Michael Jackson, also known as MJ but better known as the King of Pop, remains so for his millions of fans, even after his death on June 25, 2009. His controversies apart, MJ rules the hearts of pop music lovers who appreciated his singing and – in equal measure – his unique dancing skills that enthralled audiences around the world. Such was the craze of Michael Jackson’s carefully created larger-than-life persona, his iconic moonwalking dance steps, and his unique voice and music that thousands of fans thronged venues to catch a glimpse of their hero. Michael Jackson had attained fame once reserved only for movie stars.

So, when a biopic titled Michael was announced and that too, starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson, it generated worldwide curiosity. Michael releases in theatres on April 24 in India, amid underwhelming reviews from international film critics. However, our opinion about Michael is different. Read on to know. ‘Michael’ Release Date, Cast, Plot: All About Michael Jackson's Biopic Starring Jaafar Jackson As 'King of Pop'.

Plot of ‘Michael’ Movie

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic follows the musical child prodigy’s life from his early years to attaining worldwide fame until about 30 years or so. The film does not hesitate to depict the struggles of Michael Jackson as a child, including having a strict, abusive father in Joseph ‘Joe’ Jackson, who beat the sh*t out of young MJ regularly in the name of disciplining him to not be a “loser”. Who Is Jaafar Jackson? Know About ‘Michael’ Star, His Fiancée Maddie Simpson, and More.

In trying not to be a loser, Michael loses out on his childhood and finds comfort in his children’s book of Neverland, with no real friends. The Jackson 5 is born out of Joe Jackson’s efforts to create a boy band out of his children. However, Joe goes to extremes to impose extra labour on Michael, a child he knows is the star of the lot.

As The Jackson 5 become a phenomenon, with hits like the 1970 "I'll Be There" and others, more pressure builds up from Joe. An all-grown-up Michael now wants out and go solo, but continues to show up for his family band, even after a life-threatening injury. The biopic shows the clash between Joe and Michael Jackson, as the latter’s musical career progresses.

‘Michael’ Trailer – Watch Video:

 

But in a way, Michael never grows up and continues to live in his lost childhood, even naming his ranch Neverland and keeping wild animals as pets. At this point, the movie also gets a bit uncomfortable, with these things connected to Michael's child sexual abuse allegations, of which he was acquitted.

All this information is nothing that MJ fans don’t know about. In that sense, Michael the movie is a re-telling of what we already know, telling the story until the controversies began. It is not a concert movie, but Michael Jackson’s famous songs are effectively used either in the background or as rehearsals, recordings and stage performances. The production values and cinematography are top-notch, and the film deserves a watch in IMAX screens just for that.

Performances in ‘Michael’

Jaafar Jackson pulls out all stops to play his legendary uncle Michael Jackson. Initially, as a Michael Jackson fan, one may find it a bit jarring to imagine Jaafar as MJ, even though he is the legend’s nephew (Jermaine Jackson’s son). And so it goes for most biopics of famous people. But as the movie progresses, Jaafar impresses with his acting, not necessarily an imitation of his uncle. Towards the end, Jaafar hits the right notes with his dance moves! His stage presence is as good as it gets, and not overwhelming. Whether it’s while showing the making of or stage performances of iconic songs “Beat It”, “Thriller”, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”, “Billie Jean” and “Bad”, among others, Jaafar shines. One wishes “Man in the Mirror” was used in the film, too. Michael: Jaafar Jackson Recreates Iconic ‘Thriller’ Moves in Michael Jackson’s Signature Red Jacket for Upcoming Biopic (Watch Video).

But it is little Juliano Krue Valdi who steals the show as the 10-year-old Michael Jackson. Juliano is a legendary adult actor in the making, if he continues acting, singing and dancing with such nuance. Bravo, Juliano!

Colman Domingo as Joseph ‘Joe’ Jackson in his villain of a father role is excellent. Nia Long as his wife and MJ’s mother Katherine Jackson expresses herself well without saying much. The actors who deserve special mention are KeiLyn Durrel Jones as Bill Bray, the bodyguard of Michael Jackson, and Miles Teller as John Branca, the entertainment lawyer whom Michael picks to build his career.

Michael Jackson Controversies Skipped in Biopic

Like many music superstars, Michael Jackson’s life was played out in controversies, too. The biggest of them being the allegations of child sexual abuse at his Neverland Ranch home. These have been conveniently not mentioned in the movie, as the film covers only his journey until the 1980s. In 2005, Michael Jackson was acquitted of all 10 charges in the child molestation trial in Santa Maria, California.

Music Skipped in 'Michael'

The albums such as the 1991 hit Dangerous and the 1996 HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, with chartbusting songs like “Dangerous”, “Black or White”, “Jam”, “Heal the World”, “Remember the Time”, “Give In To Me”, “In the Closet”, and the controversial “They Don't Care About Us”, are not part of Michael the movie. Younger fans who knew MJ more through his ‘90s songs will surely miss it in the film, but will have something new to learn about his songs or his life through the 1970s and ‘80s.

Michael Jackson Visit to India

When the legend came to India in October-November 1996, all hell broke loose. He was accorded a traditional Maharashtrian welcome by Bollywood beauty Sonali Bendre. The country sat up and took notice, especially those in Mumbai, where he performed his first and only concert in India as part of the HIStory World Tour. The music superstar was brought to India by Wizcraft Entertainment. He met Shiv Sena head honcho Bal Thackeray and his nephew Raj Thackeray (now head of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena), and even gave time for a fan meet-and-greet. As per Wizcraft, MJ was presented with idols of Lord Ganesha and Nataraja, and knew exactly who they were and what they symbolised. Michael Jackson’s visit to India was also not shown in his biopic.

When Michael Jackson Said 'Main Hindustan Aa Raha Hoon' - Watch Video:

 

 

 

 

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Janet Jackson and Paris Jackson Opt Out of ‘Michael’

Apart from his many controversies not mentioned, the one family member who is not mentioned in Michael is Michael’s sister and singer Janet Jackson. Reports state that Janet opted out of the biopic made by her family, while MJ’s other sister La Toya Jackson is shown and mentioned. Early in an April 2026 interview, Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson also called out the biopic for what she felt was not an honest representation of facts related to her father and was just made for his fans. Having said that, she later said she wants her dad to be portrayed as “Love and light”. Paris wished Jaafar and Colman well for the movie. Janet, too, wished her nephew well for Michael.

‘Michael’ - Verdict

Mind you, Michael, the film is not a concert movie or a showreel. It’s a story about a child who went on to be a legendary musician, singer and dancer. So don’t go expecting many live performances, although MJ’s music is indeed an important part of the narrative. The build-up in Michael is good, but it leaves something unsaid and incomplete...maybe saving it for the sequel. The film never reaches a crescendo, only touches the surface. The end does say ‘His story continues’, and if there indeed is a Michael sequel planned, audiences would expect it to be an emotional rollercoaster ride rather than just a bumpy slide in the park. Go for Michael if you are a Michael Jackson fan.

Rating: 3/5.

Rating:3.0
TruLY Score by LatestLY
Rating:5

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2026 11:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).