Verdict
Summary
Michael is an enjoyable celebration of one of the greatest pop stars of all-time with excellent performances from Jaafar Jackson and Coleman Domingo. I feel like a lot was missing from it (like Janet Jackson) and you could literally do another movie about the rest of his life, but this is more about his rise to legendary status and glosses over a lot.
Plot: The story of pop superstar Michael Jackson — from his extraordinary early days in the Jackson 5 to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fuels a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world.
Review: Believe it or not I was a massive fan of Michael Jackson growing up and I was lucky enough to even see him live in concert for the Dangerous Tour way back in 1992. To this day it remains the greatest concert I’ve ever seen; he even left the stage in a jetpack!
I don’t normally bother with biopics as they usually aren’t that interesting but Jackson was never less than a fascinating individual who is one of the most eccentric pop stars of all time. Directed by Antoine Fuqua Michael is a hugely enjoyable movie but mostly because of the music; Jaafar Jackson and Coleman Domingo also shine as Michael and his father, Joseph who is practically demonic in this movie.
It’s a fast moving drama clocking in at just 2 hours and 8 minutes, but my biggest gripe is that it only covers up to Bad; I mean a WHOLE LOT of stuff happened after that, so I feel like a sequel is required as this doesn’t cover anywhere near enough of Michael’s life. It feels more like a celebration of the man and the music, but doesn’t really scratch the surface of who he really was; also, doesn’t he have another sister called Janet? Where is she? She isn’t even mentioned in the movie. I’m sure there are reasons but her absence is definitely felt.
I thought some of the prosthetics were noticeable and a little jarring at times although Mike Myers was barely recognizable in his entertaining scene.
The music is the obvious highlight and I was finding myself singing along with it as were several others in the audience… although they also wouldn’t stop talking throughout.
We do get to see Michael’s struggles as he tries to overcome his father’s domineering personality while also making friends with animals and visiting sick kids in hospitals. I was completely invested in the story but like I said, there was a lot that was glossed over so it’s really just a puff piece and extended music video.
Overall, Michael is an enjoyable celebration of one of the all-time great entertainers, however, it leaves too much out and I felt like when it ended I was left wanting a sequel. The performances are solid with Jaafar Jackson and Coleman Domingo shining and the music is fantastic. It’s worth seeing on the big screen just to get swept up in it, and it filled me with a great nostalgia I wasn’t expecting making it one of the better biopics out there.