'Michael' Jackson Biopic Review

Two postponements and 3 years later, later Michael Jackson has a new biopic. Released after his 2009 death, Universal Pictures / Liongate took a unique direction constructing its script and casting. Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson stars and resembles his late uncle! I input my review how the movie timelines and compare it to other existing media sharing similar qualities.

Michael Jackson's website

MJ The Musical

The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992)

Janet Jackson Documentary (2022)

1993 Super Bowl Halftime Show

"Stranger in Moscow" (1995)

Notorious (2009)

Straight Outta Compton(2015)

Interviews: TODAY Show; Late Night with Seth Meyers
Kelly Clarkson Show - both Michael Jackson actors; Coleman Domingo
Jennifer Hudson Show: both Michael Jackson actors & Coleman Domingo

The Jackson 5 Top 10 - Music Notes with Jess episode

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Theme Song: "Gym Track (2026 Remix)", composed by Jessica Ann Catena

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome to Music Media Review, a weekly podcast sharing perspectives of modern music headlines. I'm your host, Jess. The topic I'll be tackling this episode is guaranteed to have many open-minded critiques. After watching an IMAX viewing, I'm ready to input my assessment on Michael Jackson's new file pick, Michael. It's a second adaptation storytelling this RB prodigy who passed away in 2009 and unfortunately had unforgiving obstacles throughout his whole life. As a dedicated fan, I like to relay my review based on Michael's biography and televised special mini-series, The Jackson's an American Dream. Try not to give away some spoilers. Let's remember the time revisiting Michael Jackson's personal growth through his music. Due to high demand in an exclusive design popcorn bucket, Michael's early theatrical release moved to April 22nd, then publicly scheduled April 24th. Casting The King of Pop, Universal Pictures, and Lionsgate marketably chose someone relatively close to Michael Jackson. His nephew, Jafar Jackson, seventh son to Jermaine, Michael's third oldest brother. The resemblance is so uncanny looking at his face, voice, ticks, you'll feel a presence authentically reliving through his eyes. For a debut acting role, I can't imagine how special and heartwrenching Jafar felt portraying his late uncle. No doubt award nominations and wins will come to light. Postponements prevented the movie coming out earlier. What kept me interested was how the screenwriting would go. I wouldn't taglight a biopic because the timestamp scenes highlighted glimpses when the Jackson 5 formed to Michael professionally emancipating from his domineering father. I'd advertise Michael's film to be for the fans who miss him, and given another chance reliving family hardships dealt behind his star power. Coleman Domingo portrayed Joseph Jackson's abuse and endless micromanaging to his sons, forcing which five would learn playing ban over going to school, outside activities, leisure, and calling him Joseph in lieu of paternal names. Joe wanted out working at Gary, Indiana's steel factory, pressing high leverage towards Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlin, and Michael as the keys. Doesn't justify life decisions that occur later than the movie leaves off, but I understand its empathy direction for Michael Jackson. If you would have compared the non-privacy lives we live now, Michael's lead spotlight pawned 40 straight years by fans in paparazzi. At least half of that is before social media. Some songs get shown out of chronological order, but the placements displayed its memories, emphasizing personal growth. Neah Long's acting as matriarch Catherine Jackson held up to Coleman and Jafar's cohesiveness and approval by 95-year-old Catherine herself, nurturing nine children through poverty to fame, solely tying grandchildren and great-grandchildren all this time is remarkable. Joseph Jackson died 2018 from pancreatic cancer. Tito unexpectedly had a heart attack 2024. I linked a Jackson 5 countdown from my previous podcast, Music Notes with Jess, tributing him and the band. Michael reenacting the music videos Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Beat It, Thriller, and Live Performances were perfection. Hearing the movie's fandom loud screaming amplified as if you were in the middle of the crowd. Great sound mixing job. Most critics concur the same commentary overall. Dissatisfied its script, Jafar Jackson and young Michael actor Giuliano Cruvaldi incredibly impressed their introductory debuts. In terms of the script, there's two things I would have done differently. Seeing the songs prematurely listed on the soundtrack, I realized when it would conclude. Previous episode I mentioned Rock Biopic's Bohemian Rhapsody for Queen, Elton John's Rocket Man, all three and similar spots in the 80s. Bringing up my wording before, I don't consider that a biopic. Full-length biographies, sequence phases, and older film types, could it be informations everywhere to not dispute things, a contemporary style, or too costly to make. And it's not just music films. I saw Daniel Day Lewis play Abraham Lincoln in 2012's Lincoln, only focused latter part of his presidency to try ending the Civil War. I advise using adaptation, then biopic for future releases like these. Second thing to mention is a spoiler, but subtly noticeable when watching the Jackson family on screen. The only female sibling shown is LaToya. Eldest sister Reeby and younger sister Janet are completely absent. Reeby and Janet shied away producing Michael to not acknowledge their names comes off very odd. Janet Jackson's my favorite singer, and you may not believe this, but she's very private outside of her own music career, just as it's represented that Michael was in the movie. Randy Jackson gaps the age difference between Michael and Janet, he's also omitted. Dangerous is the first album I heard MJ's music and loved it when it came out. And I remember when he did 1993's Super Bowl halftime show influencing NFL choosing popular acts since then. Why would you leave all of that out? 1995's History, The Past, Present and Future Book One's A Double Album. Disc One contained Michael's adult solo greatest hits ranging 1979's Off the Wall, 1982's Thriller, 1987's Bad, and 1992's Dangerous. Disc 2 took on serious power pop themes, adding two promo singles. 