<p>Is Michael a great biopic, or does it work because Michael Jackson’s music is simply impossible to resist?</p><br><p>We review the new Michael Jackson biopic, discussing Jaafar Jackson’s performance, the film’s massive audience response, Michael’s legacy, the controversy around his life, and the major moments the movie glosses over.</p><br><p>Plus, we end with a Michael Jackson song battle — from Thriller and Billie Jean to Beat It, Smooth Criminal, They Don’t Care About Us and more.</p><br><p>Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/V0bjX1WgtxU</p><p><br></p><h4><strong>⏱️ TIMESTAMPS</strong></h4><p>0:34 Welcome to Cognitive Recalibration</p><p>0:48 Introducing Michael and why this episode needed a discussion</p><p>1:11 Box-office success and the scale of Michael Jackson fandom</p><p>2:34 Music biopics, Bohemian Rhapsody, and billion-dollar potential</p><p>3:35 Audience demographics and Gen Z discovering Michael Jackson</p><p>5:57 Critics vs audiences: why the scores are so different</p><p>7:00 Family involvement, controversy, and what the movie avoids</p><p>8:36 Release delays, sequel plans, and the film’s long box-office legs</p><p>10:05 Michael Jackson trivia, the moonwalk, and cultural mythology</p><p>10:29 Initial thoughts: enjoyable experience, flawed movie</p><p>12:37 Emotional connection to Michael’s music and why it still resonates</p><p>13:49 The ending problem and why the movie feels like Part One</p><p>14:45 Word of mouth, social media reactions, and renewed popularity</p><p>16:47 Box-office competition and why Michael has longer legs</p><p>17:11 Jaafar Jackson, the child actor, and Colman Domingo’s performances</p><p>18:56 Spoiler discussion begins: Joe Jackson and Michael’s insecurities</p><p>20:50 The media, Michael’s changing appearance, and vitiligo</p><p>22:49 The movie’s biggest flaw: not enough focus on musical genius</p><p>23:38 Missing the evolution of Michael’s voice, style, and creative identity</p><p>24:43 Quincy Jones, Off the Wall, Thriller, Bad, and missed opportunities</p><p>27:08 Thriller, Bad, music videos, and Michael as a short-film pioneer</p><p>28:46 Why the movie still works as an experience despite its flaws</p><p>30:00 Michael as an underdog and Joe Jackson’s intimidating presence</p><p>31:51 Childhood trauma, loneliness, Bubbles, and the toy store scene</p><p>32:28 The Pepsi commercial, pain medication, and the start of his decline</p><p>33:39 Why the second movie will be harder to make</p><p>34:21 Michael’s estate, masters, streaming money, and artist ownership</p><p>36:55 Relationships, children, siblings, and the drama the film skips</p><p>38:48 Michael’s legacy living through the music</p><p>39:10 Why the sequel should explore albums, tours, and fame more deeply</p><p>40:27 Was Michael Jackson more famous than Taylor Swift?</p><p>41:34 Final thoughts on performances and the film overall</p><p>42:03 Michael Jackson song battle begins: Thriller vs everything</p><p>43:20 Billie Jean takes the crown</p><p>44:49 Human Nature, Stranger in Moscow, and underrated favourites</p><p>46:12 Dirty Diana, PYT, Black or White, and Michael’s deep discography</p><p>47:02 Favourite Michael Jackson songs and streaming numbers</p><p>48:30 Michael’s voice, vocal style, and why his songs are hard to sing</p><p>49:42 Paul McCartney, Beatles rights, and Michael’s music portfolio</p><p>51:22 Neverland and the stories still left for the sequel</p><p>52:15 Closing thoughts on Michael and who should watch it</p><p>53:39 Podcast movie draft talk: Michael, Moana, Minions, and Dune</p><p>54:53 Quick thoughts on Mandalorian &amp; Grogu and upcoming episodes</p><p>55:27 Final sign-off</p><br><p>If you want to support this podcast so we can keep producing our content for free consider the following options:</p><p>Buy us a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/CRecalibration</p><br><p>If you wish to contact us to ask a question or give us some feedback, please do so via the channels below:</p><p>Facebook Page: Cognitive Recalibration</p><p>Instagram: cognitiverecalibration</p><p>Twitter: @CRecalibration</p><p>TikTok: @cogrecal</p><br><p>#MichaelMovie #MichaelJackson #MichaelJacksonBiopic #MichaelReview #KingOfPop #JaafarJackson</p><p>Support this show <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="http://supporter.acast.com/cognitiverecalibration">http://supporter.acast.com/cognitiverecalibration</a>.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>