More Action Than Biography? A Look at the Michael Jackson Movie ‘Michael’

The Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael’ (released May 13) isn’t really a biography. It’s an action movie. It’s the kind of film that tries to make up for a very simple story with flashy action. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, known for ‘The Equalizer’ series, ‘Olympus Has Fallen’, and ‘Shooter’, Fuqua portrays Michael Jackson almost like a superhero. While the simple title ‘Michael’ suggests a deep dive into the man known as the King of Pop, the movie feels more like it should have been titled ‘Superman’ or ‘Iron Man’.

Still, credit where credit is due. Just as in his previous works, Fuqua’s ‘action’ dominates the screen and grips the audience. Sequences recreating the 1983 Motown 25th Anniversary stage where Michael Jackson first showcased the moonwalk while singing ‘Billie Jean’, and the 1988 Wembley performance of ‘Bad’ as he stood as the world’s top pop star, are truly heart-pounding. There are moments in this film that make you a fan even if you didn’t know who Michael Jackson was, and make you fall for him all over again if you already did.

Beyond the massive budget of approximately 200 million dollars (about 290 billion won), what first catches the eye is Jaafar Jackson, who plays Michael Jackson. As Michael’s actual nephew, he spent about two years practicing the King’s dance and song before filming began to bring the legend back to life. Jaafar Jackson, who reportedly danced until his feet felt paralyzed to implement Michael Jackson’s one-of-a-kind dance lines, proves whose blood flows in his veins by successfully capturing some of the overwhelming aura his uncle showed on stage.

While Michael Jackson was a genius in every aspect of his field, including songwriting, composition, stage planning, and music video direction, the movie ‘Michael’ fails to show much talent in areas other than the performance sequences. The biggest issue is the dissonance between the action and the narrative. For 127 minutes, ‘Michael’ repeatedly builds up energy through Michael Jackson’s singing and dancing, only to let it slip away and vanish into thin air exactly when the story needs to move forward. Because the power of the songs themselves is so strong and the performance scenes are brilliantly directed, it isn’t boring, but it’s hard to find much charm in the storytelling.

To put it simply, ‘Michael’ is far too simplistic. The film begins in 1966, before his debut with the Jackson 5, and ends with the 1988 Wembley performance. During this period, Michael Jackson started as a child prodigy, rose as a pop sensation in adulthood, and became a global music icon through a series of historic successes. At the same time, this was an era where darkness slowly crept into his life behind the mythical success. This darkness relentlessly eroded his career and daily life until he passed away on June 25, 2009. In other words, ‘Michael’ only looks at the light and intentionally ignores the shadow that was just as massive.

‘Michael’ also tends to treat Michael Jackson’s life as a mere tool. The film focuses on the conflict between him and his father, Joe Jackson. Through this process, the naturally gifted Michael Jackson grows and awakens to become the King of Pop, which is not different from the typical origin stories found in superhero movies. The film shows little interest in how his father’s violent discipline, repeated mockery of his appearance, and strict control affected his later life, instead consuming these elements as mere episodes in the birth of a star. In short, watching ‘Michael’ tells you how great his dancing and singing were, but it doesn’t tell you who he was as a human being.

This approach continues when depicting other events that left significant impacts on his life, distorting the man and his existence. A prime example is the ‘Pepsi commercial burn accident’. The movie simplifies this accident as a turning point and a story of overcoming to escape his father, but some view this event as the starting point of his later dependence on painkillers. Some even speculate it is intricately linked to the process leading up to his death from acute propofol addiction. When dealing with Michael Jackson’s obsession with his appearance, plastic surgery, and eccentricities surrounding Peter Pan and animals, ‘Michael’ portrays them as if they were nothing, leading the audience to misunderstand the human Michael Jackson.

Of course, ‘Michael’ and Director Fuqua have an excuse. Originally, the film intended to cover one of the most significant controversies and allegations of Michael Jackson’s life, the 1993 Jordan Chandler sexual abuse allegations and the search of Neverland. However, they discovered a clause in the 1994 settlement between Michael Jackson and the Chandler family stating that “this content shall not be mentioned in any kind of movie or TV”, leading them to revise the script and reshoot 22 scenes. While it seems like a plausible excuse, seeing how conveniently the film utilized Michael Jackson’s life before the 1990s, it might actually have been a blessing that they couldn’t cover the 1993 incident.