'Michael' movie gets enthusiastic reception in Chicago, despite film's omissions

Superfans from ages 6 to 60 poured into the AMC theater in the South Loop for the opening of the “Michael” film on Friday.

There were moviegoers in Michael Jackson T-shirts, glittery black jackets and black hats. Others wore white suits to pay homage to the “Smooth Criminal” video. At least one white glove was spotted in the crowd, which also included members of the Chicago Thriller flash mob. The dancers performed “Beat It” and other classics in the lobby.

Inside the IMAX theater, attendees laughed, cheered and applauded during the film. Some even held hands and danced as the credits rolled.

The biopic was a hit with many Chicago fans, who reveled in nostalgia.

“It was absolutely amazing,” said Takela Foster, 51, of Bronzeville, who wore a “Bille Jean”-inspired outfit that included white socks and high heels.

“I cried, I laughed, I danced. I'm going to come back and see it again and again. I'm probably going to wear a different outfit each time.”

The reception is no surprise, as “Michael” is expected to earn $90 million at the domestic box office, making it the biggest opening for a music biopic. Critics, on the other hand, have been less generous. The film has a 38% Rotten Tomatoes rating, due to reviews blasting the project for failing to include unfavorable aspects of Jackson’s life, such as the multiple child molestation accusations levied against him. (On Friday, the New York Times published a profile on four more accusers, who are suing the Jackson’s estate.)

The estate, which is among the film's producers, is prohibited through a legal settlement with one of Jackson's accusers from depicting events related to the allegations. So, director Antoine Fuqua ended the movie in 1988, before Jackson was accused, leaving the door open for a second film.

Many fans were unfazed, praising the film’s focus on Jackson’s musical impact and philanthropy, as well as his personal struggles with isolation and abuse at the hands of his father. They also lauded Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the lead role.

“I like seeing how [Jackson] was so caring, as opposed to what the media puts out about him,” said Anita Manuel, 39, of Hermosa, who said the pop icon’s alleged crimes shouldn’t be in the film.

“Outside of those allegations, he has a legacy. It’s one that's outstanding. So, I wouldn't touch it. I'll leave that up to God.”

Highlights of the movie include Fuqua’s artful direction and Jaafar’s portrayal of his uncle, particularly during the musical numbers. Fuqua’s shots of Jaafar’s footwork during “Billie Jean” is especially impressive. Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson as a one-note villain, and Nia Long’s Katherine Jackson is much more subdued, compared to Angela Bassett’s dynamic performance in “The Jacksons: An American Dream” TV miniseries from 1992. Though Chicago’s Jason Weaver brought an undeniable charisma as a young Michael Jackson in the TV film, Juliano Valdi does a fine job in the role in “Michael.”

Some figures, most notably Janet Jackson, are absent, and some events are mischaracterized or left out completely. But the film does a solid enough job of capturing Jackson’s rise to prominence, making some young fans feel as though they were present at concerts from before they were born.

“I have no notes,” said Nethra Subramanian, 25, of the South Loop. “I thoroughly enjoyed it. My parents were huge MJ fans, so I grew up listening to his music all the time. So it was really nice to hear a lot of iconic songs in the movie and relive my childhood.”

Subramanian also commended Jaafar’s imitation of his uncle’s dancing and mannerisms.

“There were some parts where I thought it was MJ on the screen,” she said.

When asked about the film’s exclusion of the allegations against Jackson, Subramanian and her two friends, Donte Washington, 35, and Kyosha Hayes, 30, said they think he was innocent. And if the subject is tackled in a second movie, it should “show that he was innocent this whole time, or that [the accusers] only wanted money,” Hayes added.

Fuqua himself has said he isn't convinced of Jackson’s guilt. He told the New Yorker that he originally shot the star “being stripped naked, treated like an animal, a monster,” during a reenactment of the 1993 police raid on Neverland Ranch in California.

The footage was ultimately scrapped.

“I was bummed out because I thought it was included, but, for legal reasons, they can't,” said Oscar Gabriel, 23, of Naperville, who had already seen the “Michael” movie three times by Saturday evening.

“No one is perfect. As human beings, we're very complex, and that's what makes us unique.”