Are We Expecting The Wrong Things From ‘Michael’?

Pop Culture Series

On April 24th, Michael was released in theaters. Since then, the film has dominated box offices and has achieved massive success. The biopic chronicling the life of late superstar Michael Jackson has been a hit with audiences worldwide. At the time of this writing, Michael has passed the $900 million mark and is now available on streaming platforms. During its theatrical run, audiences have dressed up in character and moonwalked into theaters to see the film. It’s clearly a hit, one that has proven to be part of a powerful estate that preserve’s Jackson’s legacy. This certainly isn’t the first attempt at a Michael Jackson biopic; there are a few others. The television miniseries, The Jacksons: An American Dream was released in 1992 and is considered a fan favorite. Another biopic, Man In The Mirror starring Flex Alexander, was done in 2004 and was widely panned by fans and critics alike. However, the 2026 film is the first released by a major film studio in theaters.

While the film has been wildly successful with fans, many critics have had opposing reactions, giving negative reviews of the Antoine Fuqua directed film. Many say the story is “too sanitized” and fails to depict Jackson’s allegations of child sexual abuse amongst other issues. A large reason as to why it has been viewed as “sanitized”, is that there aren’t many projects that have chronicled Jackson’s life, especially since the allegations started and at this large scale of production. But, are we expecting too much from the film? If it does nothing else right, Michael gives audiences a great moviegoing experience. The magic of Jackson’s hits unfold once again when watching and you are instantly transported back to when those records were soaring up the Billboard charts. Throughout Michael Jackson’s career, he gave us countless hits; there are too many to name. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, Rock With You, Billie Jean, Thriller, Dirty Diana, Bad: the list goes on and on, and on. Adding to his music catalog, his dynamic live performances are shown, creating a concert experience while moviegoing.

Throughout Michael, there are many high points to praise. Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s nephew, does a fantastic job as his uncle. He perfects the choreography, Michael’s voice, mannerisms, and his overall greatness that made him a global superstar. When watching the film, you get that old familiar feeling of watching Michael Jackson perform again. It’s almost as if he is still alive. This of course, is a testament to the talent of Jaafar Jackson who is a master at playing his uncle. This feeling hasn’t been captured effectively in a long time by those who have tried. It absolutely helps that Jaafar Jackson is well, a Jackson. With him being Michael’s nephew, he is able to capture a certain feeling that most seasoned actors may never be able to. He has the family dynamic and shared experiences to be able to successfully pull off such a larger than life role. Beyond Jaafar, a talented cast helps to bring Michael to life for audiences. Juliano Valdi does an excellent job as the young prodigious Michael who stole the public’s attention with hits like ABC and I Want You Back with the Jackson 5. Coleman Domingo does a good job as the controversial stage parent and manager, Joe Jackson. The Jackson patriarch famously guided his children to the limelight through corporal punishment, manipulation, and neglect. Domingo executes a performance that shows these qualities to viewers while also providing a multilayered vision of a father who was determined to escape his manual labor job at a steel factory. Was Joe a heartless tyrant who would do any and everything to make that dream happen or a father who simply wanted better for his children? Domingo does a good job of realizing that both might be true. In the film, you realize that Michael Jackson was more than a phenomenal artist: he was a fashion icon, a businessman, an innovator. Who could forget the military jackets, the single white sequin glove, the Jerri curl, the flooded pants, penny loafers and thick white tube socks? This was also a man who owned over half of Sony ATV’s catalog. And let’s not forget, Thriller is still to this day, the biggest selling album in history. Throughout the film, there are many electric moments to enjoy like the Motown 25 performance and the Victory Tour, his reunion with The Jackson 5.

Michael is certainly not a film without critique: where it misses, it truly fails and there are a few. In the film, Bubbles, Jackson’s famed monkey is an AI character instead of an actual real life animal. One of the most glaring omissions in the film is there is absolutely no mention of Janet Jackson. This is bizarre for two reasons. First, the youngest Jackson has built a legendary career of her own with a multitude of hits including: Rhythm Nation, Control, That’s The Way Love Goes, All For You, and many more. She has been an integral part of the family’s identity. Second, Janet was very close to Michael as his sister. She was the only one who could truly understand his personal grappling of fame and his professional battles within the music industry, and they seemed to have a genuinely close relationship with each other. Many times during his life, Michael spoke highly of Janet and how close they were, with them even collaborating on the track Scream. To this day, the music video remains the most expensive ever made, costing about $7 million to produce. Janet Jackson was not only non existent in the film, she didn’t attend the Hollywood premiere or speak about it at any point during its press run. It’s unclear as to why. In addition to Janet, there is no mention of Randy Jackson or Diana Ross, who were active parts of Michael Jackson’s life. One could argue that especially without the mention of Janet, that the film shouldn’t have been released, at least not when planned.

