The biopic Michael about the late pop star Michael Jackson has turned into a major box office success. It has earned more than 577 million dollars worldwide so far. That total means the film has already become profitable. Its production budget reached 155 million dollars. That amount stands unusually high for a movie of this kind, and strong ticket sales make a follow up project certain.
But the critics have offered mixed opinions on Michael. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 39 percent score from reviewers. Fans responded far more warmly. They give the movie a 97 percent fresh score.
Michael Jackson biographer Joe Vogel spoke to The Hollywood Reporter. He called the critical response disingenuous. He compared Michael to earlier music biopics such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, and Elvis. Those films earned higher marks from critics even though they followed a similar plan. Vogel said Michael appears singled out for what it leaves out instead of what it includes. The movie does not address the child sex abuse allegations that have followed Jackson for years.
“I do think the critical response seems a bit disingenuous, just compared to the other string of biopics that we’ve seen,” he said, noting that music biopic films like Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, and Elvis all have better critics’ scores. “They all follow a pretty similar blueprint, so it seems to me that the Michael film is being singled out, in some ways, because of what’s not in the film, as opposed to what was actually in it.”
The allegations were once set to appear in the film. They would have taken up much of the third act. The Jackson estate produced Michael and ordered changes. A settlement agreement with accuser Jordan Chandler forbids any mention or depiction of him. As a result the movie ends in the late 1980s. That point sits several years before the claims surfaced in 1993. A sequel would face pressure to deal with that chapter of Jackson’s life. Critics might then receive the complete story they have demanded.
Mark Anthony Neal teaches a course on Jackson at Duke University and he defends the role of the critics, saying filmmakers have the right to pick their subjects and stories. Critics must do their job without simply approving every choice. He added that task belongs to publicists, not reviewers.
“Filmmakers have the right to make the films that they choose to make and with the subjects that they choose to make. It’s the reason why critics are important,” he said. “The last thing we want are critics who basically co-sign what an artist is doing, whether or not we’re talking about a music artist, filmmaker or author. That’s not the job of a critic. That’s the job of a publicist, and we cannot turn critics and journalists into publicists for art. That’s not their job.”
Attorney James Sammataro works with a law firm that represents Sony Music. Sony owns a stake in Jackson’s music catalog. He pointed out that an estate approved biopic will not deliver every harsh detail because naturally, the estate serves as gatekeeper.
“Expecting a sanctioned biopic to deliver unvarnished truth misunderstands the dynamics: The estate is the gatekeeper, and the film is a catalog activation strategy — a two-hour advertisement engineered to send audiences straight to streaming platforms to rediscover the back catalog,” said Sammataro
The divide between critics and fans keeps growing even as Michael racks up huge earnings. Some see the movie as an honest look that simply stops before the most controversial years. Others view it as smart business that protects a valuable legacy. A sequel looks likely and could force the tougher questions into the open. For now the financial success stands clear while the larger cultural debate shows no sign of fading.
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English (US) · 