1993's Childhood from Free Willy 2 and Scream, featuring Janet Jackson. I love history's album a lot. Stranger in Moscow's A Great Deep Cut. I happen to see VH1 Classic airing a pop-up video rerun promoting the video. Freaks me out sharing with you that Michael Jackson died a few days later, June 25th, 2009. Unbelievable and controversial way he departed. I personally would have extended Michael's plot up to dangerous, making more room talking up Bad's record. I think it's my favorite. The way you make me feel the best, Smooth Criminal's a fan favorite, Man in the Mirror, I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Leave Me Alone, Bad's title track goes harder than Beat It. Even in the music video directed by Martin Scorsese. Not long ago, I conversed with a friend how Bad's underrated next to Thriller. The production's superb, each diverse style track. That's my overview of the movie. Here's interesting analogy facts I've gathered in existing media. Dividing a five-hour mini-series, ABC aired The Jacksons in American Dream November 15th through November 18th, 1992. Differentiating when Michael's opening begins, the miniseries roots back to Joseph and Catherine's high school meeting and pregnancy with Reeby pushing an early marriage. Motown 25's 1983 TV special finishes it, showcasing Michael's moonwalking and his speech as character speaks the Jackson brothers' career being a family dream to their parents. Angela Bassett played Catherine, leading to tough, iconic women roles ahead. Tina Turner's biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It? A scorned wife named Bernie in Waiting to Exhale, Notorious B.I.G.'s Mother, Valletta Wallace in Notorious, and Black Panther's Queen Ramonda. I've seen An American Dream multiple times on cable music networks. Recommend watching back. Never registered to me that Jermaine Jackson Jr. acted as his father's teenage era in those scenes. So Jermaine has two sons who played two Jackson film roles. I don't think that's ever happened before. Two other music biopics featured sons impersonating their rapper fathers. Christopher Jordan Wallace Jr. as young notorious BIG in 2009 and O'Shea Jackson as Ice Cube in 2015's Straight Outta Compton about gangster rap group NWA. Broadway's MJ the Musical has been in production since 2021, documenting 1992's Dangerous Tour rehearsals and past flashbacks. In two of its runs, Miles Frost starred after not passing the Voices Blind audition in 2017 and won a Tony as MJ in 2022. What a turnaround! At Michael's Thriller Music Video scene, the girlfriend actress wearing the denim jacket is Asia Fuqua, daughter of the film's director, Antoine Fuqua. Antoine's married to Layla Rochon, who was Robin and Waiting Two Exhale with Angela Bassett. She's the businesswoman mutual friend of Angela's character Bernadette, Whitney Houston's character Savannah, and decides to keep her married lover's baby to raise single in her storyline. Graham King produced Bohemian Rhapsody Flick and Michael, a celebrity cameo, appears in both doing similar role playing. You'll be amused as I am seeing his pivotal scene. ABC comedy Welcome Back Cotter aired late 70s with John Travolta, co-starring Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, also known as Freddie Boom Boom Washington on the show, and played Joseph Jackson in The Jackson's American Dream. No offense here, I prefer Coleman Domingo's portrayal. Generations before me may have liked the reversal having Lawrence B Cruel in the miniseries. To me, Coleman's lip reaction and hairstyles nailed more. Jason Weaver won a young artist award singing Young Michael Jackson in an American Dream and again as Young Simba in Disney's The Lion King. Returning full circle, Coleman Domingo had a small role in Lincoln as Private Harold Green. No idea did I know that till now. Go see Michael's film and tell me your critique post-viewing. Michael is rated PG 13 in theaters. The Jackson in American Dream can be streamed on Tubi and YouTube TV. Janet Jackson's 2022 documentary is on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, AE streaming app. She shares home videos with Michael and her own experiences. Worth checking out. A Janet Jackson countdown episode is in the works for next month. Thank you for hearing my review out. Please subscribe and share. Privately vote your film critique on our Spotify episode link. While there, write a review wherever you're streaming to support the content. Our social media pages update each week, building up nice followings. I appreciate that. Join Music Media Review on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. I'm Jess. Next episode will follow up a subject our listeners have been admiring. I'll review Noah Khan's Netflix documentary, Out of Body, and the Great Divides album. Take care. Talk to you next weekend.