Michael Movie Reviews: Mixed Reactions

The Michael Jackson biopic "Michael," set to premiere in Korea on May 13th, will open in the United States on the 24th (local time). With a blockbuster production budget of $200 million (approximately 295.7 billion won), the film is projected for an "all-time great" box office opening in its first week in the U.S. The movie covers Jackson's career from his days in the Jackson 5 to his solo peak in 1988. Jaafar Jackson, Michael's actual nephew and the son of his brother Jermaine, stars in the lead role. Many family members, including his son Prince Jackson and siblings Jermaine, Jackie, Marlon, and La Toya Jackson, attended the premiere at the Dolby Theatre in LA.

However, his younger sister Janet Jackson, 60, politely declined the offer to appear and is not featured in the film at all. La Toya told Variety, "I wanted everyone to be in the movie. Janet was asked, but she politely declined, and we have to respect that decision." TMZ reported that during a private family screening, Jaafar's father and Michael Jackson's brother, Jermaine, gave a standing ovation and praised the film, while Janet showed a highly critical reaction, creating tension between the two. Page Six had previously reported that Janet raised several criticisms about the film after a private screening.

Michael's daughter, Paris Jackson, 28, also did not attend the premiere. She posted on Instagram, "This movie and I are not 1% involved," and publicly criticized, "I read the early script and gave my opinion on the parts that weren't honest, but they weren't reflected. This movie caters to the fantasy that a certain fandom of my father wants to live." In contrast, his son Prince stayed on set throughout the filming, and another son, Bigi, 24, attended the Berlin premiere to show his support.

Critical reviews are mixed. While there are harsh criticisms such as "it's closer to an advertisement than a movie" and "a jukebox for fans," there have also been accolades calling the performance of lead actor Jaafar Jackson "​overwhelming." A representative review stated, "It's an enjoyable film thanks to Jaafar Jackson's powerful performance and Michael Jackson's iconic music." The box office outlook is bright, with Forbes predicting first-weekend earnings of $65 million to $70 million (approximately 96.3 to 103.7 billion won). This figure surpasses the opening weekend performance of the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, "Bohemian Rhapsody," which earned $51.06 million.

Adapting webtoons, novels, and games into live-action films has the advantage of being easier to visualize and leveraging the popularity of the original work, as it involves new creations based on the original world. However, it also comes with the disadvantages of interference from original fans and comparisons to the original work. The movie "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint," released on the 23rd, is based on a web novel, and original fans are expressing concerns about the visualization of its vast world and disappointment with the changes made after its release. Fans have reacted with comments like, "There's no respect or understanding of the original work," and "Why adapt the original work to create a different story?"