As we get closer to the tenth anniversary of Michael Jackson's death, expect more projects like this to come out of the woodwork. With that said, I wasn't expecting much when the special was being promoted. There's been so many biographies and documentaries coming from all directions in the eight years he's been gone. Sadly, each story seems to contradict the others in some sort of way, so it was really tough to see what this special was going to do.
The story is apparently based on a book, which I have yet to read. It does make me very interested in reading it. The story is told from two of his security guards, who became two of his very few trusted friends.We follow them and Jackson through the last stages of his life.
The special shows him as a loving father, an overly nice individual, but still a stress-filled wreck because of his fame and legal past. An individual who's having trouble finding any sort of trust in anybody, and has been betrayed by those around him because of his legal history. It also explores his financial situation, someone who is rich but with no control over his finances because of his debt.
The guards are actually on-screen more than Jackson's character, which is actually pretty effective.
My main complaint on this special is that it is incredibly sanitized. They try way too hard to not offend anybody with it and seemed to purposely present it in a way that wouldn't lead to controversy, particularly with Jackson's estate, whom did not approve the special.
That's not to say it's bad, it's actually pretty good. The performances are wonderful, with Navi shining in his portrayal of Michael Jackson. It's also well filmed, and it hits almost all the right notes emotionally. It does fall flat in places with its pace, but for the most part, it's well told. I have heard the book is far more detailed, but that's almost always the case when it comes to book adaptations.
So overall, it's definitely okay to sit through. My only advise is not to go into it too overly hyped by expecting something as good as the 1992 miniseries, An American Dream and you'll be fine.
The story is apparently based on a book, which I have yet to read. It does make me very interested in reading it. The story is told from two of his security guards, who became two of his very few trusted friends.We follow them and Jackson through the last stages of his life.
The special shows him as a loving father, an overly nice individual, but still a stress-filled wreck because of his fame and legal past. An individual who's having trouble finding any sort of trust in anybody, and has been betrayed by those around him because of his legal history. It also explores his financial situation, someone who is rich but with no control over his finances because of his debt.
The guards are actually on-screen more than Jackson's character, which is actually pretty effective.
My main complaint on this special is that it is incredibly sanitized. They try way too hard to not offend anybody with it and seemed to purposely present it in a way that wouldn't lead to controversy, particularly with Jackson's estate, whom did not approve the special.
That's not to say it's bad, it's actually pretty good. The performances are wonderful, with Navi shining in his portrayal of Michael Jackson. It's also well filmed, and it hits almost all the right notes emotionally. It does fall flat in places with its pace, but for the most part, it's well told. I have heard the book is far more detailed, but that's almost always the case when it comes to book adaptations.
So overall, it's definitely okay to sit through. My only advise is not to go into it too overly hyped by expecting something as good as the 1992 miniseries, An American Dream and you'll be fine.