Michael Review
A captivating, emotional, and entertaining look into the life and aura of Michael Jackson.
The purpose behind this entire production, as it is for many, was the money. We must accept that this is not a film selflessly produced and created by Michael Jackson post-success. This is developed and created by a talented, hungry, established team to shock the box office — which, undoubtedly, it has. This was not intended to be a cinematic spectacle or a beautiful heartwarming story; while it does both extraordinarily well, they are byproducts of the origin, the man himself, not simply the team behind it. But the team can only tell the tale as truthfully as it fits. Nevertheless, this ends up shocking you to your core when you first take your seat.
As someone who is limited to 20 years of living, 15 of which I can somewhat recall, I did not have the pleasure of understanding Michael Jackson’s origins in real time. It turns out, to no retrospective surprise, that he was a spectacle of talent, insecurity, and aura. His music could open anyone’s eyes to the world of soundwaves, but on this matter I digress.
This movie does not get the crowd scenes or stage presence wrong at all — it genuinely feels as though Michael is a god amongst men. But to the story we go.
The opening stages of his childhood display Michael in the light of any other human: human. The childhood traumas he experiences are unique in their burden of expectation and psychological damage. Yet these pressures are exactly what pushed him toward becoming the man millions sing along to today.
The pivotal scenes where Colman Domingo, acting as Joe Jackson, becomes the audience’s least favorite human are essential to understanding the method behind Michael’s madness. Juliano Valdi’s performance and lip syncing capture your heart and imagination and constantly beg the question: when does the real music come in? Because goodness me, the voice of him as a child was unparalleled. I’m genuinely shocked the Jackson 5 wasn’t instantly a global phenomenon — but those were different times filled with inequality and barriers that blocked so many talented artists from the spotlight.
Through all of this, Michael persevered and evolved into the icon we know today.
Jaafar Jackson, from the very first scene, matches the talent, charisma, and aura of his uncle exceptionally well. I heard criticism that his acting lacked flexibility, but that could not feel further from the truth. Every actor is confined to a character within a film — what matters is how convincingly they embody that role. Jaafar Jackson is the epitome of what every major movie needs: a star. And he doesn’t shine alone; the family cast around him elevates the experience even further.
What this movie lacked most, in my opinion, was a deeper exploration into Michael’s creative genius — not just his childhood trauma, but the production behind the music itself. We get glimpses of the studio process, but I can only imagine the brilliance and obsessive work required to create albums like Off the Wall or Thriller. I understood the sticky note scenes as someone with ADHD-like tendencies myself, but I still wanted more foundation behind the creative process the film touches on.
My favorite parts were the music, the acting, and especially the dancing. I cannot fully express how impressive it is to watch these choreographed performances repeated flawlessly from multiple angles over and over again. Even with limited personal experience in dance or production, the effort and precision are impossible not to admire.
If you go to the movies for vibrancy, contrast, character development, and aesthetics alone, this movie may not fully satisfy you. But if you go for entertainment, captivating storytelling, great acting, and the chance to step into the world of one of the most iconic humans to ever live, then this absolutely delivers.
Go watch it.