Michael (Christian Movie Review)
Enjoyable, although largely one-note and moonwalking around the controversial aspects of his life, Michael is more a crowd-pleasing celebration of Michael Jackson’s music than a nuanced introspection of the artist himself, offering a shallow but occasionally thrilling spectacle.
About the Film
It’s perhaps fitting that a film about Michael Jackson has sparked debate and controversy. There are many possible approaches to take in exploring a life as singular and enigmatic as his, but Michael largely takes the path of least resistance. Enjoyable, although largely one-note and moonwalking around the controversial aspects of his life, Michael is more a crowd-pleasing celebration of Michael Jackson’s music than a nuanced introspection of the artist himself, offering a shallow but occasionally thrilling spectacle.
Biopics are a tricky genre for filmmakers to get right, and audience expectations can vary. The films can seek to humanize the larger-than-life figures, or to further build up their mythology. Director Antoine Fuqua elects the latter path. There is an almost “storybook” quality to the film, particularly during Jackson’s childhood years, with these tone-setting early scenes filmed with a warm, nostalgic glow. There are obviously some complicated chapters of Michael Jackson’s story, but Fuqua steers well clear of them. Instead, he gives the target audience what they likely want most: lots of music, dance, and spectacle in a reverent but familiar depiction of a genius artist misunderstood by the world and destined for greatness.
Any shortcomings with the film derive from the story and approach, not from the production. Michael Jackson is portrayed by Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s real-world nephew. He is excellent, managing to embody his uncle’s distinctive mannerisms and dances. As expected, the soundtrack delivers as well. Even a 2h10m runtime is unable to fit in all of the hit songs. The musical sequences are consistently immersive. They not only capture Michael Jackson’s iconic performances, but also the experience of the crowd, allowing audiences to vicariously be swept up in the emotion and mania of his stardom.
As hoped, when focused on the music, Michael soars, but the film begins to lose momentum whenever too much time elapses between those performances. Outside of the music, the film is surprisingly one-note. The central conflict is Jackson’s desire for freedom from his domineering father (played by Cole Domingo). Perhaps due to the film’s reluctance to explore Michael’s personality beyond this pivotal relationship too deeply, there is a frustrating lack of progression, and the scenes between Michael and his father quickly become repetitive. Actress Nia Long, as Michael’s mother, gives one of the film’s best and unsung performances, including a standout and heartfelt scene between the two of them in a hospital room. Moments like these give an intriguing glimpse into Michael’s inner turmoil, but for much of the film, he is kept at arm’s length and isolated.
Overall, I enjoyed Michael as a reminder of his musical greatness, but I was left wishing for more. There is a scene in which Michael Jackson informs his manager that he doesn’t want to do any press interviews for his new album because he desires “to remain mysterious.” That sentiment is appropriate for the film itself. The music and dancing are entertaining, but beyond the on-stage performances, there is a nagging sense that the film is not really about anything. Fans of Michael Jackson will likely enjoy the celebration of his music, but perhaps the biggest shortcoming in Michael is that it makes Michael Jackson seem like any other musician on a journey we’ve seen countless times before, and that is something that could never be said of the man himself.
For Consideration
On the Surface—(Profanity, Sexual content, violence, etc.).
Language: There are around 10-15 profanities (with many clustered in a single scene), including multiple uses of “s—”, and utterances of “s—”, “d—”, and “h—”. God’s name is also used at least once.
Violence: There are several scenes in which a young Michael is beaten by his father with a belt.
Sexuality: Nothing, outside of some of Michael’s dance moves. There is also a joking comment that one of his brothers might be playing “his own game of Twister” with his “hot date.”
Other: Michael Jackson grew up in the Jehovah Witness faith, and there are several allusions to that, with characters quoting scripture to “let your light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16).
Engage The Film
Exploitation
Although never convicted of a crime, for many people, Michael Jackson’s legacy is colored by accusations of abuse and child exploitation. The film doesn’t address these possibilities (other than arguably pushing back against that unfavorable narrative) with a frequent emphasis on Michael’s wholesome relationships with young children. What the film does explore is how Michael was himself a victim of child exploitation.
There is an early scene in which a young, dewy-eyed Michael on the cusp of stardom is caught in a sort of power play tug-o-war between his controlling father and his eager music producer. Throughout his career, many other men come and go, all seeming to want to hitch a ride to fame and fortune. Michael is depicted as a sort of eternal child—symbolized by the Peter Pan story that he loved—that couldn’t grow up. In the film, the implication is that Michael’s childishness is the result of him unable to experience a normal childhood as the result of adults exploiting him for his talents.
Whether Michael Jackson is the appropriate vessel to explore these themes will be up to the viewer, but Christians can affirm the message itself. Jesus often spoke in defense of the innocence and importance of children (Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21; Matthew 18:6) and condemned those who would exploit others for their own gain. Michael is a tragic and timely reminder of the dehumanizing cost of exploitation, and of the sinful human tendency to prey upon the weak and vulnerable.
