Michael review

Everyone knows who Michael Jackson is. The King of Pop. One of the greatester entertainers and music acts of all time. It was only a matter of time before he got a very own musical biopic of his own and deservedly so as his back catalog of music is truly second to none. Michael is played by his actual real life nephew Jaafar Jackson and what a performance it really is as Jaafarr captrues his uncle in almost every possible way. From the way he speaks to the way he carries himself it's faultless and is the greatest strength of this movie in what would otherwise be a run of the mill biopic unfortunately. 

I'm a huge Michael Jackson as I'm sure anyone reading this is. So to see his journey from the beginning in what really was a tough childhood for Michael and his four older brothers as their father Joseph Jackson really put them to work aiming to make them the very best in the business. This movie shys away from the extremes that befell Michael but there is one or two scenes that are really impactful. I feel like this movies greatest aspect is Michael himself when he is just recording, rehearshing and piecing his songs and music together. Scenes like him rehearsing Beat It with two local gang groups bringing them together through the power and unity of music is what really made me get a bit emotional. It really does have a strong beating heart in these moments and towards the end when the Bad era begins. 

Michael isn't perfect nor is it anything truly mindblowing infact it feels slightly underwhelming once you strip away it's main aspects. A sluggish intro and meandering middle all end up culminating in a truly brilliant finish that doesn't feel warranted or earned which is unfortunate. That being said the songs are still classics, the man himself is iconic and this movie really does show it as fans swarm the screen time after time. Michael ends up being ever so slightly unworthy of it's iconic main star which is a shame. 

★★★