Michael Review
I definitely understand how big of a figure Michael Jackson was in mainstream culture. The King of Pop deserved to have his story told after such a long time, but it looked like a big challenge. From the rewrites and reshoots due to the handling of serious allegations, this biopic on Jackson’s life felt impossible to bring to the screen. What was meant to be the core of Michael ended up being removed, leaving the question of “how can that void be filled?” For director Antoine Fuqua, he takes the traditional route of the rise to stardom story, putting Jackson’s familial past at the center of it all.
Fuqua’s final version of Michael is completely different from what was originally planned. The biopic takes a look back on Michael Jackson’s (Jafaar Jackson/Juliano Krue Valdi) upbringing, from the early days of the Jackson Five to his ultimatum against his over-controlling father, Joe (Colman Domingo). Michael’s pursuit for creative and personal freedom leads him to great heights and devastating lows as we observe another emotional celebration of the star’s success.
Despite Michael being different from its original idea, Fuqua does what he can to make the family element of Jackson’s life impactful. This shows through that opening act, where the Jackson 5 are being trained under Joe’s meticulous training. These rehearsal scenes instantly nail the tension thanks to Domingo’s heated performance whenever Joe spots an error. Underneath all the heavy-set, if unsettingly uncanny, prosthetics that make him age twice as he is, Domingo really shows the manipulative tenacity that slowly cracks within the Jackson patriarch. All of this makes for a powerful antagonistic force that fills the void within the narrative overall.
That said, Jafaar Jackson’s optimistic performance as his uncle captures Michael’s childlike wonder and unique choreography style amazingly. You easily fall in love with him due to Jafaar playing up Michael’s personality to a tee. His performance shines in multiple scenes, whether that be Michael trying to implant himself into the mainstream or him relating his thoughts about Joe.
There’s also a few comedic bits that see him in his creative headspace trying to piece his solo albums together (he’ll always dance in that booth.) The zoom-ins and careful pans provide some much needed energy into these montages in Michael. However, the “creative expression” element of the film is somewhat restrained by the family drama of it all.
In addition, Juliano Krue Valdi’s role as the younger version of Michael Jackson complements Jafaar’s quite well. In that first act, Valdi brings out the youthful spirit and smooth moves of Jackson while also emphasizing the trauma of the star’s childhood. That opening scene that sees Joe harshly punishing Jackson instantly solidifies the emotional cracking, but the last scene of the young Jackson adds a bit of needed sweetness. The charm that Valdi gives Jackson in the beginning easily carries over into Jafaar’s quite well.
However, even though Michael bears some great performances, it doesn’t feel like it escapes the norm of musical biopics. The story Fuqua covers is laid out in an almost formulaic and standardized manner, which may tire some. By primarily focusing on Michael Jackson’s escape from his father’s hold, the film somewhat lacks the emotional weight that could have been explored from these other aspects.
Although it also tries to dig deeper into how Joe’s abusive nature affected Michael’s adulthood, it only does so in tightly-wrapped scenes that almost make Joe look a little cartoonish in nature. It also explores Jackson’s ways of interpersonal connection with fans and his own imaginative ideas inspired by Peter Pan, but quite lightly. Perhaps showing more of Jackson’s experience recording or having him out and about would have added a bit more spice. Fortunately, one scene involving Michael teaching the “Beat It” choreography to the gang members in the music video captures that expressiveness.
It also tries to have the visual flair similarly to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis with those setting cards, but it doesn’t feel expressive enough in order to justify the reminders. However, the large set musical set pieces, and the use of Michael Jackson’s music overall, work well enough to show the magnetism that this megastar had. Michael’s ending does leave some room to go further if some viewers are unsatisfied, but time might tell whether the film’s first ideas will come to fruition.
Michael contains the hallmarks of a traditional “rise to stardom” biopic, carried by Jafaar Jackson’s magnetic performance as the King of Pop and Colman Domingo’s fiery intensity. It’s a satisfying celebration of Michael Jackson’s beginnings and his impact on pop culture that any and every fan can appreciate. It might not try to differentiate itself from other musical biopics, but Fuqua accomplishes his inspired vision of bringing Jackson’s life on screen.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Michael releases in theaters on April 24.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.