For as long as mainstream musical biopics have existed, you come to realize how difficult it can be to please those who grew up with the artists in question, depending on how they’re portrayed. And it’s a formula that makes or breaks the overall enjoyment. Give me something unconventional, like Rocketman or Better Man, and less dry, like Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, and I’ll be entertained if it honors the subject in question. But if there was one I hoped would be outstanding, it was for one of, if not the greatest singer in the history of music: Michael Jackson. Because of that, Michael was going to be one of my most anticipated films, no matter when it was gonna come out. With those expectations pretty high from the trailer and the fact that it’s finally released, there was no way this was going to be a life-changing theater experience when all I wanted was to have a great time watching the artistry unfold. And it’s not as bad as early reactions claimed it to be, but it’s what you call averagely entertaining, if that makes sense.

What’s the Story: Growing up in Gary, Indiana, a young Michael Jackson (Juliano Krue Valdi, later Jaafar Jackson) performs alongside his four brothers, as their father Joe (Colman Domingo) has them rehearse for their band, The Jackson 5. Signed with Motown and selling out concerts that launched them into fame, life could only get better for Michael once he started his solo career to become the influential artist the world has come to know.

How could I not be excited for Michael? He’s been one of my favorites since I was a kid, and the same goes for my family. Not only was he the most famous person from Indiana, but he was also idolized by those inspired to follow in his footsteps and become the next big thing. As someone pushing 30, even I knew he was a huge deal, especially in the ’80s. And if you’re Black, you automatically have to love his music, no questions about it. For us millennials who discovered him later in his career, the shocking news of his death on June 25th, 2009 (the first day of summer break for me) felt like the Earth stopped moving. For us, that was the equivalent of “The Day The Music Died.” One could hope for it to be on the same level as the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream and less like the uninspired, unauthorized TV movie Man in the Mirror, starring Flex Alexander and featuring horrible makeup. Did I want to be blown away by Michael? As a fan, kinda. But it’s one of those movies where I wanted to set aside my bias and see it for what it is.

The most crucial element was MJ himself. It seemed impossible to find someone who could convincingly portray Michael, given his immense global presence. So, it was quite a surprise to discover that his own nephew, Jermaine’s son Jaafar Jackson (we were born just 21 days apart, by the way), landed the role. For his first acting part, he was known for his singing talent, and his performance was truly outstanding. Undoubtedly, it was a challenge to portray his uncle at the peak of his fame, but Jaafar excelled, not simply mimicking his uncle but embodying the mannerisms of a man who was destined for greatness from the age of ten. As the film progressed, his transformation was remarkable, as he became Michael on-screen through his voice and dance moves. And let’s not overlook Juliano Krue Valdi’s portrayal of young Michael; while he may not have been singing the Jackson 5 hits, he, much like Jaafar, still had that captivating charisma.

And I was completely sold when I heard Colman Domingo, one of my favorite actors working today, would portray patriarch Joe. Unrecognizable beneath the prosthetics, you can believe this was a father who saw only his children’s success, especially Michael’s, rather than caring about what they wanted beyond their independence. Domingo’s performance explores the side of Joe we believe is controlling and abusive, emotionally or physically, to the point where you’d hate to be related to him, despite his believing his intentions were right. Some might argue it’s more of a one-note character, but it needed an actor like Domingo to make it convincing. The conflict between Michael and his father is palpable; the former yearns to break free from Joe’s suffocating control over his life and decisions.

Going into a movie about Jackson’s life, you not only come for the music that brings everyone together, but you also feel immersed in the sound. The musical sequences and recording sessions impressed me the most, as you can imagine, director Antoine Fuqua and his team wanted to make this big-budget tribute to him work for his fans. The recreations of moments we’ve experienced on television or online were pretty spot-on and gave me the auditable experience I hoped for. When he’s responsible for releasing some of the most infectious songs ever recorded, it’s hard not to feel some groove to the music in the theater that had me listening to them again once I got home. The scenes of getting the bloods and crips together to show them the choreography for “Beat It” (my favorite song of his) or them shooting an almost shot-for-shot remake of the music video for “Thriller” (my favorite music video of all-time) were particularly cool. Truthfully, the Thriller album is what I consider a masterpiece that’s a perfect 10/10, and there are many reasons why it’s the best-selling album ever.

