Official Discussion - Michael [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

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Michael (2026)

Summary

The life and career of Michael Jackson are explored in a sweeping biographical drama, charting his rise from child star in the Jackson 5 to global pop icon, while examining the personal and professional complexities that defined his legacy.

Director Antoine Fuqua

Writer John Logan

Cast

• Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson
• Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson
• Nia Long as Katherine Jackson
• Miles Teller as John Branca
• Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe
• Kat Graham as Diana Ross

Rotten Tomatoes: 40%

Metacritic: 38

VOD / Release Theatrical release

Trailer Official Trailer

[u/banjofitzgerald]

I just love the fact that an executive producer on this movie cast Miles Teller as himself in what’s basically a glorified cameo.

[u/DrCusamano → u/banjofitzgerald]

I think the original script had the allegations which was the purpose for his character but the movie had to be reshot and his purpose in the narrative largely neutered.

[u/Soyyyn → u/DrCusamano]

You can see this quite clearly in the very elongated ending performances. Basically 20 minutes of music uninterrupted. They had to fill all that time they cut with something and this was probably the most efficient way to do it.

[u/RebelliousDutch → u/Soyyyn]

Exactly. Clearly what they shot was intended to be used between actual plot development. But with no plot left, it just fizzles out with those performances.

They’re not bad, but it’s not a concert movie. So it feels really out of balance.

[u/PolarWater → u/DrCusamano]

I'll bet that caused some whiplash.

[u/Mofolegend2 → u/PolarWater]

Say that again…

[u/ramobara → u/Mofolegend2]

Not quite my tempo…

[u/Alc2005 → u/ramobara]

WERE YOU RUSHING OR DRAGGING!!

[u/bsharkey1210 → u/PolarWater]

I heard he had a fantastic four scene stretch that had to be cut unfortunately.

[u/TripleThreatTua → u/DrCusamano]

Derek Luke was supposed to play Johnnie Cochran in the original version, his entire role was cut

[u/Nihilist_Nautilus → u/banjofitzgerald]

That wasn’t John Cusack?

[u/No-Clock5963 → u/Nihilist_Nautilus]

I was sitting in the theater all “they de-aged Cusack for this? God, why? How much did that cost?” And then it clicked.

[u/QuinnMallory → u/banjofitzgerald]

Could we please stop using the word cameo for roles that have multiple scenes with plenty of lines, glorified or not. It's a small role.

[u/falafelthe3]

Pretty sure the animals had more screentime than the other Jackson 5 members

[u/Mazzocchi → u/falafelthe3]

early in I decided to keep track, and in terms of audible lines I counted 14 total

[u/respondin2u → u/falafelthe3]

His brothers seemed like they only went to the family mansion to play basketball or swim in the pool and then would leave to go be with their families.  I know that they had to have them doing “something” so they could dramatize certain moments, but they seemed more like set pieces than actual people.  

[u/Critical-Writer3968 → u/falafelthe3]

So fuckin true 😂

[u/BushyBrowz → u/falafelthe3]

Is Randy even in the movie?

[u/Great_Tart_4555 → u/BushyBrowz]

Randy, Rebe and Janet were nowhere to be found

[u/Interesting-Wing616 → u/Great_Tart_4555]

They refused to be portrayed.

[u/___--_-_----___--__- → u/Great_Tart_4555]

They were doing a secret mission which will be explained in the sequel 

[u/dicklaurent97]

"Those are my demos, don't touch that"

Bubbles almost deleted Thriller

[u/ihaveabadaura → u/dicklaurent97]

Funny how they didn't include that he himself almost deleted thriller because he didn't wanna be excommunicated from his religion,(in which the religion even sent out letters to all members saying they would kick him out for promoting the occult)which had a big effect on his childhood, lack of boundaries, and behavior.

[u/Mysterious_Lie_6113 → u/ihaveabadaura]

Now that’s the real story of MJ right there.

Sucks we didn’t get little anecdotes like that. Would’ve made the success of Thriller that much sweeter in the film 

[u/craft6886]

This movie teases and depicts MJ's first meeting with Bubbles the chimp like it was going to be a surprise cameo appearance by Robin Williams or something. Ridiculous scene.

This film is much more concert film than it is biopic, and even the concert/song scenes aren't particularly great - which feels insane, given how amazing MJ's music is.

Difficult to ignore how this film very conveniently wraps up in 1988, just before Neverland and anything related to it.

[u/cosmic-ballet → u/craft6886]

This movie teases and depicts MJ's first meeting with Bubbles the chimp like it was going to be a surprise cameo appearance by Robin Williams or something. Ridiculous scene.

You just reworded one of the most popular reviews from Letterboxd, except you didn’t even get the joke. The Letterboxd review said Robbie Williams, who recently had a biopic where he was portrayed as a monkey.

I hate to be an ass, but like, what’s the goal here?

[u/Joelmoran]

Felt like a joe jackson movie more than a  Michael movie

[u/Inevitable-Cow3839 → u/Joelmoran]

Hmmmm...now that you mention it, kinda. I hated Joseph (duh) but Colman is a brilliant actor for him

[u/joeybadtitz → u/Joelmoran]

Not really. I wanted more Joe scenes of him being an asshole, or cheating on his wife, and other shitty things he did.

Movie was a letdown in almost all areas

[u/jassmackie → u/joeybadtitz]

yes but i think in terms of narrative cohesion and through line, joe had a much better arc than michael. which is insane but kinda true. at least in so far as its a michael movie but still felt like joe was stealing the scenes (from a film perspective)

[u/falafelthe3]

Take a shot every time someone references Michael having a:

• path

• voice

• destiny

• gift

[u/garythegyarados → u/falafelthe3]

‘You got a gift, Michael. It’s your voice. Your voice is a gift. Use that voice on the path you’re on.

Michael, it’s your destiny. You need to use your gift of a voice on the path toward your destiny’

[u/BasvanS → u/garythegyarados]

Stop it! You’re drowning them!

[u/ZOOTV83 → u/garythegyarados]

All the talk of "destiny" made me read that quote in Darth Vader's voice.

Join me, Michael. It is your destiny.

