Critics Aren't Holding Back On The Michael Jackson Movie

The latest movie about a famous musician, Antoine Fuqua's Michael Jackson biopic "Michael," hasn't received too much love from the critics. In fact, many reviewers have absolutely refused to hold back on the movie, and watching Looper's video above will let you know just why. 

Starring its subject's real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, "Training Day" director Fuqua's movie covers Michael Jackson's road to pop royalty, culminating in the seminal 1988 "Bad" tour. As anyone who's even cursorily familiar with the timeline of the various scandals and allegations surrounding Jackson can tell, this means that the film glosses over a whole bunch of things in favor of focusing on the star's professional victories. 

This approach doesn't seem to have endeared the film to the critics, and based on the reviews so far, "Michael" is unlikely to make it to the ranks of the best biopics of all time. Only time will tell whether it will nevertheless become one of the highest-grossing musician biopics at the box office.

The "Michael" movie could have addressed some of the darker corners of the superstar's life. However, the finished product went through extensive reshoots that cost up to $15 million, and now focuses on Michael Jackson's upwardly mobile path toward his "Bad"-era heyday. 

It's an approach that clearly hasn't endeared the movie to the critics. Then again, Jackson's discography was also somewhat uneven when it comes to reviews, and he still managed to sell boatloads of albums. As such, it's possible that even this comparatively light and fluffy take on the late King of Pop's life will find its audience and succeed at the box office. For now, however, critics who have reviewed the movie have had some pretty direct things to say — and watching Looper's video above is a quick way to get up to speed about what they're saying.  

"Michael" is in theaters on April 24.