the mommy avenger

You guys, I am so excited to share this one with you. We had the incredible privilege of being invited to an early screening of Michael, the new Lionsgate biopic about the one and only Michael Jackson — and it opens in theaters everywhere this week. If you are on the fence about seeing it, let me be the one to push you right off that fence and directly into the nearest movie theater. You’re welcome.

Okay, so let me start at the beginning. You know me. I am a sucker for a good biopic. There is something about getting a peek behind the curtain of someone’s life — learning who they were before the world decided who they were — that just gets me every single time. I love the details. I love the adversity. I love watching someone figure out exactly what they are made of. And this movie? This movie delivers all of that in the most extraordinary way.

The film traces Michael Jackson’s story from the very beginning — his family’s rise into show business, the early days, the foundation of everything that made him him. We get some serious insight into his background, the family dynamics, and above all, the relentless drive and fierce determination for perfection that pushed Michael to become the greatest entertainer the world has ever seen. It is fast-paced and fun and completely riveting from the first scene to the last.

We are treated to performance after incredible performance as a young Michael lights up the stage alongside his brothers as the Jackson 5. Watching that journey from group act to a history-making, world-conquering solo career is joyful in a way that is genuinely hard to put into words. I’ll try anyway: it felt like being let in on a secret. Like getting a front-row seat to greatness in the making.

And I will be completely honest with you — for this particular mama, who grew up with Michael Jackson’s music as literally the soundtrack of her entire childhood, this was deeply personal. His songs made up the music of my youth. Hearing hit after hit — songs I have known by heart since I was a little girl — playing out in those glorious scenes, with that kind of full-throttle energy? I had goosebumps more than once. More than twice. Okay, I may have had goosebumps basically the entire time. No regrets.

The music in this film is simply incredible. I mean, truly — you forget, after so many years, just how many undeniable, era-defining smashes this man produced. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” “Thriller” — you are sitting there thinking, wait, he did THIS too? And that too?! It is song after song after song, and every single one hits just as hard as it did when you first heard it. There is something about hearing these tracks in a proper IMAX theater with the volume cranked up that transforms the whole experience. You stop being a moviegoer and start being a fan all over again.

That whole story? The creative vision behind it, the fight to get it made, the way those videos changed the entire landscape of music and pop culture? Fascinating. I love when a biopic gives you those details — the stuff you always wanted to know but never quite got the full story on. This movie does that beautifully. It reminds you that what looked effortless was actually the result of an almost obsessive creative genius who never, ever settled.

Now, I know there has been some chatter out there about this film being a glossy, sanitized version of Michael Jackson’s story. I want to address that directly, because I think it is not a fair critique — at all. This is the beginning of his story. This is the part about who he was, where he came from, and how he became the icon we know. As we all sat there in that theater together, I felt something really beautiful happen: we were all fans again. All of us, just people who loved the music, reliving the talent, untouched by the cloud of controversy that would later cast a shadow over his legacy. There is real value in that. There is room to honor genius without every story having to carry the weight of everything that came after. This is Chapter One. And it is a great chapter.

And now — can we please talk about the casting?! Because Jaafar Jackson — Michael’s actual nephew — is nothing short of extraordinary in this role. I mean, can we? His movements were absolutely uncanny. The moonwalk, the poses, the way he held his body — it was impossible to look away. There were moments where I genuinely had to remind myself I was watching a performance. Jaafar carries this film with so much grace and specificity that you feel like you are watching something that was simply always meant to be. The casting is not just good. It is perfect.

We saw it in IMAX, and I cannot stress enough how much that added to the experience. Truly, half the movie felt like we were attending an actual concert. The stage sequences are spectacular — the kind of thing that makes you want to leap to your feet and scream. My family was completely absorbed start to finish, and by the time the credits rolled, we all had the same reaction: Wait. That’s it? There’s so much more story to tell!

And here is the best news: there IS more to come! While this part of the story wraps up beautifully, we were delighted to learn that the filmmakers are already planning to continue. This is just the beginning of the full picture, and honestly? I left that theater more excited than ever to see where the story goes next. There is still so much of what Michael Jackson accomplished that we have not even touched on yet — and I cannot wait.

^{*we were invited to facilitate a feature, all opinions are our own*}