By: Jesse Striewski
I can remember a time when Thriller was still the “new” Michael Jackson album (and to the best of my memory, the first LP I ever owned), and families would stop what they were doing to watch his groundbreaking music videos whenever they appeared on TV. Hell, somewhere there’s even a photo of yours truly in a red leather jacket about to head out to my first day of grade school in true Jackson fashion. (I also blame “Beat It” for my initial love for Van Halen, and still hold it as one of the greatest songs ever written and recorded.) These examples barely even scratch the surface of the kind of impact the late Jackson had on the world at that moment in time.
If you share memories similar to this from back then, then you likely also recall when ABC released the two-part miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream in late 1992. Featuring Angela Bassett and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs (of Welcome Back, Kotter fame), the film chronicled the abusive upbringing of the Jackson children, and eventual rise to superstardom via both The Jackson 5, as well as the early days of Michael’s solo career. Viewers more or less get the same treatment here with Michael, only this time it’s told through a more modern lens, and a bigger budget.
Jaafar Jackson, the actual son of Jermaine and nephew of Michael, convincingly portrays Michael, while Colman Domingo and Nia Long play Joseph and Katherine Jackson this time around, respectively. And just like that original miniseries (without giving too much away), this one also leaves you wanting SO MUCH more. Another disappointing factor with Michael is the unfortunate use of special effects, namely the CGI used to create crowd scenes and even the animals in the film; I understand these methods no doubt reduce costs and liabilities, but it’s sad to see what we’ve lost in the world of cinema in terms of realism.
But sadder still is what we’ve since lost in the bigger picture; I found myself getting choked up numerous times throughout, thinking about the massive talent, and even the sense of shared togetherness we’ve lost since the days Michael Jackson dominated the pop world. There’s truly never been anyone else like him in any of our lifetimes, and I certainly can’t think of a single current “star” even remotely comparable to him. For that alone, the film is indeed worth a view, especially on the big screen.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
