Synopsis
Director Spike Lee chronicles Michael Jackson's early rise to fame.
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Cast
- Michael JacksonSelf (archive footage)
- Quincy JonesSelf
- Rosie PerezSelf
- Pharrell WilliamsSelf
- Mark RonsonSelf
- Esperanza SpaldingSelf
- Kobe BryantSelf
- David ByrneSelf
- Misty CopelandSelf
- Lee DanielsSelf
Recommendations
- 88
RogerEbert.com
Exquisitely researched, beautifully put together, with that celebratory knowledgeable chorus of voices pouring over us, what Spike Lee's documentary really is is an act of love. - 75
Entertainment Weekly
Lee’s documentary is, ultimately, enjoyably nostalgic, but says little more than what we already know. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Lee's interest in Jackson goes beyond an appreciation of his music to acknowledge what an important figure the performer remains in black culture, bridging the divide that continued to separate many black artists from mainstream acceptance. - 70
Los Angeles Times
Lee keeps his celebration smart and not soppy. He gets you excited, makes you feel the moment, see what was new in it, why it mattered. - 70
Variety
This bouncily entertaining doc may boast only a notch more formal ambition than a very well-assembled “Behind the Music” special, but is no less essential than Lee’s first MJ opus, the excellent “Bad 25.” - 60
BBC
Lee’s film takes a deep dive into the music, and it succeeds in making that aural nostalgia exhilarating. But a movie called Michael Jackson’s Journey that leaves out the personal dimension of that transformation is missing a key part of the story. - 60
The Guardian
It’s a brazen celebration of Jackson, which unlike Lee’s other documentary work doesn’t look under the hood to tell the whole story and examine some of the more uncomfortable inner workings. - 60
The New York Times
What it resembles more than anything is a deluxe extended episode of a television music-biography series like “Unsung” (or “Behind the Music” minus the scandals).
