A Biopic That Thinks Like a Concert
Michael, the new Michael Jackson biopic, is ostensibly a cradle‑to‑almost‑peak career story, but it’s built like a concert special. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, the film traces Jackson from his Jackson 5 childhood in Gary, Indiana, through his solo ascent and the London Bad tour finale, then cuts to an epilogue card: “His story continues.” Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s nephew, plays adult Michael, with Juliano Krue Valdi as the young prodigy, Colman Domingo as domineering father Joe, and Nia Long as supportive matriarch Katherine. Critics note that the narrative spine is Jackson’s struggle to break from his father and claim artistic independence, not a full-life portrait. Much of the final stretch becomes an essentially plotless run of restaged performances, from Jackson 5 hits to Bad-era arena shows, giving the film the sheen of a big-budget, estate-sanctioned variety special rather than a probing music movie review of the man behind the myth.
Sanitized Story, Familiar Tropes: Why Critics Push Back
Across reviews, a consistent complaint is how determined the Michael Jackson biopic is to avoid controversy. The film simply stops before the first abuse allegations surface, using its Bad tour endpoint to sidestep the most contested parts of Jackson’s life. Several critics describe the movie as a hagiography or “whitewash,” arguing that it presents Jackson as a near-messianic figure and leans hard on familiar music-biopic clichés: the abusive but ‘well-meaning’ stage parent, the montage of hit records, the generic behind-the-scenes arguments that never deepen into real conflict. Dialogue is frequently called bland, and scenes that could crackle—such as a post-surgery confrontation between Michael and Joe—fizzle into awkward non-moments. Even writers who admit they enjoyed the film’s energy still underline its status as estate-shaped propaganda, more interested in reputation management and catalog promotion than in wrestling with Jackson’s contradictions or offering a challenging concert style biopic.
Electric Performances Turn the Movie into a Tribute Show
Yet even skeptical critics concede that when Michael is onstage, the film lights up. The music sequences are staged with the polish of a Super Bowl halftime show: meticulously choreographed Jackson 5 routines, neon-lit Off the Wall and Thriller numbers, and a climactic Bad performance assembled as a full-scale concert set piece. Jaafar Jackson’s performance is the centerpiece—he channels his uncle’s body language, precision footwork and shy offstage demeanor so convincingly that some reviewers admit to losing critical distance and cheering along in the theater. The vocals are largely original Jackson tracks, remastered and lip-synced, heightening the sense that audiences are attending a glossy tribute rather than a conventional drama. For many viewers, this is precisely the appeal. The film becomes a celebration of songs they already love, a music movie review rendered in surround sound and close-ups, where narrative shortcomings are overwhelmed by the thrill of watching iconic moments painstakingly reconstructed.
Box Office Surge, Rotten Tomatoes Slump
If critics are lukewarm, audiences are anything but. Early box office tracking suggests Michael could outperform previous juggernaut music biopics, with preview numbers strong enough to prompt forecasts of a significantly higher opening than first projected. At the same time, Rotten Tomatoes paints a stark split: critics have tagged the film with a low ‘rotten’ score, while audiences rate it in the mid‑90s, a gap wide enough to become a talking point in its own right. Commentators note that Jackson’s global fanbase is likely boosting scores, but the sheer scale of the divide indicates that the concert-focused approach is landing. Viewers appear to be treating the film less as a risky character study and more as a communal event. For Lionsgate, the music film box office trajectory suggests not just profitability but franchise potential, especially given the epilogue’s clear hint at a possible continuation of “his story.”
Fans on X and the Future of Legacy-Controlled Biopics
On X, many fans are openly puzzled by the backlash. Posts describe packed screenings where audiences cheer every costume reveal, shout along to Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough, and even applaud Bubbles the chimp. Jaafar Jackson’s performance is repeatedly called “uncanny,” with users saying he captures Michael’s “essence, moves, energy, presence, and style” and calling the film an emotional tribute that moved them to tears. Others argue critics are repeating the same narratives they feel dogged Jackson in life. This reaction underscores a broader trend: legacy-controlled music biopics increasingly resemble high-end tribute shows, prioritising access to hits and a celebratory tone over uncomfortable revelations. That strategy can deliver huge crowds but also shapes expectations—viewers walk in for a concert, not a reckoning. For artists with complicated legacies, Michael suggests future concert style biopic projects will keep walking this line, risking critical scorn while betting on fan devotion and nostalgia to fill theaters.
