Michael is an impressive yet deficient music biopic: technically polished, emotionally cautious and clearly produced to protect the legacy of Michael Jackson rather than fully interrogate it.
The film’s biggest strength is Jaafar Jackson. Casting Michael’s real-life nephew could have felt risky, but he genuinely captures the voice, movement, posture and stage magnetism of Jackson in a way that goes beyond imitation. Several critics and audience members singled him out as the reason the movie works at all.
Director Antoine Fuqua stages the musical numbers with enormous energy. The recreations of performances from the Thriller and Off the Wall eras are the film’s high point. Even critics who disliked the movie admitted the concert scenes and choreography are electric.
Where the movie struggles is depth.
Because the project was heavily connected to the Jackson estate, the film often feels sanitised. It focuses mostly on Michael’s rise from child star to global superstar while avoiding or minimising the darker controversies that defined much of the public conversation around him. Several reviews criticised it for feeling more like an “approved tribute” than a probing biography.
The structure is also uneven. Instead of building a strong dramatic arc, the movie moves from one famous moment to another:
- recording sessions
- screaming fans
- dance performances
- family conflict
- chart success
That makes it entertaining in bursts but emotionally it leaves a lot to be desired.
One thing the film handles effectively is Michael’s relationship with his father, Joseph Jackson. Colman Domingo gives one of the strongest supporting performances in the film, portraying Joe as intimidating, controlling and emotionally damaging without turning him into a cartoon villain.
Overall:
- If you love Michael Jackson’s music and performances, the film is highly entertaining.
- If you want a fearless, psychologically honest portrait of the man, it falls short.
It succeeds as spectacle and nostalgia but falls short as a revealing character study. Every undertaking has its limitations.
Michael Jackson was born in Gary, the eighth of 10 children in the Jackson family.
Early Life and The Jackson 5
Michael showed extraordinary talent from a very young age. By the age of eight, he was performing with his brothers, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon, as the Jackson 5. Their mother, Katherine, nurtured their musical gifts, while their father Joe Jackson managed the group with strict and often harsh discipline.
The Jackson 5 signed with Motown Records in 1969, scoring four consecutive No. 1 hits including I Want You Back and ABC. Michael was the undeniable star, dazzling audiences with his voice and stage presence at an age when most children were playing little league.
Solo Career Takes Off
Michael began releasing solo material alongside the group, but it was the 1979 album Off the Wall, produced by Quincy Jones, that signalled a new era.
Then came Thriller in 1982, which became the best-selling album of all time, featuring iconic singles including Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller. The accompanying music videos transformed the medium.
Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995) followed, each reinforcing his status as the “King of Pop”. His signature moves, including the moonwalk, the robot and the anti-gravity lean, became cultural touchstones.
Personal Life and Controversies
Behind the glittering success was a deeply complicated private life. Michael spoke openly about a painful childhood, saying he was robbed of his youth. He purchased Neverland Ranch in 1988, a sprawling estate filled with amusement rides and animals, reflecting the childhood he felt he had missed.
His appearance changed dramatically over the years, sparking endless debate. He was married twice: briefly to Lisa Marie Presley from 1994 to 1996, and later to Debbie Rowe from 1996 to 1999, with whom he had two children, Michael Jr. (Prince) and Paris. A third child, Prince Michael II, known as Bigi, was born via surrogate in 2002.
In 1993 and again between 2003 and 2005, he faced child sexual abuse allegations. The 2005 criminal trial ended in a full acquittal on all counts. The allegations remained the subject of intense public debate, reignited by the documentary Leaving Neverland.
Final Years and Death
By the late 2000s, Michael was heavily in debt and largely out of the spotlight. In 2009, he announced a major comeback: This Is It, a 50-concert residency in London.
Rehearsals were underway when, on June 25, 2009, he died at the age of 50 from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
A concert residency is a series of performances by an artist at a single venue rather than a travelling tour. A “50-concert residency” meant the artist committed to performing 50 shows in one venue over a set period.
Legacy
Michael Jackson’s influence on music, dance, fashion and popular culture is difficult to measure. He broke racial barriers on MTV, pioneered the modern music video and inspired generations of artists from Beyoncé to Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake. With an estimated 350 to 400 million records sold worldwide, his place in music history remains undeniable and endlessly debated.
Musical Impact
Michael Jackson fundamentally changed popular music. Thriller remains the best-selling album in history, and his fusion of pop, rhythm and blues, funk, rock and soul created a blueprint that many later artists followed. He elevated the album into a cohesive artistic statement where songs, videos and performances formed part of a larger vision.
He also broke down racial barriers at a time when Black artists rarely received airplay on MTV. His label pressured the network to air Billie Jean, opening doors for countless artists of colour.
Before Michael Jackson, music videos were largely promotional tools. He turned them into short films. Thriller, directed by John Landis, had a 14-minute runtime, a Hollywood-scale budget and a narrative storyline. Black or White debuted simultaneously across 27 countries to an audience of around 500 million people. He did not simply make videos; he redefined expectations.
His contributions to dance were equally influential. The moonwalk, the robot, the anti-gravity lean and his signature stage movements became globally recognised. He blended the footwork of James Brown with the elegance of Fred Astaire and transformed street dance into something uniquely his own. Artists including Usher, Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé have all cited him as a major influence.
Cultural and Global Reach
Michael was one of the first truly global superstars of the modern era, beloved across cultures and continents. In countries ranging from Brazil to Japan and Nigeria, he became an icon.
His humanitarian work through the Heal the World Foundation and songs including We Are the World and Man in the Mirror gave his artistry a philanthropic dimension.
He made fashion iconic: the red leather jacket from Thriller, the single white glove, the fedora, the high-water trousers paired with white socks and loafers. Each era had a distinct look that influenced street style and high fashion alike.
Nearly every major pop and rhythm and blues artist of the past four decades has acknowledged his influence.
Posthumous Legacy
Even after his 2009 death, Michael remained a commercial and cultural force. His estate has earned more than US$2 billion through music royalties, the This Is It concert film, the MJ ONE production by Cirque du Soleil and MJ the Musical.
The Complicated Legacy
No honest account of Michael Jackson’s legacy can omit the sexual abuse allegations, which remain unresolved in the public mind. Leaving Neverland reignited fierce debate, with some radio stations pulling his music while others defended him.
His legacy exists within that tension: between undeniable artistic genius and deeply troubling accusations. How history ultimately judges him remains unresolved.
What remains certain is that few artists have matched the scale of his influence across music, video, dance, fashion and global culture. Whether admired or questioned, modern pop culture was fundamentally shaped by Michael Jackson.
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