I’m Trevor with the Sasquatch Movie Minute with a look at MICHAEL, directed by Antoine Fuqua, starring Jaafar Jackson. This is the life of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, until 1988.

2 out of 5

Whew, what a fascinating mess! Michael Jackson is still a mystery to the public, and this film has zero interest in showing any insight to the mystery. Even in a hospital scene, where you think you would see some vulnerability, he looks like a smiling immaculate porcelain doll. We have seen this ‘bad dad’ plotline played out in a million biopics before and this film brings nothing to the paper-thin cliché that is Joseph Jackson. What was Michael inspired by? Why did he feel lonely when his brothers and ever-present bodyguard were always there for him? Why is Miles Teller giving the worst performance I have ever seen?

Best Scene. The recreation of the Thriller video rocked. Seeing Jackson work through some of the issues with filming and framing, detailing his creative process was exactly what this movie needed more of. Also good was seeing Jackson work through the flow and construction of the Beat It dance (though I question whether the Blood and Crips gangs were actually there).

Best Performance. Juliano Valdi played a young Michael and he was excellent. His dancing and singing, especially in the recording studio, conveyed his love for performance. Seeing his cowering shoulders as he was about to beaten by his father really hit me as a dad. I applaud Jaafar Jackson’s incredible recreation of Michael’s dancing and singing abilities, but he is a caricature, with nothing to offer beneath the surface.

Go for the music, its spectacular, but you will get no deeper understanding of the enigma that is Michael Jackson.