Who’s ‘Bad’? The “Michael” Reviews Are In
Reviews are out for Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” and the verdict ain’t good.
With 62 reviews counted, the film sits at a 32% on Rotten Tomatoes and a woeful 38/100 on Metacritic.
The reviews paint it as an incredibly safe feature that hits nostalgic beats for the fans but fails to explore its subject matter with any real depth. The movie famously cut a lot of its third act and underwent reshoots due to an existing legal settlement – essentially removing any hint of scandal involving the star.
Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew Jafaar Jackson, who plays Michael, is getting good praise for his performance. Here’s a sampling of reviews:
“If you’re even remotely nostalgic for the time when his songs were ubiquitous on pop charts, at parties and on dance floors worldwide, the movie will be a warm rush of transporting pleasure.” – David Rooney, THR
“It can’t be taken seriously, no matter how earnest it looks and sounds. because it’s not really a story. Maybe it used to be before the reshoots. Maybe not. Either way, now it’s just feature-length publicity, and it plays like damage control.” – William Bibbiani, The Wrap
“Jackson bears a striking likeness to his uncle. His steps onstage are picture perfect. But nothing moves. In a film like Michael, live performance should let you see what fans see. Here, when audiences sob in ecstasy, you want to inch away in bafflement.” – Danny Leigh, The Financial Times
“All “Thriller,” no infamy, presenting an uplifting, crowd-pleasing version of events that, for all its expert impersonations, is simply the palatable half of this sordid tale.” – Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
“By denying any contradictory views of its subject, Michael seems disconnected from reality — a problem the massively famous and troubled Jackson would himself come to embody.” – Tim Grierson, Screen
“This is a frustratingly shallow, inert picture, a kind of cruise-ship entertainment, which can’t quite bring itself to show that Michael was an abuse victim, brutalised by his father and robbed of his childhood.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“You’re reminded of the first time you heard Jackson’s music… And you’re also reminded that such things are still tainted, even if the movie twists itself into knots to avoid you thinking about such things.” – David Fear, Rolling Stone
“There is just not enough of a movie to hang those showstopping numbers on. Just as all the note-perfect moves and movie-star magic of a sensational Jaafar Jackson are not enough to ensure his uncle’s story is given the cinematic life that it deserves.” – Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail
“This is a movie terrified to explore the interiority of its protagonist, and that approach will work just fine for the fans who just want to watch an uncomplicated ramble of a movie that plays all the hits.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Running 127 minutes, “Michael” opens in cinemas on April 24th.