This biopic showcases Michael Jackson’s rise to superstardom, with plenty of loving recreations of his most famous performances. The acting is strong and the film has style, but story wise, it lacks anything substantive. And a scene involving child abuse, some harsh language and a few suggestive bits might give pause to parents with younger viewers.
He was just a kid from Gary, Indiana. The son of a demanding, domineering father and a gentle, softspoken mother. The lead singer of a family band.
He had a gift. He could sing. Dance. Entertain. He wasn’t the only one, of course. His brothers—his bandmates—they could entertain as well. But there was just something about him. Something more.
“You have a very special light,” his mother would tell him. “Let your light shine.”
The kid felt it, too. And he had a dream: He would become the biggest star in the world.
The King of Pop.
Michael Jackson.
Michael loves his family (though his relationship with his father is strained, to say the least) and shares a close relationship with his mother. And while Michael wants to grow as an artist beyond the Jackson family band, he doesn’t intend to abandon his family.
Michael tries to use his music and fame for the betterment of others. He visits ailing children in the hospital. He acts generously toward his fans. When Michael himself gets injured and recovers in a burn ward (more on that in Violent Content), he spends time with the other patients there, even donating a large sum of money to support the ward. He also has a heart for animals.
Bill, Michael’s security guard, serves as a sounding board for Michael and gives him some sage advice.
Michael’s mother tells him that “Jehovah says let your light shine to the world.” (For some context, Michael Jackson was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness.) At one point, Michael says he’s asking the Creator for a song. He acknowledges that God has been good to him and has given him “a platform” that he should use for good. Someone says Michael’s talents are “God given.”
We see people dressed as zombies for Michael’s “Thriller” video.
Several of Michael’s performances contain suggestive dance moves. One of Michael’s brothers is said to have a “hot date,” and it’s provocatively hinted that he will be playing “his own game of Twister” that night. Some female clubgoers wear revealing clothing. We see a few shirtless men.
Early in the film, Michael’s father beats him with a belt, and the young Michael screams in pain. It’s implied that these beatings were a common occurrence during Michael’s childhood.
While filming a commercial, Michael’s hair catches fire from pyrotechnics, and he suffers third-degree burns and nerve damage. (We see the burned area on his scalp.) A news story about gang violence in Los Angeles shows some grim images: We see a dead body getting placed on a gurney, and a man shows scars he received from an attempt on his life.
The s-word is used eight times. God’s name is misused once while paired with “d–n.” Additional profanities include “d–n,” “h—,” “a–” and “a–hole.” A man calls someone a “schmuck.”
People smoke cigarettes and cigars. A newscast talks about the distribution of illegal drugs.
The movie explores Michael Jackson’s rocky relationship with fame (and similarly, with his father). On one hand, Michael uses his celebrity to do a lot of good. On the other hand, he has difficulty making human connections, and his drive to be “perfect” leads him to alter his appearance via plastic surgery.
Michael’s father is incredibly demanding of his children and often manipulates them for his own gain. Michael struggles to find the courage to stand up to his father and frequently asks others to do so for him.
A Motown executive encourages a young Michael to lie about his age to the press, telling the boy, “In this business, you can make up just about anything.” Some fans at a concert work themselves into a lather, pass out and must be carried away. Michael collects a menagerie of exotic animals, which could be seen as irresponsible.
In Michael, director Antoine Fuqua examines the life of the King of Pop from 1966 to 1988. We’re shown Jackson’s rise from Motown wunderkind to international superstar—and the difficult relationship he shared with his father.
If you enjoy Michael Jackson’s music (not to mention his earlier work as part of the Jackson 5), you’ll get plenty of it here—from “I Want You Back” and “ABC” to “Billie Jean,” “Thriller” and much more. The movie’s performances are strong, too: Jafaar Jackson does a remarkable job recreating his real-life uncle’s most famous performances. Coleman Domingo brings a simmering, wild-eyed menace to Joseph Jackson, Michael’s father and the biopic’s de facto antagonist.
However, for all the flash found in Michael—and that flash is impressive—I felt it was lacking in substance. As can happen in biopics, the presentation of the film’s subject didn’t possess an abundance of nuance. Jackson is showcased here as an innocent, childlike (even as an adult) über-talent that just needs to work up the courage to push back against his tyrannical father. You’ll forgive me if I say that this flick doesn’t spend too much time looking at the “Man in the Mirror.”
Additionally, the two decades covered by the film allows it to avoid some of the more controversial components of its subject’s later life. What Michael gives us is a (mostly) feel-good look at Jackson’s climb to mega-fame, with plenty of loving recreations of his most indelible performances. For many fans of Michael Jackson, that will be just fine. As far as biopics go, it’s no “Thriller,” but it’s not “Bad,” either.
But since Michael contains some harsh language, a few suggestive moments and scenes involving child abuse, families may want to be a bit pickier.
Bret loves a good story—be it a movie, show, or video game—and enjoys geeking out about things like plot and story structure. He has a blast reading and writing fiction and has penned several short stories and screenplays. He and his wife love to kayak the many beautiful Colorado lakes with their dog.
