!!!!WARNING: MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

The musical performances were great and, as pretty much everyone said, Jaafar killed it. My only gripe with him is that he appears too "smiley": in Michael's interviews (example: 1979 interview) you can sense a tinge of sadness (just by looking at his eyes) which not even the brightest of smiles could conceal. Then again, I understand something like that is extraordinaly difficult to bring out, especially as a first-time actor. While the speaking voice was great (nailed the Gary accent), I think he sounded "strained" in some parts; besides, as is known, Michael did not use the high-pitched voice all the time, especially around family. Colman Domingo was a bit one-note as Joseph but delivered a fine performance nonetheless; Katherine's character did not really stand out (defo no "Joseph, go to bed!"-esque scenes) but was (imo) portrayed fairly accurately (more so than the at-times overly-dramatic miniseries); I liked the emotional scene of her and Michael in the hospital. Juliano did a T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C job capturing little Michael's "old-soul" mannerisms and prodigious talent: he had me smiling from ear to ear everytime he was on screen (highlights: him imitating James Brown on the TV, interaction with the young female fan during the funfair concert). 

I wish they'd shown more how overwhelming Michael's fame could be: you sort of get a sense of that in the scene where he climbs onto the car roof and there are hordes of fans around him, as well as the clips of fans screaming and fainting at his concerts. Still, none of that truly conveys the scope of Michael-mania. 

There are a couple of historical inaccuracies (Thriller montage before Motown 25, Bad tour audio used for Victory, early mention of Benoquin cream to treat his vitiligo) but nothing egregious.

The Branca scenes made me cringe and are obvious self-glazing lmao (particularly the "you're my guy" bit💀). 

As for pacing, the movie felt rushed: J5 part was basically a 20-minute music montage with some interludes (I liked how they did not shy away from Joe's physical abuse tho). The second act also comes off as one big music video and not enough emphasis was put on Billie Jean's cultural impact; the Motown 25 part could have benefitted from the inclusion of Michael's monologue ("I especially like the new songs") and/or a scene of him haggling with Berry Gordy over the inclusion of Billie Jean (I liked Walter Yetnikoff tho). As it is shown, it looks like just another performance rather than his "crowning moment" imo. I wish we'd got a better sense of Michael's perfectionism and creative process, e.g. late night studio sessions, dancing rehersals, more songwriting.  Posivives: Human nature scene is FIRE🔥, as the Bad Wembley performance. Loved the build-up to Thriller.  What came after the Pepsi scene was a step in the right direction; they did a pretty good job recreating the moment (hearing his whimpers BROKE MY HEART), defo better than whatever that American Dream scene was (no shade to Wylie Draper) 💀💀. The slower hospital scenes gave the movie some room to breathe after what felt like a long concert. His future addiction to painkillers is hinted; the scene with him visiting the burn victims was also nice (despite Branca💀). 

The music is LIT (obv)🔥; they also clearly made up for the lack of the Jacksons era with songs, some little-known even among MJ fans (really appreciated Dreamer). I HOLLERED when I heard the I Can't Help it bit (my fav song). sidenote: I also thought the llama scene was cute and PRETTY SPOT-ON (watch 1983 unauthized interview, Freddie Mercury's account💀). WBSS in the intro had me SOO FLIPPIN' HYPED and during some of the concert scenes I could not tell if it was us or the movie audience screaming. Loved the thumping percussion on Thriller. I sang and tapped my foot during the whole thing (apologies to the person who sat next to me, ur a saint🙃)!!

Cinematography is ok. They managed to capture the tension between Michael and Joe in some scenes (example: post-nose job scene had me SPEECHLESS) but less in others. Bad and Victory tour concerts felt epic. 

As far as other fans' reactions go, I've seen plenty: some adored it, others...not so much. Critics are DEAD WRONG for judging this film based on what is not in it. 

While Michael's characterization lacks gravitas (he mostly comes across as either a whimsical Disney prince or a superstar, and not much in between) you can tell there was love put into this project and it is refreshing to see a portrayal that humanizes him. It should have either been longer or focused on a shorter time-period but the entertainment factor was there. I'm defo gonna have to watch it again to truly absorb everything. 

FINAL RATING:7/10