I’m just going to say it: you are not going to get a thorough and down-and-dirty biopic out of 2026’s Michael, the film about the late King of Pop Michael Jackson.

Just looking at the executive producers credits, loaded with folks from the Jackson Foundation, is enough to tell you that there’s going to be a lot of topics from the Jackson 5 to Michael’s solo work in the 80s glossed over in a surface level. Still, as far as flashy biopic movies are concerned, it is seminally entertaining though not the most daring. And it at least shows that it has money to go around with its lavish recreations of the then-era performances with its fervent fans.

Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough

Director Antoine Fuqua and his team focus on a lot of safe shots that highlight the very best of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 during the early years of his life. Aside from the concert bits and some hard-hitting dramatic family moments, you’re not going to find this film visually impressive. But it is competent enough for anyone willing to just jam along to the behind-the-scenes stuff leading up to his masterpieces like “Beat It”.

Plus, having two anchors to carry the film does help Michael’s standing. Chief among them is Jaafar Jackson and Juliano Krue Valdi as old and young Michael Jackson, singing their hearts out while capturing that naivety and child-like innocence that never left the man for good or ill. Jaafar is really the spitting image of his uncle, from the mannerisms to his agitated feet when recording, to even his voice inflections. The make-up and wardrobe folks did half the work in making us convinced, but Jaafar’s performance seals the deal.

Colman Domingo is the other end of the spectrum, doing the show’s heavy lifting as Michael’s antagonistic father Joe Jackson. Stern, exploitative, but in some ways well-meaning, Domingo does a great job playing a character you both love and hate at the same time, making decisions that seem like it’s meant for the family but really may be down to just him wanting to assert patriarch-levels of dominance. It’s a bit sad that the writers and director could have added extra family tension and conflict, seeing as the rest of the Jackson siblings weren’t exactly chummy with Michael in real-life. All we get is just some extra banter about Michael being too old to play Twister with them; that’s it. Not to say that the father-son issues weren’t meaningless and had depth, is just that a lot more that’s based on facts can go a long way in relegating this film to historical status.

Human Nature

It’s hard not to draw comparisons with recent biopics, but 2022’s Elvis and 2019’s Rocketman have proven that you can still have a bit of edge in portraying the worst parts of your successful rich performer’s life without glossing them over. Michael’s director and production house did the opposite: put on an elaborate show and just kept at it, touching upon the bad aspects briefly and pinning all of it on Joe Jackson (whereas the truth is more damning). Again, just take a look at the executive producers credits and you see why certain aspects weren’t brought up, even if its runtime allows it.

At the very least, it presents its subject matter with glitz and glamour, making it feel like a “greatest hits” recreation of the King of Pop’s best shows before the 90s hit. If you don’t mind the fluff to go along with the Cliff’s Notes biographical drama that goes back and forth, or if you are just hard-on for an 80s MJ tribute in cinema form, you could do worse. All that, starring a spitting image of the King of Pop so remarkable and memorable that you won’t care so much about how bland his narrative feels in the long run.

Final Score: 60/100