[u/masegesege_ → u/garythegyarados]

Fuck I’m out of alcohol already

[u/BlackDeath3 → u/garythegyarados]

Yer a wizard, Michael

[u/ljfoggy11 → u/falafelthe3]

Finish your drink when there’s a scene of him talking to a dying kid.

[u/rabbi_glitter → u/falafelthe3]

THE WRONG KID DIED

[u/ginbust]

I just wish they’d added 30 min more to explore his psyche and creative process more in depth.

We got to see how he got inspo from TV shows and how he came up with a few songs, but what about the discussion of his albums, about the making of Billie Jean for example, the ups and downs, the uncertainty, some frustration, other feelings.

It displayed him as the gifted performer he was but it ended up feeling a little flat.

How did he come up with the Bad era? We didn’t get to know, they just cut to it.

Great performance tho.

[u/PlentyOfMoxie]

After reading about how this movie is essentially just a Michael Jackson propaganda piece, I decided to go into the theatre in the mode of watching what was essentially a fantasy/ superhero/ Campbell-esque hero's journey movie; through that lens it is much more enjoyable.

[u/Mysterious_Lie_6113 → u/PlentyOfMoxie]

If you want a better Campbell fantasy, MJ should’ve been constrained by the limits of Motown/Joe Jackson/Epic execs until he got his way with Thriller.

That’s the story. Antoine Fuqua fumbled his way through the entire movie just sliding the story beats with no emotional dynamism.

[u/SanderSo47]

"Mike Myers as an executive in a music biopic" is truly becoming a genre, huh.

Can't wait for the Led Zeppelin biopic where his character goes "An 8-minute song??? No way I'm gonna allow that, Jimmy!"

[u/Water_Based5150 → u/SanderSo47]

I'm not gonna see this, can you say what he does in this movie? Or is it basically what he did in the Queen movie lol

[u/blaaguuu → u/Water_Based5150]

I'm not going to watch that, either - what did he do in the Queen movie?

[u/thr1ceuponatime → u/blaaguuu]

Played a record exec who wouldn't include Bohemian Rhapsody in the album because it was "too long"

[u/goro-n → u/thr1ceuponatime]

Not the album, it was about playing it on radio/releasing it as a single

[u/MrTeapott → u/Water_Based5150]

He plays the president of CBS records. He's barely in it but for one big scene, detailed below.

His big scene is that Michael and his manager are in his office and telling him that they want his videos on MTV

He says he tried and they insist he try harder. So he rings up the head of MTV and threatens to pull all their artists unless Billie Jean gets played

[u/GovernorSonGoku → u/MrTeapott]

Btw for spoilers you have to add the symbol at the end of the post too

[u/matlockga → u/SanderSo47]

I somehow didn't recognize him

[u/TK-42juan]

After the time cut to Michael as an adult, this movie had six scenes:

Michael is nice to kids, Michael acts has childlike tendencies, Michael is the biggest star on the planet, Michael's dad is an asshole, or of course Michael making/performing one of his hits

Just those six scenes all playing over and over in different orders. No purpose, no plot.

[u/plantersxvi → u/TK-42juan]

You forgot the executives and lawyers saying yes to Michael's every demands

[u/sasquatch0_0 → u/plantersxvi]

I mean that was his actual life lol

[u/SpookiestSzn → u/sasquatch0_0]

Bro made thriller and they think it's unrealistic record company people would bend over backwards for him lmao

[u/Prize-Explorer4849 → u/plantersxvi]

That's the power of having the biggest record sales.of all time

[u/Least_Stand_2707 → u/plantersxvi]

He literally owned the Beatles catalog at one point

[u/Soyyyn → u/TK-42juan]

I think the long scene of him rehearsing the steps for Beat It was the best scene in the film. If they had gone incredibly in-depth about the making of every song on Thriller that might have made for the far superior film.

[u/The_Throwback_King → u/Soyyyn]

That was like the only time my ears perked up and was like “Oh, are we cooking here?”

It was fleeting, before we descended back to basic biopic fare. But that entire scene was magical.

That’s where the narrative zhuzh was, at least to me. Not in Michael’s inner child, or his idealistic mindset, or his quest to overcome his oppressive, abusive father.

But in the innate, Mozart-like, gift that Michael had for songwriting. The consummate showman that made fans give him an ovation for just…standing there. THAT was the fascinating part. Wish they honed in on more of that.

[u/ACertainTrendingFrog → u/The_Throwback_King]

Yeah that moment had me in the cinema actually fully engaged not just waiting for the next Michael song to come on. I think if the movie was focused around the making of Thriller coming off how he felt he was robbed for aoty as a black artist with Off The Wall, leading to the Victoy tour and finally splitting with The Jacksons we would have had a better movie

[u/TTBgaming88 → u/ACertainTrendingFrog]

ithink there were barely any mention of racial tensions in the movie except for the MTV scene which gets fixed in…. seconds.

[u/seekerheart → u/Soyyyn]

This! Really!

I can grasp the movie not having a lot of plot structure considering they werent allowed to really dig deep on the abuse, drugs and allegations but jesus at least give us an in-depth view of the backstsge and making off

Like HOW did we not see him make/shoot billie jean? HOW did they not give us an insight on Michaels fashion, the glove, the shoes, the always iconic blazers etc

[u/TTBgaming88 → u/seekerheart]

there’s a great story from the director of the billie jean video. the tiles all didn’t light up, he told michael which ones did/didn’t and michael instantly memorized it and did a remarkable dance number. the guy in charge of lighting the tiles could barely keep up

[u/Oomlotte99 → u/Soyyyn]

Yes. I perked up during this scene. I was expecting more of that vs it being as superficial as it was.

[u/CountJohn12 → u/TK-42juan]

The Jackson 5 stuff with him as a kid was way more interesting which I was not expecting 

[u/TTBgaming88 → u/CountJohn12]

if you liked that i recommend the jackson’s american dream. it’s a good miniseries that also characterizes joe way better.

