Michael
- Apr 28
- 5 min read
MICHAEL absolutely floored me, blowing away my expectations with at least three historical recreations that soared in Dolby Cinema. It's an absolute thriller.
Ignore the naysayers that approached the film with their own agenda, mostly social media warriors that didn't see their own issues addressed.
The film takes place from Michael's early years to the kickoff of his BAD Tour in London, before any accusations began surfacing.
I'm watching the film as a lifelong fan of MJ's and someone who was in their early 20's when the Thriller album hit stores. The impact of that album on the cultural zeitgeist is hard to comprehend if you weren't there at the time. It was brilliant, fresh and jaw dropping. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Magnificent Seven) crafts an unflinching look at the 1960's childhood of young Michael, his brothers and their abusive, power hungry father Joe Jackson. Colman Domingo (The Color Purple, Selma) is relentless as Joe. Some of the scenes of his beating of Michael are very hard to watch. Young Juliano Valdi is excellent as the Michael we all first remember, the youngest and most obvious superstar of the Jackson 5.
Nia Long (The Best Man, Stigmata) is very good as Katherine Jackson, who's always there for the boys, but stands by to watch Joseph's abuse, a decision she comes to regret.
The film's first musical stunner is a montage that recreates the Jackson 5's initial club and fair appearances, followed by an appearance with Gladys Knight (Liv Symone) that gets the attention of Motown. When the boys head to Motown to record for legend Berry Gordy (Larenz Tate), his coaching of Michael and emotion as he hears young Michael sing "Who's Lovin' You" is powerful. Valdi and Tate's moments on screen together are the first spark of magic in a well cast film that's full of them.
We soon jump forward to Michael (Jafaar Jackson) ready to cut his own record deal with Sony and write his first solo album. From this point forward, the film takes off with behind-the-scenes history I didn't know and historical events that I remember well. All are lovingly re-created via a great production team and the startling performance of Jafaar as Michael.
After seeing the trailers, I approached the film thinking, "well he doesn't really look like Michael, I guess I'll roll with it...." Jafaar absolutely blows the doors off the joint.
He is, in real life, Jermaine Jackson's son and Michael's nephew. DNA is an amazing and magical thing.
There are moments as the film went on that Jafaar's resemblance in looks, voice and movement are so spooky that he seems to be channeling his uncle. I'd be shocked and disappointed if Jackson isn't nominated for his performance. It is chill inducing, especially in his recreations of the most famous moments and songs of Michael's career.
The entire "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" sequence is fantastic, down to the Tower Records appearance on Sunset and his creating of the song behind the scenes.
The dynamic between his disgusting, power hungry father and Michael's caring personality creates dramatic tension throughout.
The moments we all remember are here.
The large section of the film dealing with Michael's second album, Thriller, is fantastic.
Kendrick Sampson is very good as Quincy Jones, MJ's second mentor after Gordy that truly guided some of the best selling albums of all time, to this day.
Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick, The Offer) is very good as John Branca, Michael's handpicked lawyer on the Sony/Epic team that never left Michael's side and was MJ's backbone against Joe until Michael found the time to break loose. When he does, its a great moment of the film.
KeiLyn Durrel Jones (Succession) is a standout as Bill Bray, the driver and bodyguard Joe hires to watch over Michael. The arc of that relationship is a powerful one to watch and Jones is excellent in the role.
Mike Myers is almost unrecognizable, sincere and hilarious as CBS/Epic President Walter Yetnikoff. He and Michael changed the music landscape when they convinced MTV to show Michael's videos, the very rare black artist at the time to achieve that. They changed the world overnight. I remember all my friends at that time making sure they were home or having our VCR's (a brand new device at that time!) set to record the premier of Michael's "Thriller" short film on MTV when it premiered.
The entire country came to a halt to watch, re-watch and love that video.
The film re-creates it stunningly here, down to amazing lookalikes for Michael's girlfriend in the video, Director John Landis and the historic dancing of Zombie MJ and those ghouls.
My favorite moments of the film include the behind-the-scenes sequence around Michael with rival LA gang members developing the music video for "Beat It". The Dolby Cinema mix, Jafaar Jackson's exacting replication of Michael's creative process, dance moves and attitude gave me chills.
The film then ups the ante with an uncanny recreation of Michael's live performance of "Billie Jean" at the 1983 Motown 25 celebration. If you were alive in '83, you remember that creative firestorm as Michael moonwalked for the first time, creating a sensation that changed the music world and elevated his global presence.
We're dropped into Dodger Stadium for the final night of the Jackson's tour in a special effects wow that equals the Freddie Mercury Live Aid performance recreation in the 2018 Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody". Graham King produced both films, impressively. He's joined as Producer by the real life John Branca and much of the Jackson family.
Then, in the films final moments, we are transported direct from Dodger Stadium and that incredible live performance to Michael's opening night in London on the "Bad" Tour. The sound and visuals of the entire sequence deliver, recreating the moment with thundering bass, kinetic movement and the absolute perspective of a front row seat across the pond.
I got chills again.
Jafaar Jackson is an incredible find and brilliant casting. He brings Michael back to life in a powerful tribute to his uncle, recreating the moments that made him one of the biggest music forces of the past 50 years.
After two hours of flawless Dolby Cinema visuals and sound, I feel like I was there again. Talk about taking you back.
MICHAEL is a THRILLER of the highest order, a box office record breaker and gets an A+.
See it in the best sound format you can find, you won't be disappointed.
Unless your a social justice warrior, then there's nothing to see here.
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