MANILA, Philippines — Intrigue swirls around "Michael," Antoine Fuqua's biopic about the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, portrayed in the film by his own nephew Jaafar Jackson making his feature debut.
The film tracks the titular character's early career with his brothers as part of the Jackson 5 under the domineering eyes of father Joseph (Colman Domingo) until the years he broke apart to become the musical legend we know him to be.
There is not much to spoil about the movie given how much the public already knows about Michael Jackson, who was in the public eye from a very young age up to his untimely death in 2009.
Even die-hard fans must admit that the singer was far from perfect, with sexual allegations continuing to tarnish his legacy.
One would not have guessed the same personality was the center of "Michael," as it obviously skirts away from issues for legal reasons, but even more disappointing is how the film fails to live up to the legend that Michael was.
Jaafar and Juliano Krue Valdi, who plays the young Michael, can only do so much given the conventional and by-the-book screenplay by John Logan, which is pretty much a rehash of past musical biopics.
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Every basic fact known about Michael makes the screen, from Ben to Bubbles. In fact, the only remarkable absence is any indication about younger sister Janet (who declined to participate, while other siblings are mostly involved).
That is probably why "Michael" plays it safe and portrays him in a good light, at the expense of multiple supporting characters shoved to the back. The biopic shows only glimpses of Michael's magical artistry shining through but never fully stands out.
In any case, the film hinges on Jaafar's performance and to his credit as an artist himself, he nails his uncle's mannerisms and movements, thanks to the singer's very own choreographers, Rich and Tone Talauega.
As a third-generation member of the Jackson family, the physical resemblance is not far-off especially when Jaafar takes the stage and — with the help of makeup, particularly eyeliner — seamlessly becomes the late artist.
The music, which covers early Jackson 5 tracks to the 1987 hit "Bad," is a mix of Michael and the actors' voices, which works out well for the film. It is, however, important to note that Jaafar's presence and physicality does so much for his uncle's biopic.
Jaafar does need more on the acting front, which is dominated in the film by Domingo, who willingly plays the pantomime villain underneath so much makeup himself.
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"Michael" simply ticks off all the things people know about the singer's early career, highlights being the choreographing "Beat It" and "Thriller," the MTV challenge for "Billie Jean" (featuring Mike Myers in a cameo role), and a highlight reel of live shows.
For many that could be enough, but Michael was one of the few remarkable artists that understood what it meant to be a performer and entertainer, and his biopic falls short of giving that justice.
How the film ends offers two options: that people still remember the kind of artist Michael was, or a sequel could be on the horizon.
The former is a sentimental way of stamping legacy, but any attempt to pursue the latter must encompass all sides about Michael — the good and the bad — because all of it formed the person we know as the King of Pop today.
That being said, hopefully the world remembers Michael Jackson as the beloved artist who gave his all, a true icon that only comes once every lifetime.