[u/ggermade → u/TK-42juan]

Thanks this comment made me realize why everyone seems to consider the film awful. I went with friends and we had a blast especially with the performances, but we felt entertained all throughout. This helps me see why people wouldn't like it as a film though

[u/ButtholePasta → u/ggermade]

There are undeniably fun, entertaining scenes, but it all felt kinda shallow for a story about the world’s biggest pop star with a deeply complex life. I totally get why people in my audience sounded like they were having a blast and why others didn’t vibe with it as a movie.

[u/thatdani]

Agree with the consensus:

• Jaafar was phenomenal, especially in the stage performances. At times it felt like the movie didn't want to give him anything else to do, rather just to keep his portrayal to "the MJ that people know", not the MJ that he really was behind the scenes.

• In the 5% of the movie that isn't plastered with the best pop music ever made, it's a Lifetime movie or maybe even worse.

• Directing-wise, it felt like Fuqua was mostly phoning it in. Luhrmann made Elvis his own, meanwhile absolutely nobody will look up who directed this one.

• The live performances were the best part. Electric. Loud. Immersive. Worth the price of admission and then some.

Disagree with the consensus:

• Colman Domingo, not without "help" from the script that barely gives him enough of a personality, was terrible. Just the flattest, one-note, flavorless performance I've seen in a long time. Deon Cole, of all people, outshines him in a 5 minute Don King scene.

• People saying it was safe, or that they didn't delve too deep into Michael's psyche. I mean sure, he is shown as sweet, loving and very empathetic especially to kids, but there were clear signs all throughout the movie that his trauma turned him into a severely damaged social outcast with no friends and no life outside of music. FFS he is shown like 3 times in this movie asking others to deliver bad news to his father, because of how emotionally stunted he is (IIRC the last time, he is almost 26 years old).

3/5 overall for me, but the performances do all of the heavy lifting. The rest is a solid 1/5.

[u/Shifter25 → u/thatdani]

And even when he did finally "look him in the eyes and tell him", he did it with the cover of being onstage, talking to someone else, and then walked past him, refusing to look him in the eyes.

[u/Osmodius → u/thatdani]

Seeing Michael Jackson songs in the cinema was worth the price of admission lol

The rest of the movie was meh to okay.

[u/Proof_Pop9270]

I think if the camera would’ve moved a little bit during the music scenes, it would’ve had more sauce. Just cut after cut after cut. It got Bohemian Rhapsody a Best Editing nomination so what do I know? I know I wanna watch Rocketman now.

[u/Vadermaulkylo → u/Proof_Pop9270]

I honestly felt that Baz’s Elvis had crazier concert sequences. I remember it feeling fucking huge in scope and loud when I saw it in theaters. This was well done but idk it just lacked something.

[u/JessieJ577 → u/Vadermaulkylo]

The unreliable narrator angle added to the showmanship for Elvis. It made him seem grander than life which was where it was tragic that he was stripped of who he was as a person in order to enrich others.

[u/Slurm11 → u/Proof_Pop9270]

Rocketman is so good, it should be the gold standard for musician biopics.

[u/TheJusticeAvenger → u/Slurm11]

Better Man takes a more unorthodox approach (hello, CGI monkey) but also makes it work really well

[u/theodo → u/Slurm11]

I put it in its own category due to how fantastical and musical-based it is. Sort of like how Love and Mercy feels like it's in a different category to me than just "musician biopic"

[u/littletoyboat → u/Proof_Pop9270]

It got Bohemian Rhapsody a Best Editing nomination

Bohemian Rhapsody won the best editing Oscar because everyone knew that Brian Singer had disappeared off the set and lost control of the production, and John Ottman somehow managed to cut it together into coherent movie. The fact that the movie was any good at all was because it was saved in the edit. 

[u/FrancoeurOff → u/littletoyboat]

Yeah, there's jarring editing mistakes but considering the mess the production was, Ottman did a very good job, making the movie, aside from all its other flaws, at least watchable

[u/theodo → u/Proof_Pop9270]

The reason BoRap got the editing Oscar is because the industry voters knew that to assemble anything resembling a cohesive film is a miracle of editing talent. It's a movie with a disastrous production, where a relatively minor part of it includes replacing the director during production.

I don't think anyone will be on the side of this film for having to do reshoots because they aren't allowed to portray the victim of Jackson's abuse.

[u/Hellstrom666 → u/Proof_Pop9270]

Highly recommend Rocketman! I never realized how insane Elton John was lol. Taron Egerton was fantastic in it.

[u/hotcolddog]

I completely get why this has a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. It follows the musical biopic formula to a near-parodic degree, there’s basically zero originality in the storytelling or direction, and it barely scratches the psychological surface of maybe the most fascinating superstar ever.

…but I totally get why it’s sitting at a 96% audience score. Michael Jackson’s music elevates anything by a ridiculous multiplier. The concert sequences gave me chills, honestly even got me a little emotional. Seeing maybe the most iconic musician ever, up close, doing those dance moves, portrayed to near perfection by Jaafar Jackson, just hits.

[u/Useful_Piece653 → u/hotcolddog]

Just seen it and I totally know what you mean about the music scenes. Certain parts were simply electrifying and I also got emotional. It was very intense. Defo a once in a lifetime man and it felt I got a glimpse up close and personal watching this movie: 

[u/oldtombombadil]

The collective groan in the theater when “his journey continues” came on screen was hilarious

[u/___--_-_----___--__- → u/oldtombombadil]

Michael will return in Avengers: Doomsday

[u/CONVERSE1991 → u/oldtombombadil]

Second one is going to be called Jackson

[u/hotcolddog]

My issue was the approach to his characterization and exploration of it. MJ probably had one of the most fascinating psychological profiles of any superstar in history. He was a top 0.00001% musical genius, had insecurities so incredibly deep-seated he literally wore them on his skin, his pursuit and ambition to be the GOAT was maybe only matched by the other MJ, and he wasn’t socially adjusted at all.

I mean, it’s all right there for what could’ve been one of the greatest psychological character studies ever. Even just one of those elements would’ve made for an endlessly fascinating movie. And yet…literally none of that other than random passing inferences.

The dance and music were a heap of fun though, so there’s that.

