Michael, the biopic for Michael Jackson, is a captivating watch with casting and choreography so good, one could’ve thought the King of Pop himself came back to life.
The movie portrays parts of Michael’s life from 1966 to 1988. In the beginning, Michael is constantly rehearsing day and night with his brothers in the Jackson 5. He and his family, once poor, are able to improve their living conditions this way.
In the middle, Michael is in his early twenties, struggling with image issues, and trying to free himself from his father’s controlling management to go solo. He puts out his first two solo albums, and records his iconic music videos.
At the end, Michael is in his late twenties, performing in his last show alongside his brothers, and finally cuts his father out of his music career completely.
I personally loved the movie. It was very exciting to watch Michael’s eventual rise to fame, and hearing him sing some of his hits. It was also tearjerking to see Michael struggle with the abuse and control from his father, and miss out on his childhood.
The cast as a whole did amazing. Michael was played by his own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, as well as Juliano Valdi (for young Michael). They both looked, sounded and danced almost exactly like him. It was surprising to find out this was Jaafar’s first time acting because he did so well.
The only critique I have of the movie is that I wish it was a little longer, and that we could’ve seen more of Michael’s personal life. The end of the movie was also kind of abrupt, which made it feel like there were more scenes, but they got cut.
Most professional critics wanted to see more of the scandals, and felt that the movie could have been longer and covered more of Michael’s life.
The general audience definitely had a better view of the movie than critics. Being in the theater, I could feel the excitement. Online, people were dressed in Michael Jackson themed outfits and costumes to go to the movie.
Overall, the movie was great. I think most people, especially fans of Michael Jackson, would enjoy this movie. The movie only just came out, but I can definitely see it doing well in the box office, and winning many awards.
