When reviews for the biopic ‘Michael’ were released ahead of the film’s premiere to audiences this weekend, critics were harsh to say the least.
The film debuted with a 27% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the lowest rated films released this year, and ranking it far lower than recent biographies such as ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’
The reviewers were hard-hitting, stating problems with the lack of turmoil and honesty within the representation of Jackson himself on the screen. After all, Jackson’s life was plagued with tabloid controversy that often overshadowed his musical prowess and professional achievement.
What Were The Michael Jackson Allegations?
In 1993, Jordan Chandler and his father Evan accused Jackson of molestation. Jackson denied the allegations and the criminal case was never brought to trial, instead Jackson reached a civil settlement for an amount reported at approximately $23 million, without any admission of wrongdoing.
Settlements in civil cases are common even when defendants maintain their innocence, and no verdict was ever rendered against him.
In 2005, Jackson faced criminal trial on charges related to a separate accuser, Gavin Arvizo.
A Santa Barbara County jury acquitted him on all counts after deliberating for seven days. He died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50.
The allegations did not end with his death. In 2019, HBO aired the documentary Leaving Neverland, in which Wade Robson and James Safechuck, both of whom had publicly defended Jackson during his lifetime, including during the 2005 trial, claimed he had sexually abused them as children over extended periods.
The documentary generated significant cultural impact and renewed debate about Jackson’s legacy.
The Jackson estate has aggressively contested both men’s accounts, pointing to their prior statements defending him and raising questions about their legal claims.
Courts have dismissed and revived various civil suits related to their allegations on procedural grounds over the years. No court has found the allegations proven.
What is true is that a significant number of people who knew Jackson closely, who testified on his behalf, and who described him as a loving and appropriate presence with children did so under oath, and what is also true is that two men have said, in detail and at significant personal cost, that their experiences were the opposite of that.
The Reason The Film Was Made
While these accusations are damaging, and a large part of Jackson’s actual public legacy, they weren’t the reason that this film was made.
This film was created by the Jackson family, with Jermaine, Tito, Jackie, La Toya, and Marlon Jackson, along with Michael’s son Prince, serving as executive producers.
Jaafar Jackson, who delivers an outstanding performance as Michael Jackson (despite my doubts), is his nephew.
‘Michael’ was never meant to be a hard-hitting honest interpretation of the good and bad of Jackson’s character. It was meant to exist as almost a visual photo album of the highlights of Jackson’s extraordinary young career, and the magnificent professional heights he achieved.
To put it simply, if your family made a movie about your life, would you expect them to include every negative thing about your character in the film?
The biopic was created to honor the legacy of Michael Jackson, just as some of the documentaries like Leaving Neverland were created in order to destroy the legacy of Michael Jackson.
The broader criticism of the film as it pertains to the allegations also reflects the skepticism that many have about the allegations, considering the fact that Jackson was never charged with any criminal offense related to the many instances of misconduct represented in the documentary
Nobody is making excuses for Michael Jackson in this film, or in the positive reviews left by fans. Nobody is saying that the “victims” of Jackson, whatever they may have experienced, aren’t allowed to tell their story. However, there are people who say that Jackson’s family should not have the right to honor their dead relative with this film.
What Was The Film Like?
If you like Michael Jackson’s music, or even the music of the Jackson 5, you will love this film. It presents the hit songs of both Jackson and his family with a loving touch that is impossible to hate.
The use of Jackson’s real voice behind the actors works in this film unlike any other biopic I have seen.
Despite the fact that Jackson is being portrayed by several different actors, you feel a real appreciation for the talent behind his voice in the way that the music presented in both quality and visually.
Jackson possessed a star quality throughout his life the propelled him to heights unimaginable. This film captures that brilliantly, and serves as a tremendous memorial to the King of Pop.
The presentation of Jackson’s tense and often violent relationship with his father is difficult to watch, particularly because there are several scenes in which Joe Jackson physically beats his young children.
You feel the intensity in which Jackson was raised, and the pressure he felt to succeed in show business.
It also makes you reflect on the person that Jackson eventually became, and to wonder how much of the strangeness we witnessed was due to the conditions under which he was raised.
What Were The Films Shortcomings?
The film, while pretty good, had a few shortcomings for sure. Jackson is depicted as literally never having made a professional mistake. His early solo recordings are entirely brushed over, with no mention.
While Jackson was professionally amazing, he did take time to develop his true sound. It would have been nice to see further into the process by which he developed his sound.
The film also suffers from what I like to call ‘Dewey Cox syndrome,’ a term derived from the Judd Apatow parody film released in the early 2000s. In other words, Michael skips over a lot of important information, highlighting only success.
For somebody as mysterious as Jackson, this film is a greater view of his actual life than we’ve ever been given, but still, it would have been nice to have a more even portrayal.
Jackson is never once shown with a woman of any kind. Based on stories, that seems particularly egregious.
In Conclusion
The Michael Jackson biopic exists for one reason. Michael Jackson’s family wanted to create a film that would generate money, and honor the legacy of their fallen relative.
This film will do both of those things. You have to think that those who simply couldn’t enjoy the movie have difficulties enjoying anything in life.
This wasn’t a hard-hitting documentary. Those exist, and those who want to view them are perfectly capable of doing so.
For Michael Jackson fans, this is a must-see. For critics, get a life. This movie is not nearly as bad as you claimed, and I have to think that it only received poor reviews to generate headlines.
Jafaar Jackson is excellent, and the movie is pretty good.
Our Grade: B+