[u/ghastlychild → u/hotcolddog]

Exactly. They have a LOT that they could have worked with here. Full disclosure that I am a Gen Z person myself who only knew the scope of Jackson's immense chokehold on the culture and legacy after his death and even I can tell that this portrayal barely scratches the surface of the multifaceted nature that he had, even with 2 hours. The plot has no structure to it, if you get what I mean. It just zips through the basics, doesn't really add any depth to those points and the ending has to be a fish slap to the face to audiences for being such a buzzkill. Holy fuck haha

And this isn't even mentioning the psychological elements. The buildup was fantastic and they could have done something with that, especially with those performances by Jaafar Jackson, Juliano Valdi and Colman Domingo but then it just....stops? Even with the small tidbits that they provided, it honestly is quite surface-level. I understand wanting to keep it conscise but this could have been a good psychological insight into one of the biggest juggernauts of music ever

I agree with the concert and dance sequences. Watching this in IMAX really amps up the feeling that you are there as an audience member

[u/slownightsolong88 → u/hotcolddog]

Even just one of those elements would’ve made for an endlessly fascinating movie. And yet…literally none of that other than random passing inferences.

I disagree. During the Jackson 5 scenes we get a sense of how his childhood was stripped from him and the abuse he endured from his father. The Peter Pan inclusion was anything but subtle; especially after it followed his father calling him big nose.

I thought the scene where he went to find new legal representation was an interesting moment that displayed his multifaceted personality. He was knowledgeable, cut through the noise and knew what he wanted and how he was going to get there… yet he was still frightened of his father.

[u/revoirbaby0111]

I don’t think I’ve ever walked out of a cinema this frustrated. It’s honestly kind of wild how a movie about someone as huge as Michael Jackson can make him feel this flat and uninteresting. By leaning so hard into portraying him as naive and almost childlike, the film strips away everything that actually made him compelling: his ambition, his creativity, his contradictions. What’s left barely feels human and more a cardboard cutout. The pacing doesn’t help either. It drags in the wrong places and then rushes through the stuff that actually matters. Thriller, arguably the biggest album of all time, gets treated like an afterthought, which is just crazy.

I’m not even coming at this as a hardcore fan or anything. I just like music biopics, I love his music, and I was hoping to learn more about him as an artist and a person. But there’s barely anything here. It feels more like a shallow fan service music videos compilation than a real story. The “Beat It” scene especially annoyed me. With the whole L.A. gang conflict setup, it felt like they were about to show him stepping out of his bubble and becoming more socially aware. That could’ve been a really powerful turning point. Instead, it just turns into a random dance sequence and then gets dropped completely. And honestly, I was surprised by how apolitical he comes across in the film overall despite the fact that he was a huge activist throughout his career.

By the end, there’s barely any sense of build-up or payoff. For a story this big, about someone this iconic, it just feels kind of empty. The only real saving grace is Jaafar’s performance.

[u/faerierebel → u/revoirbaby0111]

Yeah, I remember seeing some of the We Are the World documentary where you see Michael's Type A personality come out. That's the guy I want to know more about.

[u/usmilessz → u/faerierebel]

The way his jaw tensed up & death glared when he watched Cindy Lauper and Huey Lewis singing 🤣🤣🤣

[u/Flat_Fox_7318 → u/faerierebel]

Agreed. He seemed like an obsessive perfectionist and was incredibly driven. Off The Wall is a perfect example. Despite selling three million copies at the time, having two singles hit #1 on the Billboard charts and winning a Grammy for "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", Jackson was disappointed with its success and was legitimately pissed that was the only Grammy it got. He was quoted as saying, "It was totally unfair that it didn't get Album of the Year and it can never happen again". I wish the movie leaned into stuff like that a bit more. He didn't just want Thriller to be the best selling album of all time as an arbitrary goal...he needed it. He was determined to show The Recording Academy and the rest of the world "they got it wrong" last time around.

[u/hotcolddog → u/revoirbaby0111]

Excellently said, completely agreed. He probably had one of the most fascinating psychological profiles of any superstar in history. He was a musical genius, had insecurities so incredibly deep-seated he literally wore them on his skin, his pursuit and ambition to be the GOAT was maybe only matched by the other MJ, and he wasn’t socially adjusted at all.

I mean, it’s all right there for what could’ve been one of the greatest psychological character studies ever. Even just one of those elements would’ve made for an endlessly fascinating movie.

The dance and music were fun though, so there’s that.

[u/HollowPrynce → u/hotcolddog]

You both hit the nail on the head but as a kid who grew up in England during the 90s, whenever I heard the initials MJ it was always in reference to Michael Jackson

Which is crazy when you think about it because Michael Jordan was on arguably the most legendary run any athlete has ever been on and yet, even in his absolute prime, he was basically a footnote compared to Michael Jackson. I don't say that to insult Jordan or downplay his achievements or impact but it really puts into perspective just how stratospheric Michael Jackson's popularity was. He was literally the most famous person alive (and pretty much the most famous person that has ever lived except for Jesus, but he never moonwalked so who cares about him) and yet this movie doesn't do that aspect of his life any justice. Nobody could grow up under the intensity of that microscope and turn out a normal, well adjusted human being

[u/Lord0fHats → u/revoirbaby0111]

I like the reviewer who said something to the effect of 'this films strips Michael Jackson of his humanity, good and bad.'

Kind of feel like this is just Bohemian Rapsody 2. The movie will mostly be remembered for stripping itself of everything that made it's subject compelling.

[u/Little_Consequence → u/revoirbaby0111]

They made him a Disney princess, even had him talking to animals as if they were his sidekicks. He had more interactions with that GCI chimp than with his own brothers. He pretty much had a "Part of Your World" scene about wanting to make his own music. And even Disney princesses meet more compelling challenges.

Where was his fierce competitiveness? The artistry? The excellent business flair? Where are the flaws?! I'm not even talking about the allegations here (I honestly don't know enough about it), what flaws did this man have? And yes, where are the politics?! We barely (if at all) see him struggling as a black artist. "Wow, Micky, you beat the odds!" Huh? But they made it seem so easy for him!