But while Michael gets right in its casting and crowd-pleasing music moments, it’s not the spectacular biopic I and probably others wanted it to be. The idea of a big-screen Michael Jackson had potential, but considering what he went through later in his life, you had to wonder how much they would cover. When I talked to my sister over the phone about a month ago to discuss the movie, we didn’t know what we could cover in a little over two hours. What we eventually got from John Logan’s screenplay is a surface-level retelling of the highs and lows of Michael’s life, and even that wasn’t enough to get emotionally invested when it rushes through the first few years, touching on achievements fans already know.

With Michael’s estate behind it, including the surviving brothers, it wasn’t a surprise that they wanted to portray him as positively as possible, which makes it sanitized and doesn’t go deep. There was this fear that it would go the way of Bohemian Rhapsody (which Graham King also produced, and which every single person online has officially ruined my enjoyment of), of playing it safe and never getting the chance to go further than what we know behind closed doors. We know his passion for music, along with his love for Peter Pan, Charlie Chaplin, and horror, paints him as having few flaws, aside from his insecurities about his nose and a brief mention of his vitiligo. I wish there had been more time spent on his creative process when collaborating with Berry Gordy (Larenz Tate) as a kid, or with legendary record producer Quincy Jones (Kendrick Sampson), the latter of whom produced “Off The Wall,” “Thriller,” and “Bad.”

Even with the good acting, like Nia Long as Michael’s mom, Katherine, I didn’t really care about the other characters because they weren’t developed enough. The Jackson brothers were barely there after the first part, and I wanted them to have more to do than just be in the background. Same with John Branca (Miles Teller), Michael’s lawyer and current co-executor of his estate – their relationship felt weak. There was also a quick cameo that was easy to spot, similar to a character in another movie, and it was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, based on who they got. It’s also weird that they left out Janet and Rebbie (for legal reasons), but included Bubbles, the chimpanzee, whom I actually wanted to see.

With the fall, it doesn’t touch on the stress of being an artist, unless you count the fact that his music videos and other black artists aren’t played on MTV. The only drama that occurred was when his hair caught on fire while shooting the Pepsi commercial, which led to him being on painkillers, which wasn’t touched on either.

Once we got to the third act, it felt like we were still in the second act when it reached the “Bad” era, and I thought it didn’t scratch the surface of what we already know, since it ends abruptly. It wasn’t until I remembered one of the movie’s controversies: a third-act reshoot. It was due to its depiction of Jordan Chandler and the sexual abuse accusations against Jackson in the early ‘90s, which became one of the most noticeable controversies the singer faced later in his career, leading the team to rework the ending and increase the budget to $200 million. If you ask me, it would’ve been better if it had gone the epic route and run nearly three hours to do justice to the impact he had on the entertainment industry, because it does leave you wanting more. There are rumors that this will be split into two parts, with a possible focus on the challenges he suffered if this does well at the box office.

Regardless of the unexpected mixed-to-negative reception it’s been getting, which doesn’t make it an early Oscar contender, people are still going to see it because his name means so much to generations of people. The sold-out IMAX crowd I saw was having a blast, judging by the audible reactions as they jammed in their seats. More or less, this is absolutely made for longtime, dedicated fans who have waited to see this legend told in a cinematic fashion.

Overall, Michael will certainly please longtime fans of the King of Pop with a biopic that falls short of being something truly amazing. While everyone will come out of this talking about Jaafar Jackson’s unforgettable performance and music sequences, it’s a mixed bag, and the story could’ve used more meat to be more fulfilling. We aren’t looking at the next Ray or Straight Outta Compton, but see it for yourself.

Grade: C+