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In Michael, director Antoine Fuqua checks all the boxes of a superficial biopic about one of the most famous and controversial singers of all time, minus the controversial parts.
A not-very-interesting retelling of Michael Jackson that coasts on the fact that his music is downright incredible, your mileage will vary depending on what you want to get out of a biopic of this nature.
Expecting an award-worthy drama that digs into what made Michael tick and ultimately do the things he’s been accused of doing? That’s not this movie. Looking for a glossy depiction of a popular singer that has him rocking some of his most popular tunes? Absolutely.
I watched Michael while multitasking on my computer; it’s the perfect kind of movie to multitask to. The music is fun to listen to, Fuqua highlights some of the key moments of Jackson’s popularity, and star Jaafar Jackson is good enough to play a character who cannot be portrayed without unrealistic expectations. It’s a pop biopic through and through, meant to be a crowd pleaser and nothing more.
To that end, it’s a success.
Yes, a true examination and depiction of Michael Jackson, one not twisted and sheltered by his estate and lawyers, would be an entirely different flick. The world, and his alleged (is it even a question these days?) victims, deserve that biopic one of these days. Sure, Leaving Neverland exists and should be seen by anyone who doesn’t want to live with their head in the sand, but documentaries and mainstream biopics are two different things.
Michael isn’t a very good movie by most metrics, and yet thanks to Jackson’s sensational music and competent filmmaking by Fuqua, it nonetheless works at a rudimentary level.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.