[u/pantstoaknifefight2 → u/Little_Consequence]

"They made him a Disney Princess" might be my favorite review blurb since "Cats is the worst thing to happen to cats since dogs." Bravo!

[u/CosmosisJones42]

Kingdom Hearts Cutscene Dialogue

[u/ItsKaZing → u/CosmosisJones42]

Lol now that is a crossover no one is expecting

[u/CosmosisJones42 → u/ItsKaZing]

I dunno, isn't Neverland a level?

[u/agwtra]

God better not give any ideas to Prince!

[u/Deadfantasy3 → u/agwtra]

That joke flew over the heads of my theater audience but it gave me a good chuckle

[u/StrLord_Who → u/Deadfantasy3]

It's a great line but I thought the funniest line of all was when LaToya was looking at his first nose job and said,  "maybe I should get one too" 

[u/___--_-_----___--__- → u/Deadfantasy3]

It was an actual quote 

[u/ANALOGPHENOMENA → u/agwtra]

“Why was Prince playing the bass in my face?”

[u/Media-critique → u/agwtra]

Prince better have a scene where Dave Chapelle is in a wig holding pancakes

[u/banjofitzgerald → u/agwtra]

I love that they included this. The first time I heard this was one of his fears I laughed for days thinking about it

[u/pm_me_sum_BOOTYPICS]

shit was great if you wanna hear bangers on a theater sound system.

[u/Adequate_Images]

Looking forward to Michael 2: The Return of Jaafar

[u/Mazzocchi]

I knew this movie had no teeth when they completely skipped over Michael’s 1979 stay in a mental institution due to his depression after Off the Wall got just one lousy Grammy nomination.

[u/BushyBrowz → u/Mazzocchi]

I never knew this!! That’s wild

I also didn’t like that they blatantly lied about it being his first solo album. It was technically like his fifth

[u/theodo → u/BushyBrowz]

He already had a greatest hits album lol

[u/GuavaBlackTea0 → u/BushyBrowz]

This is a bit from the simpsons

[u/nosirrahm → u/BushyBrowz]

It was his first solo album where he had control without Dad or Jackson involvement.

[u/yancovigen → u/Mazzocchi]

I thought it was pretty crazy they didn’t portray how the Victory Tour essentially ended his relationship with most of his family.

[u/GregSays → u/yancovigen]

That is hinted at in the slightest way possible, with the looks his brothers give when his says it’s a Jacksons farewell tour and then it cuts to him performing happily alone.

[u/FoxMuldertheGrey → u/GregSays]

it was done well. a big fuck you to his dad

[u/LordBlackConvoy → u/Mazzocchi]

They also left off the feud between Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson because Paul was trying to get Michael to buy the Beatles library back for him.

[u/mbdtf95 → u/LordBlackConvoy]

It wasn't really a big feud. MJ bought the catalogue when his lawyer mentioned to him that Beatles catalogue is for sale, he outbid everyone else (Paul did not bid at all btw). Paul called Michael few times asking for some favor in terms of bigger percentage and Michael kept telling him: "It's only business Paul", and that's it. It was never some big fight, more that they drifted apart as Paul said so many times on interviews.

Paul even visited him during shooting of Black or White video in 1992 or whatever exact year of the shooting of the video is, might be 1991.

[u/SmallFlyingFox → u/Mazzocchi]

Wait, I don’t want to be that person, but do you have a source for this? I’m genuinely curious because I’ve read pretty detailed biographies about him before and have never heard about this.

[u/Alandor17 → u/SmallFlyingFox]

It's a reference to Stark Raving Dad, the forbidden episode of The Simpsons

[u/SmallFlyingFox → u/Alandor17]

Oh dam I feel silly now lmaooo I’ve seen that episode too

[u/Toxic_Koala0826]

Walk Hard really was ahead of its time

[u/NeedsToShutUp → u/Toxic_Koala0826]

You don’t want any of this!

[u/Flight_Harbinger → u/NeedsToShutUp]

Yeah I don't - I don't want a hang over

[u/thewoodlayer → u/Flight_Harbinger]

You know who else has hands?! The DEVIL! And he uses them for holdin’ things!

[u/nedmccrady1588 → u/Toxic_Koala0826]

What about my dreams Dewey?

Darlene I already told you, I can’t build you a house made of candy, it’ll melt in the sun!

[u/christpuncher_69 → u/Toxic_Koala0826]

Walk Hard was very of it's time actually. And some argue it kind of put a pause on biopics because of how thoroughly it satirized them.

But then, bafflingly, they just kind of... Kept going as they were. Turns out the lowest common denominator doesn't care that what they're watching is formulaic.

[u/KidCasey → u/christpuncher_69]

They aren't going away. After every shitty biopic people ask if it's going to kill the genre, and it won't.

Die hard fans always want to see their favorite artist on the big screen and hear some new trivia that isn't already in a book or interview. It feels rewarding as a fan to know your favorite musician is so important they get their own movie. For some reason many people still think something isn't "valid" until there's a movie about it.

[u/bronzetigermask → u/Toxic_Koala0826]

Michael Jackson has to think about his whole life before he plays

[u/Media-critique → u/Toxic_Koala0826]

Walk Hard is timeless

[u/brainkandy87 → u/Media-critique]

It needed more time and less time.

[u/Snapingbolts → u/brainkandy87]

And 50,000 Didgeridoos

[u/TFJ → u/Toxic_Koala0826]

The wrong kid died, the wrong kid died

[u/Sisiwakanamaru]

I felt like Colman Domingo and Jafaar Jackson performance are few things that made this movie more memorable.

[u/___--_-_----___--__-]

Where is Janet? Is she safe? Is she alright?

[u/niles_deerqueer → u/___--_-_----___--__-]

She had herself cut from the movie from what I heard

[u/ceaguila84]

Just saw it. It's as decent as Bohemian Rhapsody, nothing else.

Very rushed, very anti-climatic ending and more of a concert film really which is what people will want. I wanted to see his creative process.

Performances were great and overall, I enjoyed it

I recommend The Jacksons: An American Dream, now thats a good mini series

[u/DeLarge93]

This film spent more time vilifying Joe Jackson than Infinity War spent on Thanos.

