Overall, I would say this biopic was a good time at the theater. It does not let up from emotional punches to its musical sequences. It was very refreshing to watch this with an active crowd who were true fans of Michael Jackson; it was almost endearing to see them celebrate, laughing, crying, and singing along to the movie. I do think that the movie does manage to do a good job in creating that atmosphere with how they were handling certain sequences, a script, and flow that seemed to have worked, but only to an extent.
This biopic covers much of Michael Jackson's early life, up to the aftermath of the success of Thriller. The runtime is only 2 hours and 7 minutes, so it was surprising that they covered as much as they did. There is a throughline plot the film was aiming for, an arc from Michael's point of view: his eventual departure from the Jackson family and, most of all, from his controlling father.
Despite it being the main conflict of the script, the pacing, although manageable, comes off as slightly choppy as we sift through the years, from when he was a young star in the making in the Jackson 5 to independent Michael. These transitions are smooth, but in a storytelling sense, they do feel jarring, especially when they are covering his contributions to the music industry, his humanitarian efforts, and his craft as the artist that he is, which made him the trailblazer he is, are only shown in shots, and almost feel like touchstones that the script simply hint earlier but have specific pay off as to why or how Michael makes these decisions. Again, this script probably relies on audiences well-versed in Michael Jackson lore to fill in the blanks, but I think it can be frustrating for others.
But despite how they handle these storylines, they are effective in conveying the movie's intentions and what Michael, at least as portrayed, is trying to do: sell the fantasy. The consequences of that are, to an extent, kept closely to the belt, but there is a significant amount of foreshadowing made within the white spaces of the script, as well as certain deliveries of dialogue that I thought were interesting, but again might confuse or have other people catching this movie who aren't well aware of Michael's journey.
However, it does pay off when you are watching Jaafar Jackson doing a spitting impression of his uncle; it's almost hard to believe. From his quirkiness to his power-move one-liners, it's almost like seeing the singer brought to life. I know a lot of people are praising his performance, but no one seems to be mentioning Juliano Valdi, who plays the younger Michael, who also does a phenomenal job. With that said, it is also very hard to deny that Colman Domingo knocks it out of the park as Joseph Jackson. Despite not having too much nuance and being portrayed as the villain in this hero's arc, Domingo does what we know he does best and pulls it off once again, stealing the screen in his own right and taking up the screen in volumes.
The biopic does a very good job, of course, of capturing the spectacle that is Michael Jackson. It recreates music videos and performances, reminds us what a performer he was, and Jaafar Jackson knocks your socks off in his part in pulling them off. For some of these sequences alone, it's a reason to check out Michael not only at the theater but also on whatever premium screen is available near you. It does enhance the experience, and you would not regret it.
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