No one wants to be defeated in this solid MJ biopic.
My earliest Michael Jackson memory was on my late grandmother’s “Free Willy” VHS tape, which had his music video “Will You Be There” before the movie. But the new biopic “Michael” doesn’t talk about his 90s years (nor does it mention the 1993 sexual abuse allegations against him), but rather his childhood when he was part of the Jackson 5 (which also featured his brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon), and his early adulthood when he went solo with hits like “Thriller,” “Beat It,” and “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.”
I can see why most of the critics would beat this movie up with many saying that the narrative was sanitized. Maybe they’re right about that-after all, “Rocketman” knew how to tell Elton John’s story and “A Complete Unknown” spoke profoundly about Bob Dylan. But I must admit underneath that, we have Michael Jackson’s nephew and Jermaine’s son Jaafar Jackson portraying MJ, and he does an impressive job at adapting to his uncle’s mannerisms, style, and voice.
We see how his greedy father Joseph (a nearly unrecognizable Colman Domingo) took control of his sons as the Jackson 5, and exploited Michael’s talents for his own benefits. He’s the kind of steel worker who wants a better future for himself and wants to pressure his boys into reaching for greatness. He even has to take out his belt towards little Michael (Juliano Krue Valdi).
We also see how many toys and CGI-looking exotic pet collection he has in his late teens to early adulthood, how he went solo with “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” on his “Off the Wall” album, how he eventually fired his old man as his agent and replaced him with John Branca (a flat Miles Teller), how he visited children’s hospitals, and how he got CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff (Mike Myers in a better music biopic than “Bohemian Rhapsody”) to convince MTV to play his music videos.
The cast also includes Nia Long as Michael’s timid but loving mother Katherine, KeiLyn Durrel Jones as his bodyguard Bill Bray, Larenz Tate as Motown’s Berry Gordy, Laura Harrier as his creative assistant Suzanne de Passe, Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones, and Dean Cole as Don King. I think out of all of the supporting actors, Domingo spreads some fire as Joe, Long has her sincere moments, Jones is likable as the bodyguard, and Myers has some attitude.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, “Michael” is a bit flashy and needs some better development to tell such an iconic legend’s story, but it does have a lot of high spirits, nostalgia (especially when we get to see the making of the “Thriller” music video), and Jaafar Jackson trying to honor his uncle without being self-congratulatory or overexposed. He’s quite convincing, and yes, he does sing in this movie, while the original recordings are blended with them.
I want to make a very important distinction in my review. If most critics are either mixed or negative about “Michael,” it’s not because they hate MJ. It’s literally impossible to hate him. It’s probably because of how they felt his story was told on film. Even I admitted it wasn’t perfect, but I’m still recommending it for what Jaafar does and what the movie does with the music. “It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right,” because the movie has a lot of fans salvaging to see it. I don’t even think my positive review would make a difference towards them. I think like “All Eyez on Me,” “Bob Marley: One Love,” and “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” “Michael is another biopic about an African-American singer, which has its flaws in its story, but knows the right actors and music.
Shamone, ah, shamone.
