Michael review: Jaafar Jackson is Michael Jackson reincarnated in this fun, soulful biopic that hits all the right notes

Michael review: Jaafar Jackson's pitch-perfect portrayal of his uncle makes one feel as if the whole thing is a giant Michael Jackson concert.

Michael

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Cast: Jaafar Jackson, Juliano Krue Valdi, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo

Rating: ★★★★

There is a sequence in Antoine Fuqua’s Michael in which a young Michael Jackson performs Billie Jean at the Motown 25th anniversary. The iconic performance was where MJ debuted the Moonwalk, which would revolutionise pop music and dance for years to come. On screen, even as you know it’s not Michael performing; even as you know what is to come, and that it is all make-believe, you cannot help but feel the occasion, the aura, and the build-up. And that’s just five minutes of the 2-hour film. The Michael Jackson biopic presents the pop legend as a human being, someone who was both a victim of his surroundings and a fighter against them. It does not make him a martyr or a renegade, but just a boy trying to do the best with what he was given. And full credit to Fuqua and debutant Jaafar Jackson for truly bringing MJ back to life on screen. This is as much a tribute as it is a celebration of his life, music, and ideology. And one that Michael himself would enjoy!