While the film glosses over certain negative aspects, Michael doesn’t completely shy away from controversy or showing Jackson’s struggles entirely. It explores Jackson’s tendency for loneliness, his unusual attachment to animals, and his various plastic surgeries. The infamous Pepsi commercial incident when Jackson’s hair burned is also shown in detail. The goal of the film seems to humanize Jackson while also showing the story behind his decisions. While it satisfies the basic curiosity of fans, it does leave a lot to the imagination involving Jackson’s decision making and overall life story. While Michael is a good movie, it doesn’t necessarily offer any groundbreaking discoveries about the singer that fans didn’t already know.

While it wasn’t discussed in the film, it is widely known that Michael Jackson had eccentric relationships with children: there is no need to constantly bring the allegations up when speaking about him. If he was guilty of the molestation charges, then he would’ve and should’ve been held accountable. However, he was acquitted of all charges before his untimely death in 2009. Unfortunately over time, Jackson’s eccentric behavior took center stage over many incidents. In later years, he largely became a caricature of himself throughout the last ten years of his life. While these situations may have tarnished his reputation to a certain degree, we can’t forget that he was quite possibly the greatest entertainer of all time. During interviews, Antoine Fuqua addressed why the allegations weren’t covered, saying that there were legal restrictions prohibiting the material to be addressed in the film. This was the ultimate reason as to why the film stopped at an odd timeframe of 1988, during Jackson’s Bad World Tour. While the film did have an odd ending and ultimately doesn’t address or generally chronicle anything past that year, at least it is understood why. Does the public have a prying curiosity to see the allegations be covered or just general interest in seeing more of Michael Jackson’s career be chronicled? There is a fine line between interest, curiosity, and drama and controversy. It seems as though many just want to only see Jackson as the controversial figure of the late 1990s and 2000s. During the height of his career in the 1980s, Michael Jackson experienced stratospheric fame, the kind that predated social media. He was always subjected to think pieces, opinions, and criticism, but today’s social media can be even more vicious, and many are looking for any reason to find fault within the singer’s legacy. Anyone can leave an unjustified opinion or comment during the digital age. Jackson’s legacy is often met with twofold opinions: he is either a once in a lifetime talent with an untouchable career or an outlandish figure who is subject to controversy and ridicule. While Jackson’s imperfections are definitely known, the fact remains that he is still highly influential to this day: there are children who aren’t even born yet who will know him and his music. His legacy still deserves respect for what he was able to accomplish throughout his lifetime. Jackson was a multigenerational talent who broke racial barriers and had mass crossover appeal. He completely elevated music videos, showcased innovative dance moves, and made powerful business deals in the music industry amongst many other accomplishments. 13 Grammy Awards, 500 million albums sold, 13 number one hits, 30 top ten hits; these are just some of his accolades. He also completely changed the Super Bowl Halftime Show into the spectacle it is today. His artistic legacy speaks for itself. Sadly, it seems as though Jackson still can’t rest in peace to this day. Netflix just released a documentary, Michael Jackson: The Verdict, which examines the decision of his trial. Unfortunately, controversy can follow a celebrity like Jackson, especially one at his level of fame, even after death. However, didn’t Jackson suffer enough during his lifetime? We saw the anxiety, disappointment in betrayal, and overall turmoil he dealt with in interviews, where he was treated with intense pressure and scrutiny.

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in Michael

Michael Jackson spent his entire life and career trying to, and ultimately becoming the greatest, giving his all and pursuing greatness in every note, dance step, and song. He gave the world his all, ultimately for a good portion of the media and general public to turn against him. Perhaps, the public is focusing on the wrong elements. We can appreciate Michael Jackson’s legacy without always vilifying it. A sequel has been confirmed to be in the works: maybe it will cover the allegations and the deeply unpleasant parts of Jackson’s story. But perhaps, the ultimate goal of Michael is for us to remember and savor once more, the greatness that was and continues to be, Michael Joseph Jackson.