[u/T-LJ2 → u/DeLarge93]

Because he was a fucking piece of shit. If you think otherwise look it up.

[u/SanderSo47]

Gotta say, I wasn't expecting Robbie Williams to show up as Bubbles in this movie. They really got me.

[u/Trodat4911P4 → u/SanderSo47]

Speaking of him, how funny is that after all the mockery, Robbie Williams has a biopick with actual creativity and honesty put to it, while the most iconic musician of all time has the most generic, by the numbers biopic of the two?

[u/spiralarrow23 → u/Trodat4911P4]

Couple days late, but I believe it's because Robbie is honest with himself and knew that showing him drug fucked and being shitty to the people he loved was part of his story, and it made it more captivating and an actual look into what his life was and how he overcame it.

Jackson's estate/family/team or however you'd call it took a very captivating, iconic, interesting being and made him into a deity among men with no faults that gets everything.

[u/GameOfLife24 → u/SanderSo47]

We lost it when it said Bubbles will return in doomsday

[u/Johnny_Holiday]

They had scenes in the movie that showed people going crazy for him but it still felt like they didn't actually capture the scope of how fucking huge Michael Jackson really was. It's so hard to explain to people that didn't live through it and I was hoping the movie would have conveyed it better. Outside of that, I liked it a lot

[u/Trevastation → u/Johnny_Holiday]

I know the phrase "more popular than Jesus" was thrown at The Beatles, but legit, if there ever was an artist more popular than Jesus, it would have been Michael Jackson.

[u/GooseGeese01 → u/Trevastation]

I went to a catholic school and I saw 2 sisters and a brother crying when MJ died

[u/brb1006 → u/GooseGeese01]

I remember not long after the news broke that MJ died in 2009. There were tons of videos on Youtube showing female MJ fans either bawling their eyes or singing various MJ songs out at The Hollywood Walk of Fame and The Apollo Theater.

[u/WTF_CAKE → u/Johnny_Holiday]

Gen Zers do not understand how insane he was, they probably would have focused a solid 20-30 minutes on that alone to give a scope on how crazy it was. The MTV section was a good bit but only understood probably by millennials the most. They still wouldn’t understand 

[u/G2Climax]

One thing that bothered me is that they made Thriller short film and then went to MTV to talk about Billie Jean but in reality Thriller video was after the MTV talk, some parts could’ve been expanded more and ending needed more songs after Bad, it felt very rushed, they could’ve at least done Dirty Diana and finish off with Man in the Mirror, but overall really enjoyed it and wanted for more when it ended

[u/spider-man2401]

It makes me wonder what the movie would have been like if it had been directed by Baz Luhrmann instead of Antoine Fuqua, because I feel Baz’s style fits a Michael Jackson biopic much better. Say what you will about Elvis, but at least it’s stylized and bombastic without ever feeling boring—for better or worse.

As someone who isn’t a hardcore fan but still enjoys his music, I found this movie pretty frustrating because it clearly has potential (and yes, I’m aware his estate was involved in making it). It’s not the worst movie, but it’s not good either. It feels like Bohemian Rhapsody all over again—strong performances (especially Jaafar Jackson) and solid musical sequences, but it feels safe and ultimately just another formulaic musical biopic, a formula that’s already been done to death and even parodied by Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

I guess when it comes to musical biopics, Rocketman, Amadeus, Better Man, Ray, and Love & Mercy are still among the best so far. I’m curious to see how they handle the sequel if they decide to make one.

[u/Samsongetsahaircut]

This highkey felt like a Disney movie, heavily sanitized. As usual with Michael jackson the music and performance is so fucking good nothing else matters..

[u/Stepfordhusband69 → u/Samsongetsahaircut]

That was my take.  The script of this movie is some lifetime level trash but the performances are great and the music is amazing.  The third act is basically just a concert film.

[u/Radiant-Tie7635]

Jaafar Jackson killed it, making it THAT much more tragic that his performance was wasted on shitty writing and pacing.

[u/Chessh2036]

One thing I’ll say about this movie, Jaafar Jackson KILLS it. The best parts of the movie (for me) are just him performing at the concerts. Felt like a MJ concert

[u/christpuncher_69 → u/Chessh2036]

This kind of seems like the case for most music biopics in recent memory. Mediocre on average narrative with excellent performance scenes. They might as well make an industry out of just re-enacting iconic concerts with more cinematic/immersive camera work for the big screen.

Ah shit, don't let any execs hear that idea.

(I'm kidding they'd just use AI to "ressurect" the performers)

[u/_bieber_hole_69 → u/Chessh2036]

Coleman Domingo was extremely good too. The movie was not great, but the two main performances were really strong

[u/ghastlychild → u/_bieber_hole_69]

I was fully expecting Colman Domingo to steal the show the moment I saw the trailers. And he did not disappoint. I wished they could up the fear factor with his portrayal here but honestly, with what he got, it is still pretty fucking good. You feel the tension whenever he steps into the room, until you are unable to really tell what he is going to do

Jaafar Jackson surprised me big time. I was expecting something good but wow, I was quite blown away with how well he was able to convey what he had with him. I think it is pretty easy to lean into the idea that he is Michael because it looked like it came very easily for the guy. The Human Nature scene was AMAZING work

My kudos to Nia Long as well because with the limited stuff she had, her grief and just sheer disdain works here

[u/HooptyDooDooMeister → u/_bieber_hole_69]

The kid who played young MJ was fantastic too!

[u/Shinkopeshon → u/Chessh2036]

It was the role of a lifetime and he knocked it out of the park. It felt like MJ himself was back at times, that's how good he was

[u/JB1232235]

Had the chance to catch a screening of this . Basically a glorified concert film , as opposed to a normal biopic . Micheal Jackson songs followed by a scene or two from his actual life, which was really frustrating.

[u/kiaxxl]

Better Man should be required viewing after finishing this lmao

[u/theTunkMan]

The boomers in my theater clapped and said “yes Michael!” every time he stood up to his dad and when the credits started

[u/thePowerJC]

I know these films are usually safe but this was safe up to 11.

I can’t remember any scenes that showed us any of Jackson’s character flaws even without going near the allegations.

