Michael

Rated PG-13 • Theaters

Despite disturbingly detailed child abuse allegations, Michael Jackson’s legacy has remained intact, partly due to his unprecedented popularity. And, thanks to his well-lawyered estate, a new biopic aims to keep his brand untarnished and uncancelable.

Shortly after Jackson’s death in 2009, the Jackson estate found itself mired in debt and awash in allegations. The Jacksons denied all accusations, and a jury acquitted Michael in 2005. Nevertheless, Michael’s reputation had plummeted by the time of his death at age 50. To salvage his posthumous image, the estate hired intellectual property management firm CMG Worldwide as part of its attempt to rebrand the singer’s legacy.

That effort went well until the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland aired in 2019. The film, now unavailable on streaming platforms, included interviews with two of Jackson’s alleged victims.

Presumably to continue the rebranding effort, the estate agreed to a biopic. Originally, the script for Michael hinted that Michael had been falsely accused by the family of the first alleged victim to speak out. But since both parties had agreed in a settlement not to talk publicly about the incident, much of the film had to be reshot, delaying the movie’s release date by a year.

Rather than denying child abuse accusations, Michael sweeps over the massive elephant in the room, leaving audiences with a sanitized yet visually stunning narrative about how Michael Jackson rose to global stardom. Given that the estate sanctioned the movie, I’m not surprised that the biopic didn’t dive deep into the abuse angle. But since Michael was clearly such a tortured human being by the end of his life, the film feels untruthful at best.

The film begins backstage before Michael’s breakaway tour of Bad but shifts back in time to Gary, Ind., in 1966. As the Jackson brothers rehearse their still-clunky routine in a tight living room, their father Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo) gruffly tells them to run it again. Young Michael (Juliano Valdi) chafes against his father’s high standards, and Joe beats him for back talk.

After shaping up to Joe’s liking, the Jackson brothers hit the road. They’re a huge success on tour, chiefly because of young Michael’s toothy charisma. By the time Michael reaches his teen years, the family has moved to a swanky estate in California, stocked with exotic pets like peacocks, a llama, and even a giraffe.

But Michael (now played by Jackson’s nephew Jafaar Jackson), still deathly afraid of his father, wants to break off and do his own thing. Freedom for Michael Jackson looks like going solo. Even as Michael’s smash-hit albums like Thriller top the charts, fat-cat Joe maintains a tight grip on his most successful son’s career. Without Michael, the family brand collapses. Even when Michael fires his dad as manager, Joe manipulates Michael into touring with his brothers.

That abusive father-son dynamic serves as the main point of tension in the story. We’re supposed to understand that Joe’s intense criticism drove Michael to plastic surgery. Because of emotional stunting and fame at such a young age, it’s implied that Michael felt like a child even during his adult life. But honestly, given the child molestation allegations that emerged over the years, the movie would have done better to avoid including so many scenes depicting Michael spending hours with sick kids in hospital wards.

We get an idea of how many of Michael’s genre-busting songs came to be, and Jaafar Jackson convincingly channels his uncle’s demeanor and onstage groove. Viewers will see how Michael became such an idol, with women fainting during performances of songs like “Human Nature.” It reminds me of the day Michael Jackson died, when a couple of neighborhood kids came into my backyard sobbing like they’d lost a family member.

Michael ends right as the pop star’s solo career reaches its peak, leaving the movie feeling unfinished, with the filmmakers promising a second act. But while watching Michael, it’s hard not to think that this film only exists so the estate’s lawyers can suck more money out of Jackson’s celebrity, just like they accuse his father of doing while he was still alive.