the theater and enjoy his everlasting spirit above the usual chatter.
