The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, aptly titled “Michael,” is predicted by many to be one of the biggest films of the year. Now, following the Los Angeles premiere of the movie, which stars Jaafar Jackson, the nephew of the pop legend, it’s being slammed by critics. However, LaToya Jackson is singing a different tune, praising the Antoine Fuqua-directed opus.
LaToya Jackson Enjoyed ‘Michael’
Jackson attended the ‘Michael’ premiere at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on April 20. While on the red carpet, she spoke with Variety, first revealing her reaction to the initial request to do the film. She recalled, “I said this is wonderful. Just make sure it’s true to life, and it is good, and it was great, and it is.”
When asked about her nephew portraying her late brother, Jackson called it “fabulous.” Saying, “We all forget and think we’re watching Mike, and it’s like, ‘Oh, I forgot, this is Jaafar. So he really delivered. He did a fabulous job.”
From there, the interviewer mentioned the various controversies that impacted the movie during production and asked if she ever thought it wouldn’t be released. In response, Jackson said, “I knew within time it would be. Sometimes it takes time, and here we are.”
Critics Aren’t Pleased With The Biopic
Following the “Michael” premiere, Lionsgate, the studio behind the movie, has lifted the review embargo. According to Film Updates on X, it debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a 27% rating. This was based on 41 reviews by critics.
However, as of writing, the Rotten Tomatoes score has dropped to 24% after four more critics weighed in. The score will continue to fluctuate as more reviews pour in. So, what’s wrong with the highly anticipated biopic? There’s a general consensus that the movie doesn’t tell a complete story. Notably, there is talk of a second film.
For starters, film critic Matt Goldberg said, “To even call Michael ‘half a story’ would be giving it too much credit.”
Joey Morona wrote, “It’ll have you grooving in your seat with a feeling of nostalgia, only for it to dissipate the moment you moonwalk out of the theater and realize, ‘Wait, was Bubbles the chimp CGI?’”
Brian Orndorf stated, “All the rough edges have been professionally sanded down by Logan and Fuqua, and perhaps this is what the faithful want, presented with two hours of the cuddliest, kindest Michael Jackson imaginable.”
Finally, John Nugen reviewed the film, saying, “Hugely impressive musical and dance performances from the two young men playing Michael Jackson cannot shake off the uncomfortable fact that there is an entire other side to the pop star’s story which is entirely conspicuous by its absence here.”
Fans Think There’s An ‘Agenda’ Against ‘Michael’
Over 16 years after Jackson’s tragic death, the music legend retains an impressive fanbase. Because of this, there’s already considerable discussion about the reaction to the new biopic, with some claiming critics only want the more controversial parts of Jackson’s life told.
One person wrote on X, “I watched it. These people have agendas against Michael; they want everything about him to fail. It’s a fun film, it makes you laugh, and it gets you emotional at times. They could’ve done a few things differently. I would put it somewhere between ‘Ray’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’”
A different social media user stated, “The media is always trying to cancel him. The movie is great. The public will love it.”
Someone else surmised, “And when it gets an >85% audience score, no one will be surprised. The critics had made up their mind about this movie 6 years ago. Wilfully ignorant, bad faith criticism. They have no power anymore.”
Lastly, another X user defended the reviews, explaining, “Bullsh-t, you guys are too fragile to take even the smallest criticisms seriously, they have to unconditionally love any piece of garbage they release just so you don’t get upset, it’s ridiculous.”
The Movie Is Predicted To Open Big
Nowadays, there are very few safe bets when it comes to box office success. However, according to Deadline, “Michael” is expected to have a massive first weekend at the box office. Based on early April tracking, the movie should bring in $60 million or more.
If true, this would put it above biopics such as 2015’s “Straight Outta Compton,” which earned $60 million, and 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The latter of the two films made $51 million in its opening weekend.
Jaafar Jackson Revealed The Biggest Misconception About His Uncle
Jackson, 24, interviewed with ExtraTV while on the red carpet at the “Michael” premiere. During the discussion, he was asked about the biggest misconception some people have about his legendary uncle. Jakson responded, “I would say that he wanted to be white. That’s a big misconception.”
He went on to discuss how the movie will put those lasting rumors to bed. According to Jackson, “This film gives you that understanding of what that is, that vitiliago played a part in his life, and not a lot of people really understand what that is, and he was dealing with that from an early age.”
“Michael” hits movie theaters on April 24 with some advance screenings in the days leading up to its release.