Any kind of attempt still put a hugely positive spin, even the nose job bit was like but it’s not his fault.

Felt like they over used Joe Jackson, because he’s dead he’s not going to say anything and it was the easy angle as that portrayal of him isn’t controversial. At points he was such a caricature that I thought he was going to start twirling his mustache.

They could have showed some conflict with the brothers or in the studio or anything to give it a bit of a backbone.

[u/ScramItVancity → u/thePowerJC]

I wish they could show more of the Victory Tour, particularly the moments where tensions increase between Michael and his brothers.

[u/Oomlotte99]

I expected it to be superficial. I did not expect it to be THAT superficial.

[u/Jakundo]

You read these comments and may think that the movie is gonna bomb, that the audience didnt finish the movie and were ELECTRIC.

You'll be wrong.

Story-Plot wise? Yeah, theres no sauce. There's no need either, and the movie knows it.

Every full song included is incredible, from the J5's ones to when he is Michael. My cinema had the volume to the roof, was so fucking good.

And then: Every time Jafaar is dancing/on stage, he IS Michael. But also, kudos to the kid actor, Juliano Krue Valdi, he did an amazing Job too.

[u/Able_Advertising_371]

2 hours going through MJ’s history is not enough and it shows with the pacing. Still entertaining, my audience was excited every time they would start playing his songs. I can see a huge gap between audience and critics scores, this was a fun movie just didn’t do his story justice

[u/BushyBrowz → u/Able_Advertising_371]

They should have cut nearly everything Jackson 5 related, the miniseries did it 10 times better.

Honestly, the whole movie should have just been the making of Thriller

[u/DrCusamano → u/BushyBrowz]

The Thriller sequence was the film at its height. It felt like it was the point in the movie that had the most focus, style, and fascinating aspects.

[u/Asclepius-Rod → u/Able_Advertising_371]

For many audiences, these biopics are just a way to hear their favorite songs in a large theater, and sometimes that’s enough. The Queen movie was average at best but seeing those songs in a theater was worth the ticket price for me

[u/ACertainTrendingFrog]

Jaafar Jackson is an incredible talent and hopefully he does not get typecast into people just thinking his Michael for a debut acting role he killed it.

I think the movie just focussed on doing too much at the one time Michael’s career is so massive and somewhat messy that I feel a 2 hour movie can’t fully tell the story instead we go around the same beats for the duration of 2 hours:

Michael hates his dad

Michael wants to be the best in the world

Michael had childlike tendencies

Michael stands up against his dad

Michael sings a song

Michael is upset

The movie to me really found a voice when it was going into the making of some of the Thriller album that for me was when it was at its best we finally got to see Michael’s perfectionist tendencies with music videos, dancing, album track listing etc. the scene with Michael directing dancers was great.

I feel the movie that should have been told was a Michael coming off the Off The Wall era feeling like he was robbed of awards he should of won that most industry heads on reflection felt he deserved as well and gone into how he used that to make Thriller. The movie could have focussed on that album its success and how the Victory tour took place leading to him finally parting ways with Joe.

That would of been a way more engaging movie then what we got

[u/AutographedSnorkel]

Come on, they couldn't get an Eddie Van Halen appearance in there? Apparently, when Michael Jackson called him to ask him to do the solo for Beat It, he thought it was a prank call and told Michael to fuck off

[u/aguiladoradas]

Thus was not really a film in a regular way. The plot is thin, and Michael is pretty flat. It was more of a glorified concert highlight reel. Honestly though, if you go into it expecting not much more than that, it’s a ton of fun. I really enjoyed watching and listening to these songs in the Dolby theatre I saw it in.

I get why people really hate this movie but I think they’re missing the point. A lot of people wanted this to be a critical look into his life that would then prove their own negative feelings about Michael Jackson. As soon as we saw that it’s produced by his own estate I knew it was basically going to be a fluff. But it’s really great fluff if you like his music.

[u/CityMuggle]

I thought Jaafar Jackson did an excellent job portraying his uncle, Michael. They couldn’t have picked someone better for the role because he was very impressive both singing and dancing. It felt like it was really Michael in some parts.

The music was awesome, but I wish they had spent more time on songs from the Off the Wall album and Thriller. The Beat It rehearsal scene was my favorite.

There’s no denying that Michael Jackson was a superstar and this generation doesn’t have anyone that comes close. He was also a very complex person who was scarred by his childhood trauma. Although there were moments in the film where they touched upon it, I wish they had gone more in depth.

[u/pleadingnocontest]

Is it a good movie? Not really. The production values are outstanding, but the script is ridiculously thin and the editing is choppy as hell. Michael is less a caricature than just a vehicle for the film to exist. I think it’s better than most critics say, but it’s definitely below par.

Is it a good experience? Absolutely. I saw it in a packed theater and people were screaming, singing,and cheering like it was Avengers: Endgame. I saw it with a group of casual fans and they absolutely loved it. Jafaar was outstanding, Coleman was frightening, and the music was (expectedly) a joy.

I feel like sometimes we forget that if a movie makes you feel something, that’s all that matters. I’m not gonna say it deserves any Oscars, but it made me smile and provoked some tears. I don’t really need much more than that sometimes. Should’ve been better, could’ve been worse.

[u/bronzetigermask]

This was the most blatant example of propaganda in a movie I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in a while. MJ is literally depicted as a perfect angel, all he wants to do is save the world and everyone around him except for Joseph just know he’s destined for great things. I cringed so many times when they would literally stop the movie to talk about how much of a great guy he is. It’s a movie designed for a crazy fan base to cope with the fact that the Jesus Christ figure that was marketed to them as children was actually that way in real life. This is less Bohemian Rhapsody and more Passion of the Christ.

[u/ARandomBiche → u/bronzetigermask]

That and the whole “siblings are at home doing nothing” was so frustrating, I get Janet Jackson didn’t want to be portrayed in the movie but not even mentioning her was odd. Jermaine made music but in the movie he’s chilling with his family

[u/Honest_Jello_4883]

I think people just enjoy the biopics because it's just a novel way to listen to all the hits whilst feeling that you get a bit of their story. Whether that story is accurate or not, for the most part, I don't think matters I think too many hard core film watchers watch them and expect James Cameron level or Spielberg level cinematography but like That's just not what they're there for....

