Musical biopics are always popular with moviegoers, though some are much more memorable than others. We’ve seen great examples like WALK THE LINE and RAY, but recent attempts such as the Bruce Springsteen effort DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE seemed to fall under its own weight. The latest to attempt a big splash is MICHAEL, telling the story of Michael Jackson’s rise to fame both as a young boy singing with his brothers, and a very talented man intent on blazing his own trail. It opens with the Jackson family, under the rule of father Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo), making a splash at various gigs and impressing the record companies. As their fame grows, Joe becomes obsessed with power and greed, and eventually it’s clear that Michael (played as a young boy by Juliano Valdi) is the standout of the brothers, and begins to develop himself as a solo act. This upsets Joe, as Michael (played older by Jaafar Jackson, the nephew of Michael Jackson in real life) on his own makes him feel less powerful and controlling, though eventually even he can’t stop the incredibly talented boy from breaking out in a big way. But Michael is also lonely and feels misunderstood, growing up without friends or any real connections with others, as he’s looked at solely as a performer and something to be amazed by rather than a person. As Michael keeps wowing audiences and becomes a global icon, even he starts to wonder if he can ever escape the grasp of his father and family’s hold.

Director Antoine Fuqua and writer John Logan deliver what most audiences want here, big musical numbers with your favorite Michael Jackson songs, and plenty of humor in between the various scenes of stressful family life. The recreations of some of Jackson’s most iconic performances are spectacular and flawlessly recreated, such as his famous Motown Awards performance where he debuted his “Moonwalk”, or his classic Thriller music video. Whenever these scenes play out, they are handled beautifully, and look mesmerizing on the IMAX screen. Our packed screening had an excited audience going wild whenever the music kicked in, and many cheered Jaafar’s incredible performance, rightfully so. This is magical cinema on a big scale, and really does justice to the man its honoring.

MICHAEL is definitely a crowd-pleasing film with plenty of reminders about how exceptionally talented the man was, and there are more than a few moments to put a smile on your face here, but it definitely plays it safe and avoids most of the controversy that followed Jackson later in life. Some critics are using terms like “sanitized” or “candy-coated” to describe it, and I can see why, it definitely goes for the positivity whenever possible, but I also wonder why anyone would want to see a negative biopic about one of the world’s greatest entertainers. This is a celebration of his musical ability and creative genius, and for those who remember his rise to fame and worldwide explosion of celebrity status, it’s a fun and exciting ride. The first section of the movie with young Jackson tends to drag a little at times, but also feels necessary to understand his roots. And the depiction of Joe Jackson as a controlling and abusive father and manager probably doesn’t go as far as it could have based on real-life reports of his sometimes shocking and deplorable behavior. But what really sells the movie is the musical numbers and dance routines which are masterfully replicated by Jaafar Jackson, who quite literally channels Michael at times, so much so that it’s easy to forget you’re not looking at the real guy. This goes beyond a simple imitation of the man, it is not unlike Rami Malek’s brilliant take on playing Freddie Mercury in BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, really embodying the nuances and physical mannerisms Jackson frequently displayed, and the voice he uses is spot on to boot.

Colman Domingo has the difficult job of bringing Joe Jackson to life in the most effective and nasty way he can, and he becomes a great antagonist for the story, making you wonder just how any of the Jacksons were able to find success with him so ruthlessly gripping their paths. The film chooses to show his hardest discipline on Michael, though one could guess how the rest of the family had to deal with similar outbursts and his rather narcissistic ideas. Miles Teller is endearing in a brief role as John Branca, Michael’s no-nonsense attorney, and I wish he had more scenes to develop their relationship as you could see there being more story there. Nia Long is great as Michael’s mother, who he seemed very close with here, though it’s frustrating to see her being so passive around Joe Jackson’s outbursts, and makes one wonder why she didn’t defend her children better. Larenz Tate has a brief role as uber-producer Berry Gordy, and Kendrick Sampson portrays Quincy Jones, both feeling like there was more to expand on with their sadly limited screen time.

MICHAEL reportedly had to cut its original final act due to legal reasons, so the film’s ending is somewhat abrupt in a way, even if spectacular in its execution. There was clearly more to this story that isn’t covered here, and while we’re given bits and pieces of what was to come (such as Jackson getting considerable pain medication due to his fiery accident shooing a commercial), or Michael’s desire to spend time with children since he never had that opportunity much is his own youth, those ideas are never fully developed, and what we’re left with is a pretty by-the-numbers musical biopic… not that it’s disappointing or unappealing, this just could have been much more daring and powerful had it not held back. As it is, MICHAEL is solid entertainment, and a reminder of why this man was loved by so many, and why he still resonates with fans even today.

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