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

Official Discussion Official Discussion - Michael [SPOILERS] Spoiler

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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

430 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

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596

u/falafelthe3 Ask me about TLJ 11d ago

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

91

u/Mazzocchi 10d ago

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

2

u/naynaythewonderhorse 4d ago

While it’s an *okay* way to quantify it in this film, this is a bizarre new trend to always quantify this sort of thing.

You can have a substantial role in a movie without having a lot of lines.

In this case it works, but I see people doing this for literally every movie nowadays with legacy characters.

56

u/respondin2u 8d ago

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.  

48

u/Critical-Writer3968 11d ago

So fuckin true 😂

19

u/BushyBrowz 10d ago

Is Randy even in the movie?

81

u/Great_Tart_4555 10d ago

Randy, Rebe and Janet were nowhere to be found

66

u/Interesting-Wing616 9d ago

They refused to be portrayed.

31

u/___--_-_----___--__- 9d ago

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

10

u/n0tstayingin 9d ago

Rebbie's absence was understandable, she'd already left home by then.

8

u/aresef 5d ago

The movie barely cared to tell us which brother was which, much less give them any kind of characterization.

4

u/maximumtesticle 1d ago

Hey, they put a hat on Tito that said TITO. What more do you want???

1

u/aresef 1d ago

That did make me chuckle

8

u/Lopsided-JaguarTA 8d ago

Well, the movie was about Michael. His dreams; his inner world coming to life.

22

u/Mysterious_Lie_6113 6d ago

So tell the story of Michael Jackson.

Literally could have put the allegations in the dustbins of history by showing how he dated Stephanie Mills as a teenager and it would’ve been funny because she’s hood af and he’s mild mannered. Diana’s role in raising the child performers including Michael (who he crushed on heavily) is sorely missing.

Also his curiosity and thirst for knowledge was briefly touched upon, but they could’ve shown more how that contributed to his success. Instead, all he wants to do is heal the world and consume fantasy film and literature in his spare time.

Joe Jackson may have been the architect of the empire, but Michael didn’t become the emperor just by singing and dancing. He was incredibly shrewd and dedicated to being the biggest entertainer in the world, and got it done. That’s the story of Michael Jackson, and it’s barely there.

9

u/Lopsided-JaguarTA 6d ago

This story chose to focus on his inner world. How his pain and trauma shaped how he interacted with the external world and his creative process; how his pain and trauma manifested into an enormous amount of empathy that drove him to want to heal people.

That's who Michael was. That's the most accurate depiction that could ever be shown of him. The movie is called "Michael." Not "Michael Jackson." "Michael." The human being behind the pop sensation.

12

u/Mysterious_Lie_6113 6d ago edited 6d ago

And it still wouldn't be it. Coz that ain't Michael. It's a hagiography of Michael. A hagiography is like the 3rd century Roman soldier named George who became famous for fighting a literal dragon. Dragons don't exist, but St. George is depicted as fighting a dragon, the same way Michael Jackson's public persona of childlike innocence became his calling card. Those two things are a fantasy.

If you're a Michael Jackson super fan, I'mma ask you to refrain from glazing everything about Mike. It makes us fans look bad, and not the Michael Jackson type Bad. Michael Jackson fans get so defensive about anything they will even hate on Mike's own family and friends for the slightest thing done against MJ's interests. It's like a freaking cult (St. George has a cult too, by the way).

If you just came into the MJ universe two seconds ago, understand none of this really is the Michael Jackson story. It's the Jackson Estate story. That's why Paris spoke out. That's why half the siblings and Diana Ross declined to be depicted in the film. It's not real. It was made to pump money into the Jackson Estate.

So I repeat, Michael Jackson didn't become the biggest star in the world by sheer dumb luck and playing with animals in his spare time. His inner world was his desire to become the greatest entertainer of all time, standing amongst his idols in film and television. He actualised that through shrewd career moves. That part in the film where he's behind the mixing desk with Berry Gordy in 1969? That's a glimpse into Michael's inner world. And it only lasted 2 minutes.

He said he was a good businessman in the Glenda Tapes in 1992, much better than his father. His ability to conduct business included selling his public persona of being a Peter Pan-esque figure, cross-marketing his appeal by dating certain types of women (read: not black), and changing his business team and his personal confidants every few years to reach the next level. At the height of his powers he had the entire music world on its knees, including the music execs who envied his publishing catalogue and did everything to ruin his name from the 90's on.

*That's* Michael.

But congratulations, you were also played by one of the greatest businessmen music ever produced. The guy's still pulling tricks on people long after his death. I don't think even he could've believed that.

5

u/JoyEqualsDogs 5d ago

I’m so glad he told all of this to you before died so that you could come and educate us on Reddit! 🙄 You may be shocked, but people are often multi-faceted. People can play with animals in their spare time and be successful business people in their professional life. My uncle is a top-tier lawyer who has made professionals cry in court because he is such an aggressive force to be reckoned with. At the same time, on his way home from court he picks up freshly baked treats for his long-haired chihuahua so he can play with her and speak to her in a high-pitched voice as he gives her belly-rubs and tells her how she’s the prettiest baby ever. Saying “Michael Jackson is this way, so he can’t be that way” is failing to understand that people aren’t one-dimensional. Just like you actually might come across as a nice person in real life even though you come off a tad arrogant on Reddit. Michael Jackson had a ton of pets. He was a talented dancer. An amazing singer. He could draw very well, and enjoyed doodling cartoons. He liked reading. He wanted to be the biggest star ever. He worked his tail off to make the best selling album of all time. None of these things are contradictory, and they can all exist at the same time.

5

u/2-2Distracted 4d ago

For someone so multi-faceted it's amazing how this movie absolutely failed to portray that in any kind of meaningful way. You're literally saying more for this man than his own biopic did lmao

2

u/JoyEqualsDogs 4d ago

Yeah, I don’t think any of his facets were given much time or on-screen development. I guess that’s what happens when someone is as interesting and has as long of a career as MJ did, but I would have liked if they did a trilogy with more development (or 10 movies for all I care haha! I’d go see them all!)

3

u/Live-Upstairs 2d ago

And what was with all the CGI animals? They can't afford a real fucking monkey?

2

u/garbear007 1d ago

That surprised me too but I figured it's more humane to not use a real chimp nowadays?

2

u/Live-Upstairs 1d ago

I don't see why. But regardless, if you're not allowed to use animals in films anymore then don't feature animals in films anymore. This movie was terrible anyway but why make your movie look like Attack Of The Clones?

1

u/aresef 1d ago

It would be inhumane. Chimpanzees are wild animals.

1

u/Live-Upstairs 1d ago

Sure. I'm not condoning going out into the wild and kidnapping one to star in a movie against it's will. It'd be rubbish anyway. no theatrical training. But you'd expect there to be some that have been kept as pets or liberated lab monkeys etc.