‘Michael’ Review: Jaafar Jackson Dazzles As His King Of Pop Uncle In A Feel-Good Biopic MJ Fans Will Eat Up

If you ask me the most successful musical biopics allow their stars to interpret the song styles of the artists they are playing. Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner’s Daughter, Jeremy Allen White in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Taron Egerton in Rocketman all did their own singing, even with the risk of not measuring up to the icons they played who were all still alive when their films came out. As Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody Rami Malek merged his own voice with Mercury’s and a sound-alike so it doesn’t always have to be pure to succeed. Austin Butler did most of his own singing in Baz Lurhman’s Elvis even if the real Presley was mixed in here and there.

For the new Michael Jackson biopic, Michael however Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson was tapped to take on the role with no real previous acting, dancing, and musical experience so to speak and the producers were not taking any chances on this one. The iconic songs you hear from “Billie Jean” to “Beat It” to “Thriller” to “Ben” are all vintage MJ, gloriously remastered and superbly lip synched by Jaafar and Juliano Valdi who plays the younger Michael. Jaafar’s casting might have seemed a bit too all in the family, but the fact that he doesn’t do his own singing didn’t bother me, because this guy channels Uncle Michael in uncanny ways, and simply sells this performance with all the right dance moves and sharp dramatic talent to make us believe Michael Jackson is once again with us.

And in Michael the version fans will want to bring back is indeed alive because this troubled production stops short of telling the whole story. Instead the ads are truthfully labeling it “His Story Begins” and that is undoubtedly the case in this by-the-musical-numbers biopic of the man known as the “King Of Pop”. It is no spoiler to tell you the film ends with a James Bond like promise: “His Story Continues”. That indicates the possiblility of a much discussed second film that might get into all the dark stuff, the child abuse accusations, and other dicey parts of the Jackson saga that were originally apparently going to be included but are not on display – not even close.

Michael in fact did originally shoot scenes involving one of his accusers but all of that was cut and the film went through multi-million dollar reshoots resulting in what is clearly now a feel good, almost inspiring origin tale of this incredibly talented and visionary artist who paved a path away from his family roots to emerge a singular musical superstar like no other. Whether intentionally or just lucking into it, this MIchael is the film fans will line up for more than once, a chance to see this genius up close and in IMAX like never before. And, whether by design or not, it is just the latest stop on the comeback tour for this star who died way too young and tragically in 2009 but who has been brought back by the Jackson family itself (many are Executive Producers here but not Janet who is MIA), and his skillful lawyer John Branca who has taken an estate in financial trouble at the time of his death and turned it into lucrative show business via a Cirque Du Soleil show in Vegas, and a Tony winning jukebox Broadway musical to name two successful ventures keeping MJ alive and kicking with songs that never get old.

Now ace producer Graham King whose last biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody earned just under a billion dollars worldwide and won several Oscars, has taken on this challenge and the result is a fan’s delight, if also a linear rather predictable biopic that feels like the Wikipedia version of the complicated star’s life. It starts at the beginning and ends in the middle. Whether the story really continues depends I suppose on whether the Jacksons want to keep cashing in, even if it gets unsavory.

Storywise we see patriarch Joe Jackson (a superb Colman Domingo) discovering the musical talents of his large family, especially the five boys who become the Jackson 5 , fronted by 9 year old phenomenon and very adorable lead singer Michael. They make hit records, tour, do Ed Sullivan’s show and hit paydirt with dad as their demanding but determined manager, and mother Katherine (Nia Long) keeping silent in the background even when he whips Michael into submission with bullying tactics that make you cringe now. It is no wonder when he was old enough Michael knew he had to break away. Even at a young age Michael knew he was special, had a real love for the masters like Chaplin and Astaire, watched Gene Kelly dancing in the rain on TV, and developed an artistic vision common to the greats. In this way, and in many scenes, MIchael’s surest strength is showing this shrewd side of the young talent, someone who instinctively knew what he needed to rise to the top, to meet his goal of being the greatest entertainer ever. That all leads to one of the best scenes in the film where he handpicks music lawyer John Branca (Miles Teller) out of a conference room full of yes men to do his legal work, notably firing his father. A hilarious visual moment is a fax machine delivering the one line execution to Joe Jackson. Nice touch.

Another highlight, for me the film’s best sequence, is when Michael and Branca go to CBS Records International head Walter Yetnikoff’s office and demand that he get Michael’s videos on rotation on MTV, a network that never ran Black artists. In a priceless showdown a dead-perfect Mike Myers as Yetnikoff plays it for all its worth.

John Logan’s serviceable screenplay hits all the expected moments of a very public life. These include Michael’s childlike needs and love of Peter Pan and Neverland; his bonding with Bubbles the Chimp (a CGI creation for the movie), giraffes and llamas wondering around the parents’ home; his collaboration with Quincy Jones (Kendrick Sampson) and Berry Gordy (Larenz Tate); his discovery by Suzanne de Passe (Laura Harrier); visits to toy stores and children’s hospitals; his trusting friendship with bodyguard Bill Bray (an excellent Keilyn Durrel Jones); his plastic surgery and nose jobs; his near death experience on stage as his hair catches fire; and more. Wikipedia has it all. So does this movie – to a point.

In fact it gets a bit too bogged down in running through the greatest hits of a very public life we already know well, right up to recreation of those famous videos including a spot-on making of “Thriller”. For all its attributes MIchael doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know and falls short of giving any new insights into what made him who he was. Still the musical dance sequences when they occur are superbly choreographed by Rich and Tone Talauega who have copied every famous step, and this is where Jaafar Jackson just knocks it out of the park. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference between him and the real deal, and I was impressed how he slipped on that glove and just stepped into those dancing shoes with genuine authority and style. You believe this kid, and that is key.

Director Antoine Fuqua, not known for musicals, shoots it all with first-rate camerawork from Dion Beebe (Chicago) and Production Design by Barbara Ling recreating the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s world of the Jackson dynasty, but I kept wondering what a Bob Fosse or Rob Marshall might have done with this material. Beyond Jaafar, newcomer Valdi also cunningly makes us believe he is the young Michael who sang his “ABC’s” and other hits at a very young age. His rough treatment by his father is actually heartbreaking and helps us understand the abuse Michael himself took, the price of fame at a very early age.

It does all end with a bang, a series of performances from the final “Victory” tour, and Jackson’s successful 1988 London concert and a sizzling “Bad”, so you are bound to leave this one dancing, and what is wrong with that?

Producers are Graham King, Branco, and John McClain.

Title: MIchael

Distributor: Lionsgate (Domestic); Universal (International)

Release Date: April 24, 2026

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Screenplay: John Logan

Cast: Jaafar Jackson, Juliano Valdi, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, Bill Bray, Larenz Tate, Kendrick Sampson, Jessica Sula, Jamal Henderson, Rhyan Hill, Tre Horton, Mike Myers.

Rating: PG 13

Running Time: 127 minutes