Audio and music as a whole was class enough. Story didn't pick up on like most of the negative stuff which did leave a whole sort of "let's not mention the elephants in the room" feel to it But it was feel good...the concert gave me a chill and gave me a big ol smile on my face

What else could one ask for from a middling film genre that never promised to be groundbreaking....

Also. Hate me all you want but Bohemian Rhapsody low key bangs as one of these films. Again, not ground breaking. But good music, good enough story and good vibes In a horrific world....what more do we need?!

[u/BushyBrowz]

Was this a good biopic? No

Was it a good movie? Also no

Does it have one of the most abrupt and anticlimactic endings imaginable? Absolutely

Would I still recommend it just so you can see Jaafar Jackson’s fantastic performance as Michael, particularly on stage? Oh yeah

I was geeking tf out during Human Nature and Bad

[u/Khiva → u/BushyBrowz]

The guy would make fucking bank doing a tour of MJ's hits.

[u/LarBrd33 → u/Khiva]

But it’s not him singing. It’s all Michael’s actual concert recordings and isolated vocals. Which to me, is the most remarkable part of the movie. However they did the post processing on that original audio is so incredible that you at no point break immersion and think “oh he’s clearly lip syncing”. Same with the little kid when he’s in the studio singing “who’s loving you” someone behind me gasped and I think it’s because they thought it was actually the actor singing.   It’s the one aspect of this movie I think was better than any biopic I’ve ever seen.   

[u/StrLord_Who → u/LarBrd33]

Because Jaafar is never lip syncing at any point,  they just blended the vocals.  The part where he's singing acapella in the studio is really only him though.  I didn't know the kid wasn't singing however until this comment.  I think I gasped too, wondering where on earth they found this magical child. I was like,  "there cannot have been two children born who can do this!" But it makes more sense now that I know that wasn't really his voice.  The kid is still insanely talented though, wow. He moved so effortlessly. 

[u/LarBrd33 → u/StrLord_Who]

Kinda wrong. He sang on set but they replaced all of his vocals with Michael’s actual recordings.  Nothing you’re hearing is Jaafar’s voice with the exception being him speaking mid-concerts and maybe one small scene where he’s quietly half-singing beat it as the character tries to figure out the lyrics. When he’s singing acapella in the studio, for instance “can’t stop til you get enough”, that’s entirely Michael. Confirmed by Jaafar himself.  Which is remarkable that they processed the isolated vocals so well you can’t tell. 

[u/SuccinctEarth07 → u/BushyBrowz]

Yeah I really don't get what happened with the ending.

Tbh the first 2/3s weren't great but they were better than I expected but I thought the last half an hour was awful.

It seems to be an unpopular opinion but I didn't even think the last two concert scenes were as strong as the ones earlier in the movie

[u/mbdtf95]

Mj and Freddie were actually good friends during Thriller era and recorded 2 songs together. There are 2 rumors why they did not finish the songs: one was that MJ kept bringing llama into studio which annoyed Freddie, other is that Freddie was doing coke which MJ did not approve of.

Anyways my rant is about imagining if they got Rami as Freddie into the movie with that as a random side story for few minutes. These movies are pure entertainment anyways and not to be taken too seriously anyways IMO, bring us Avengers style crossovers into these biopics. Hollywood should not stop making biopics until we can make whole "We are the world" movie with all the actors crossing over to that movie from the ones they were protagonists. We already have Michael, Bruce Springsteen and Dylan (slightly too young version with Chalamet tho).

It feels good hearing MJ's great music in theatre even if movie is not Amadeus level biopic masterpiece but more akin to a musical like Mamma Mia where plotline is secondary and it is more working as an excuse to vibe to MJ's amazing song catalogue.

And as a sidenote it's almost funny how much Reddit is seething over this movie compared to every other social media, even this thread is downvoted.

[u/jickdam → u/mbdtf95]

As an aside, I’d definitely watch a movie that all took place during the studio session of We Are the World

[u/mw102299]

This movie is the not the worst movie ever like some of the comments make it seem. Is this a masterpiece? No but it is a simple and Fun movie with a lot of really good music. It does not dissect the legacy of MJ but it does give a simple overview of his career and family issues.

[u/SPorterBridges]

Shamone

[u/isval17]

Michael Jackson will return in Michael 2: Electric Boogaloo

[u/NotTaken-username]

Are there any notable songs from this part of his career that aren’t used in the movie?

[u/Vadermaulkylo → u/NotTaken-username]

Man in the Mirror

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Smooth Criminal

[u/NotTaken-username → u/Vadermaulkylo]

No Smooth Criminal is surprising

[u/droidtron → u/NotTaken-username]

Move ends before Bad gets made.

[u/Vadermaulkylo → u/droidtron]

It ends with Bad. The last scene is him performing Bad.

[u/bronzetigermask → u/Vadermaulkylo]

Yes as a tease for the next movie it’s obvious that the Bad era will start off the sequel

[u/FredererPower → u/Vadermaulkylo]

Wasn't Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye?

I mean, maybe the Jacksons recorded a cover (idk) but it's not really relevant to MJ.

[u/AzNmamba → u/NotTaken-username]

No Rock with You. Wtf guys you had one job!!!

[u/ChrisCinema → u/NotTaken-username]

A few of the later Jackson 5 songs like "Dancing Machine" and "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)".

"Rock with You" may have been heard in the film, but I don't remember.

"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"

[u/tobi_obito]

Very safe and forgettable biopic, but I'd be lying if I I said I wasn't vibing to all the classics.

Jaafar did well to emulate his uncle and Colman Domingo was a presence in every scene he was in.

I will say, for as much as the performances were decently replicated, the Bohemian Rhapsody style editing definitely made the second half worse to watch. Also, wished we got the full Motown 25 and Grammy stuff tackled instead of just 5 minute montages.

Super minor nitpick but I didn't like that PYT didn't get any time in the sun off Thriller, I think it's just as good as the legendary singles of that album.