Celebrating Michael Jackson’s Legacy in “Michael (2026)”
I don’t often review biopics. In fact, I hardly ever watch biopics for the same reason why I hardly watch historical films. Most of them are either redundant at best or heavily glamorized to paint the idyllic picture of a famous person’s life while ignoring the more controversial sides of them. So imagine my initial disinterest when I found out that the Jackson family was releasing a Michael Jackson biopic. But upon seeing a promotional trailer that showcased the King of Pop played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, I couldn’t help but have my interest piqued.
It’s become a running internet joke that whenever a movie is based upon a real person’s life, the actor cast as said person is almost always far more attractive than the person they’re playing. You’ve seen it with Felicity Jones as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, Eddie Redmayne as Dr. Stephen Hawking, and Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren. But Jaafar Jackson bears an uncanny resemblance to his late uncle, so much so that I almost mistook him for the real Michael. It certainly helps that he perfectly mimics all of Michael’s signature dance moves, from his famous front kick to his effortless moonwalk, and has his unmistakable stage presence. But most importantly, he captures Michael’s emotional state in every era of his young life. From the innocent musician ready to creatively break free from the Jackson 5 to his childlike fascination and love for animals and fairy tales, all while encapsulating his fragility due to his abusive upbringing from his father, Joseph.
Since this biopic covers the rising era of Michael’s life, it is highly imperative that even young Michael is perfectly cast. And the film does an exceptionally amazing job casting the 12-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi as Michael. Not only does he absolutely embody the nervous, curious, and sensitive boy forced into the life of a global icon, but he does so with a preternatural talent that supersedes all expectations for child actors. He even sang his parts as Michael! While some of his vocals were mixed with the original tracks, the fact that anyone so young can sing with such power and soul to match the real deal is no laughing matter. Through Valdi’s performance, we also see the real Michael behind all of the glitz and glam of super stardom. The shy kid, who loved to befriend and spend time with animals (owning a snake, a llama, and even a chimpanzee named Bubbles), read books about “Peter Pan and the Lost Boys” and watched cartoons on his limited free time.
When Michael was released, it garnered a very polarizing reception from critics and audiences. While audiences loved it on Rotten Tomatoes, boasting a popcorn meter of 97% and an IMDb score of 7.7 out of 10, critics were not so kind. They cited the “safe” and “sanitized” take on Michael’s life. To some degree, they are right. Michael’s relationship with Joseph was not touched on nearly enough (they even sanitize a notorious line where he calls Michael’s nose “big nose”), and the film fails to cover Michael’s controversies after 1984. I understand these criticisms; it is a Jackson family production after all, and it only makes sense that they procure a biopic that shows the highlights of Michael’s life. But I think they misunderstand the point of this biopic; it’s not a complete unbiased retelling of Michael’s life. It’s a celebration of the man Michael was and the impact his art had.
Continuing off on that notion, Michael not only broke box office records, earning $278 million on a budget of around $165 million. This may not seem the most impressive, but you have to consider that it made a whopping $97 million alone in its opening weekend in Canada and the United States alone! For comparison, 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody only made $51 million in its opening weekend. Remember how the media sang laurels to Oppenheimer’s name when it made $83 million in its opening weekend (setting a record for a biopic)? Well, Michael’s box office numbers even put Oppenheimer’s to shame. But this hype is only the beginning. The film even managed to bring additional listeners to Michael Jackson on Spotify. How many, you may ask? Why, 5 million monthly listeners! Imagine smashing all of these records in just the opening weekend alone.
Even though Michael may not have been the perfect “controversial deep dive into a troubled star’s life” critics were expecting, it was every bit as glamorous and heartfelt as you’d expect a biopic be about the eponymous King of Pop. Starring profoundly deep and electrifying performances from Jaafar Jackson and Juliano Krue Valdi as Michael Jackson, the film still proves Michael’s everlasting core philosophy that “music and dance are a universal language that can change the world” is alive and well. Even if you’re not a fan of Michael Jackson, I implore you to give this movie a watch. You might gain an appreciation for not the superstar Michael Jackson but the introverted young man who loves animals, creative expression, and building meaningful connections. The man who saw some of the worst growing up and still never lost his light. The man who successfully changed our world with his music.
