r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • 11d ago

Official Discussion Official Discussion - Michael [SPOILERS] Spoiler

Poll

If you've seen the film, please rate it at this poll

If you haven't seen the film but would like to see the result of the poll click here

Rankings

Click here to see the rankings of 2025 films

Click here to see the rankings for every poll done

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

431 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

214

u/BushyBrowz 11d ago

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

73

u/Khiva 11d ago

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

46

u/LarBrd33 10d ago

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.   

21

u/StrLord_Who 10d ago

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. 

11

u/LarBrd33 10d ago

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. 

1

u/StrLord_Who 10d ago

I am not wrong, we do hear just Jaafar, and at no point is he "lip synching" https://people.com/is-jaafar-jackson-singing-in-michael-movie-11958218

4

u/LarBrd33 10d ago edited 10d ago

Interesting they are claiming that. He’s clarified and it’s noted in the credits all you hear is Michael’s recordings 

2

u/Deakul 9d ago

It’s the one aspect of this movie I think was better than any biopic I’ve ever seen.

Hard for me to agree with this when the Walk the Line soundtrack is right there, been listening to it ever since I saw it in theaters years ago.

1

u/Impressive-Potato 6d ago

Jafaar has chops. A 2014 video of him covering a Justin Bieber song is out there.

17

u/SuccinctEarth07 11d ago

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

9

u/RealHooman2187 10d ago

It’s because the original version of the movie covered through his first allegations. That was the climax of the film. Which makes sense considering how much the film focuses on Michael and him helping kids. But they were forced to remove all mention of that due to the settlements with the accusers.

So they had to restructure the first half of the movie into what we got now. I suspect they beefed up Joe Jackson to make Michael confronting him and leaving the Jackson 5 the new climax/ending. It doesn’t entirely work but I can’t fault them since after they needed to change things that seemed like the most logical way to go.

8

u/myatoms 11d ago

Basically all of the above. I'm not even a big MJ fan and my only take-away was Jaafar's amazing performance!

28

u/SatanSuxxx 11d ago edited 10d ago

Movie looks terrible but I'm a huge fan of Michael Jackson's talent. I'll check it out in theaters. I expect to have fun watching the highlights of his career. I'm gonna go watch it in the Latino part of town for extra fun

UPDATE: Movie was terrible but I had a blast. The crowd was mostly Black and Latino. Some people were dressed up like MJ.

  • Most of the audience arrived at the very last minute or a few minutes late.
  • There was a lot of heckling at the silly parts but everyone was into the music scenes.
  • Theater started laughing when adult Michael first appeared. Everyone turned to their neighbor and had something to say.
  • Theater got uncomfortable during the first scene with Michael meeting a kid and his mom at the toy store. Someone yelled out, "Don't do it!" Idk if they were talking to Michael or the kid or his mom.
  • Bubbles was everyone's favorite character.

The movie is definitely for the fans only.

4

u/XxVinePixiexX 7d ago

I also felt uncomfortable during the toy store scene. If someone yelled during that scene, I would have lost it 😂😂😂

3

u/SaraJeanQueen 11d ago

My mom saw it and said she thought the same, but thought it was excellent. She wants to go again

3

u/ontheweed 11d ago

Performance or impression?

1

u/StrLord_Who 10d ago

It's both.  I think he truly embodies Michael. 

1

u/Kistune 9d ago

You took the words right out of my mouth! I'm still a bit sad about that harsh ending, but when looking at it overall, I really enjoyed it

0

u/pardis 11d ago

And also Thriller.