If you asked A.I. to write a script for a movie about Michael Jackson, and added a few commands like “lots of music,” and “inoffensive,” you’d get something like the screenplay for the new movie, “Michael.” This is the story of Saint Michael Jackson, before any of the real bad stuff happened.
Instead, the pop star happily signs autographs and gives money to hospitals. The film goes down the list of familiar events in Jackson’s early career (e.g., the abusive, controlling father; beginnings at Motown; adopting Bubbles the chimpanzee), checks the boxes by rote, and then moves on to the next milestone.
Fortunately for the film, Jackson produced excellent music over his lifetime, so the picture gets a regular boost from his songs. The numbers bring energy—and emotional nostalgia—into the enterprise. When Jackson first did the Moonwalk on the Motown 25th Anniversary television special in 1983, the entire nation issued a collective gasp: it was a superstar-making moment, and it was fun to be reminded of it here.
The movie captures the excitement of many of his early professional peaks. “Michael” is a jukebox musical, and its makers have learned their lesson from the more successful examples of its kind, like “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Give the audience the hits and they’ll be happy. Naysayers who point out that the drama and Jackson’s life have been sanitized, or that many of the non-musical scenes are limp and visually ugly, do so at their peril, because, after all, “Billy Jean” is great, “Never Can Say Goodbye” is great, “Human Nature” is great, and so on.
Some of the film’s lack of edge is explained by the behind-the-scenes trouble of the production. A longer film was envisioned, which included some of the more dubious aspects of Jackson’s character, like his overuse of cosmetic procedures, the profligate spending, the drugs, and most damning, the accusations of pedophilia.
But that original version of “Michael” didn’t have the appropriate permissions to portray many of the principals involved, so reshoots and heavy editing became necessary. That development led to the decision to truncate Jackson’s story at the release of the “Bad” album, when he was still viewed as a little odd but not beset by demons, never mind a demon himself.
Many members of the Jackson family were involved in this production, so this is an authorized version of the star’s life. By ending when it does, the movie conveniently sidesteps the singer’s more complicated legacy. Admirers might say, “Well, this is only the first half of his biography,” implying that a depiction of Jackson’s more problematic actions is yet to come. Indeed, a sequel is suggested at the end of “Michael.” We’ll have to wait and see if they will grapple with Jackson’s dark side.
In any event, I’m not certain that they have the actor for a sequel. Jafaar Jackson—Michael Jackson’s nephew, who portrays the star—has enough skill to be effective in the musical numbers. When it comes to the dramatic scenes, however, he simply maintains a beatific sweetness. He shows anger by going stony, and maybe that’s true to Michael Jackson’s personality, but Jafaar Jackson doesn’t dig for more. He gets points for consistency but not for depth.
Juliano Krue Valdi as the young Michael Jackson has a knockout moment of a cappella singing. (Most of the vocals are a mix of the actors’ voices overlayed with Michael Jackson’s.) Nia Long embodies maternal strength and concern, and Coleman Domingo is a belligerent Joe Jackson. Neither parental character strays too far from the familiar.
Director Antoine Fuqua is probably best known for collaborations with Denzel Washington such as “Training Day” and “The Equalizer” movie series. His work can be more than serviceable in look and feel. In this film though, except for some showy concert sequences, the cinematography looks drab, even allowing for the fact that the working class home décor in the 1960s wasn’t especially photogenic. But if “Michael” doesn’t look good, thanks to the music, from time to time, it sounds terrific. For many viewers, that will be enough.
“Michael” Rated PG-13. Running time: 2 hours 9 minutes. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Written by John Logan. Starring Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Juliano Valdi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, Miles Teller, Larenz Tate and Kendrick Sampson.
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