Vernon
“Smooth Criminal,” “Thriller,” “Billie Jean,” “You Are Not Alone,” “Man in the Mirror.” Just like the Energizer Bunny, the hit list of Michael Jackson singles goes on and on and on. Streams of Mr. Jackson’s catalog are up in record numbers since the release of this popular biopic, which has already made nearly $100 million dollars domestically in just its first week in theaters.
Jaafar Jackson, who makes a glittery splash in his feature film debut, is shockingly Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew. “Michael” is a biopic that is heavy on musical performances and not so much on detailed substance. So if you are a fan of the King of Pop’s songs, you will be tapping your feet on the floor the entire way through, just as I was.
I wish that this colorful, over-the-top spectacle dug a little deeper than it dared to do. It was very surface-level, playing it safe and family-friendly. I wanted to see the goods. The goods meaning all of the speculated tabloid juice. Spoiler Alert: there was little to none that was revelatory, sadly.
It was clear that the filmmakers behind this project set it up for a direct sequel, like a majority of films do now. The reality is that does not always happen, leaving its audience not only wanting, but expecting more.
“Michael” was good, it wasn’t great. The performances were solid, but it felt a bit empty. No mention of sister Janet was also a big let-down for me personally, as she signed off and did not want her name associated with the spectacle.
Let’s just hope and pray with the massive worldwide box office intake, Hollywood ends this one with a follow-up that is a bit more deserving of the devoted fan service; otherwise, they can just “Beat it!”
“Michael”
Starring: Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long, Colman Domingo
Christopher’s “Meow” Score: “6” paws out of 10.
Christopher Vernon is a proud NEPA resident and award-winning writer and author. He began writing film reviews on his page ‘The Movie Meow’ in 2018. His favorite two films of all time are ‘Thelma & Louise’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby.’ And of course, you guessed it, Chris adores cats.
