Michael

Michael - much like the iconic figure the movie is based on - is hard to talk about. Because, whether rightly or wrongly, Michael Jackson is a person whose life comes with a lot of controversy. And the fact that this movie avoids addressing those controversies is, itself, a controversial decision.

It's also worth noting that the movie is produced by the Jackson family. Meaning that, no matter how well-made the movie is, it was never going to portray all of the complexities in Michael's real life. And that certainly is the case here, as Michael presents us with the simple, sanitized, and sugarcoated version of Jackson's life story.

But, even with all of that being said, I have to admit that Michael is an incredibly entertaining movie. One that definitely benefits from being viewed in an auditorium filled with fans. Because, for better or worse, this is a crowd-pleasing film that is meant to appeal to any Michael Jackson fan.

If you already love Michael Jackson, you're probably going to like this movie too. Especially since it only ever depicts him as a kindhearted and misunderstood person. And that depiction is probably why so many people take issue with this movie in the first place.

Michael doesn't really explore Michael Jackson's psyche with any meaningful depth or insight, so the story being told here is frustratingly surface level. Because, while the story does focus on Jackson's rise to stardom, it doesn't really explore how or why that happens. Michael Jackson becomes the most popular artist in the world... well, because he's Michael Jackson!

If you want to learn anything about his personality as an individual, you're not going to get that here. All you'll get is a series of re-enactments. And the movie does an incredible job of recreating moments from MJ's life, but by choosing to highlight specific events, the film can definitely feel soulless and even downright deceitful at times.

Still, I can't deny the fact that I found the artistry on display here to be incredibly impressive. The sets, the costumes, and the choreography are all fantastic. So, while I'm not the biggest fan of director Antoine Fuqua, I must admit that I do enjoy his work on this film.

But, of course, Jaafar Jackson's performance is the best thing about this movie. His portrayal of MJ is absolutely mesmerizing. Even his smallest movements are totally uncanny. So, even in spite of the lack of substance that he's given, Jaafar does an excellent job of leading this film. And it'll be interesting to see where his career will go from here.

Colman Domingo also does a good job playing Michael's father, Joe Jackson, even if his characterization is a bit one note. Nia Long is great but severely underutilized as Michael's mother, Katherine. And Miles Teller is here for no reason whatsoever. In other words: no one stands out as well as Jaafar Jackson does.

But if you already have a negative view of Michael Jackson, then you're probably not going to like this movie, and Jaafar's portrayal of MJ will likely do nothing for you. Which is understandable. Controversies aside, the script and the characterizations are just so frustratingly thin.

I mean, even as someone who does like the film, I really wish that the story provided us with a more nuanced and complex look at Michael's life in general. Because, as it stands now, this is a movie that relies heavily on your enjoyment of Michael Jackson's music.

Yes, the music goes a long way in making this movie as entertaining as it is. Jaafar Jackson's performance is a good one, but the music really does A LOT of the heavy lifting here. And that does make for a fun and entertaining experience, but it doesn't exactly make for an insightful film.

But, for better or worse, this movie is designed to be a crowdpleaser that is easy for moviegoers to digest. And it excels at being just that. It may not tell the whole story, it may not tell a complicated story, but it does tell an interesting and engaging story. One that does work for me personally, surprisingly enough.

I'm very curious to see how a potential sequel would turn out, though. Because it's easy for this movie to be crowd-pleasing when it primarily focuses on MJ's rise to fame. But a sequel would have no choice but to focus on his controversies and his fall into becoming a pariah. And something tells me that a movie about his public scrutiny, eccentric behavior, and sexual allegations won't make for a crowd-pleasing feature. Only time will tell, though.

Regardless, I don't want to judge this movie for being something that it never intended to be. This was always going to be a fluff film about Michael Jackson, and it certainly is just that. But as far as fluff films go, this is a pretty damn good one.

So, despite having some serious issues with it, Michael would still get a surprising recommendation from me.