Biographies of larger-than-life figures usually promise revelation—some fresh lens through which we can revisit a legend. With Michael, filmmaker Antoine Fuqua takes on the daunting task of revisiting the life of Michael Jackson, a man whose story has already played out on the world’s biggest stage. That raises a central dilemma: should a film like this reshape public memory, defend the man behind the myth, or confront the uncomfortable duality of genius and imperfection? Michael neither interrogates nor truly understands its subject, settling for a polished but hollow retelling The narrative charts Jackson’s journey from a precocious child performer in Gary, Indiana, to a global superstar redefining pop culture. It moves through the Jackson 5 years, his evolution as a solo artist, and his collaborations with Quincy Jones, while placing heavy emphasis on his fraught relationship with his father, Joe Jackson. Milestones like Off the Wall and Thriller are recreated, leading up to his peak years, before the film abruptly closes with a suggestion that the story will continue. The good What keeps the film …