“If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.” – Michael Jackson

The new “Michael” biopic is finally in theaters, and it is definitely the biggest movie event of the year so far. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film attempts to tell the massive story of Michael Jackson, from his early days in Gary, Indiana, to becoming the biggest star on the planet. While the movie is a visual spectacle, it’s also sparking a lot of conversation about how much of a person’s real life should actually make it onto the big screen and how accurate the movie depiction of someone’s life can be.

The standout feature of the film is Jaafar Jackson, who plays his real life uncle. It’s hard to overstate how good he is in this role, considering his zero prior acting experience before the film. He doesn’t just do an impression; he completely captures Jackson’s energy. Whether he’s performing the iconic “Billie Jean” routine or just speaking in that famous soft voice, it feels incredibly authentic. The concert scenes are the highlights of the movie. The production team clearly spent a lot of time making sure the costumes and the choreography were perfect. For a younger audience who never got to see the King of Pop live, these scenes give you a pretty good idea of why he was such a big deal. “I grew up with Michael’s music playing in the house every single day, so seeing his life on a huge screen was honestly really moving,” said Ella Hite, a Junior at Bullitt East and longtime Jackson music enjoyer.

On the other hand, because Jackson’s estate helped produce the film, the story stays mostly on the positive side. This has led to some criticism from people who wanted a more “honest” look at his life. The movie focuses heavily on his rise to fame but skims over or completely leaves out the most controversial parts of his later years. The film shows the intense pressure Michael faced from his father, Joe Jackson. While these scenes are hard to watch, the movie often moves quickly into a “feel-good” musical moment right after, which makes the drama feel a bit unbalanced. In the film, Jackson is portrayed almost entirely as a kind, shy person who was overwhelmed by fame. While many people believe this is true, the movie doesn’t spend much time exploring the more complicated questions the public had about him. “It’s a beautiful movie, but you can definitely tell the family had a say in the script,” said Hite. “Every time the story starts to get into the really difficult or controversial parts of his life, it suddenly cuts to a big dance number. It feels like they wanted to remind us he was a legend so we wouldn’t think too hard about the complicated stuff.”

Despite the debate over the facts, the movie is a massive hit with fans. In my theater, people were actually applauding after the big dance numbers. It’s clear that the film’s main goal is to celebrate Jackson’s talent, and it’s working; his music is already climbing back to the top of the streaming charts. For most people, the movie is an emotional experience. It reminds everyone of the “magic” Jackson created, even if it ignores the more difficult parts of his history. It’s a great tribute to his career, even if it feels a little bit like a “sanitized” version of his actual life. “Even if the movie didn’t show everything, you couldn’t help but feel the energy in the room,” said Hite. “When the credits rolled, people were actually standing up and clapping. It reminded me that, regardless of the rumors, the music he made still has this huge power to bring people together.”

“Michael” is definitely worth seeing for the performances and the music alone. Jaafar Jackson is amazing, and the film is incredible overall. Just keep in mind that this is a movie meant to honor a legacy, so it doesn’t give you the full, complicated picture of the man in the mirror. It’s a great film, but it’s only one side of the story.