05/05/2026

LYFE TUESDAY | MAY 5, 2026

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Michael : Man or myth o Jackson family-endorsed biopic presents curated image of artiste

MOVIE REVIEW

Ű BY GREGORY SHANE

W HAT if being a king brings love but not understanding? Michael Jackson has been widely dubbed the “King of Pop”, and has maintained the highest honour in music’s history to this day, but what kind of life did this “king” live? Allegations of abuse and financial difficulties after his death in 2009 tarnished his public identity. Despite being one of the most famous man in the world, he was an enigma – very few know of his founding roots as a not-so-regular boy from Indiana. Michael is a movie that depicts the initial journey he faced amid familial struggle, from the perspective of the people who knew him best at the time – his family. Family of half-truths and cover-ups Right off the bat, we quickly get a peek into Michael’s (played by Jaafar Jackson) stardom, with a shot of him getting ready for one of his most famous performances at Wembley Stadium in 1988 amid the cheers of fans. Fast forward to Indiana in 1967, Michael is seen possessing promising talents as a young kid and his father Joseph Jackson saw an opportunity for fame and fortune. So, he resorted to overworking his sons, making them the best in the industry. Soon into the film, we see evidence of Joseph’s abusive nature – with real testimonies from the Jackson siblings – such as pushing them to rehearse late at night, right after their first gig in a local bar. Even with school next morning, Joseph forces them to rehearse, whipping them using a belt if they talked back. Joseph also always makes his children refer to him by his name to maintain himself as an authority figure in the family instead of a father. Another issue one might have with the film is whether the Jacksons are portraying their relationship with Michael as it is or are they glorifying it. Growing up, Michael’s siblings maintained a strained bond – due to the commonality of their father’s abuse and Michael being the one to push them into success. With Michael being the face of the Jackson Five, they catered to his whims such as owning unusual pets. There are subtle hints, in the movie, of a distancing bond – starting from no longer having the same interests to the group’s breakup on the Victory Tour. We see Michael’s story being told from the Jackson family’s

Michael’s sought comfort from the morbidity of his life by never growing up. As if he never left Jaafar shows “the apple does not fall far from the tree” by capturing the essence of Michael’s energy in performances. For over two hours, it feels as if the audience was watching Michael himself after he had risen from the grave. Prior to the film’s release, Jaafar shared he had to go through intense preparation for the role of Michael, which lasted over two years. Jaafar also worked with Michael’s choreographers from the HIStory tour, Rich and Tone Talauega, which was an amazing tribute to his late uncle that reaped every bit of effort that he put into it. The young Jackson exceeded expectations as he put on Michael’s jacket on screen – from dancing the same way to even having that subtle smile on his lips. Despite being a meticulous actor, Jaafar was not a suave dancer like his uncle was. In an otherwise excellent performace, this was his only flaw. Playing it safe… for now Instead of a deep dive into Michael’s controversies, the film plays it safe (for now) by showing more of how he defied the shackles placed on him and was still crowned the King of Pop. The only controversy that was depicted in the film is the Pepsi

Many know the Jackson Five for their childhood success but not the familial problems they had.

incident where his hair caught on fire, which led to his dependency on drugs (medication) to aid the pain. This film has evidently pitted critics against fans, with criticism centred on the creative liberties taken with Michael’s life story. However, a potential sequel could change this, with hints at the end of the film – “His story continues” – and Jaafar’s confirmation in an interview with Entertainment Tonight . To save this “franchise” from its incredulity, they could expand on the darker side of Michael’s story comprehensively, giving fans a blend of entertainment and truth.

Peter Pan in real life One good thing about the movie is that we get to see Michael’s personality up close – and we learnt he was a man who was never allowed to be a regular man. His fan interactions were depicted to be joyous as he always wanted people to be happy. He famously hated violence and pain, as heard in his hit song Beat It that serves as a commentary on gang violence. But, his desire to be the perfect people pleaser affected him mentally and physically. From his rhinoplasty as he was dissatisfied with his nose in the Off the Wall album to always showing a positive front even when he was breaking apart, Michael was “obssessive” over putting up a “positive” front, at all times. In the chaos, he often found comfort in his mother Katherine Jackson, whom he maintained an unbreakable bond with throughout

his life and long-term bodyguard Bill Bray, who was like a second father to him. In the movie, Bill’s support for Michael to take charge of his career gave him the courage to fire Joseph and achieve freedom. Katherine, on the other hand, is Michael’s rock that kept him grounded and stable. In the movie, we get witness the pop star’s support system that kept him sane throughout his insane life. The film, within its flaws, managed to depict Michael as a misunderstood musician and man.

perspective. Although based on a true story, Michael seemingly omits infamous tiffs within the family. It is severely watered down, as if to undo the taint on the Jackson’s family name, which was embroiled in controversy following the King of Pop’s death in 2009. For instance, Jermaine Jackson’s one-sided jealousy was not featured in the film, but perhaps it may have been due to a conflict of interest since his son Jaafar plays Michael in this film. It felt like the intent was to giftwrap Michael as a fairytale, befitting the pedestal the world has put him on. Due to the movie’s discrepancies and creative differences, Michael’s closest confidant Janet Jackson’s has refused to participate in the making of the movie. This adds a layer to the movie’s lack of conviction in portraying the “mythical” man.

0 Director: Antoine Fuqua 0 Cast: Jaafar Jackson, Juliano Valdi, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Kendrick Sampson, Kat Graham, Miles Teller, Jessica Sula and Larenz Tate.

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But, only time will tell. Michael is now showing in cinemas.

It gave reasoning to his childlike innocence –and, just like Peter Pan,

Jaafar pays homage to his uncle as he practised Michael’s signature dance moves intensively.

It takes a Jackson to know a Jackson, Jaafar made it feel like Michael never left.