IMAX magnifies Michael’s brilliance – and blind spots

At the launch of the new IMAX theatre at The Zone in Rosebank, Johannesburg, Michael opens on a stage and keeps returning to it. That choice says everything about where the film finds its strength. It also highlights the true impact of the IMAX format.

The performance sequences are delivered with electrifying force. The camera stays close, giving a clear view of how tightly controlled the movement is, how each shift in balance is managed, and how long a gesture is sustained before the next takes over. On a screen of this scale, that level of detail becomes inescapable. It draws the eye in and keeps it there.

The sound mix fills the auditorium immersively, with bass that travels through the space and vocals that remain crisp. During these stretches, focus fixes on the screen without effort, and the film feels fully in command of its medium.

The transition away from the stage loosens the effect, and the film begins to feel assembled rather than unfolding.

Michael Jackson’s relationship with his father runs on a single, unbroken line. Each scene reinforces the same dynamic of control, pressure, and fear. That gives the relationship clarity, but over time it also narrows it. There is little sense of progression, or of how that dynamic evolves as Jackson grows older. The repetition becomes noticeable, and the emotional effect begins to level out rather than deepen.

The central performance carries the same divide between precision and distance.

During the musical sequences, the physical work does the heavy – and deeply convincing – lifting. Movement feels deliberate, grounded, and fully realised across the vast space of the screen. These are the moments that sustain the power of the movie.

In the dramatic scenes, that same control becomes more visible in a different way. Dialogue is delivered with care and reactions appear almost too measured. There are brief moments where something less controlled surfaces, like a look that carries uncertainty, and those moments stand out precisely because they are so rare.

The film’s treatment of the Jackson family adds another layer to this distance. The brothers are present throughout, yet they never emerge as individuals. There is no sense of distinct personalities, no acknowledgement of their own musical paths or achievements. They function as a backdrop to Michael’s story, moving in and out of scenes without leaving a clear impression. Given their role in shaping the group’s success, and their involvement in the film itself as executive producers, that absence becomes striking.

The structure moves through the major stages of Jackson’s life at pace. Childhood, early success, and global fame are each introduced through key events, then quickly left behind. The transitions between these phases come without much space to absorb what has just happened.

That places more emphasis on the performance sequences, since they are the only parts given room to develop. They provide continuity in a film that otherwise moves in quick steps from one moment to the next. Scenes between performances often feel like bridges, moving the story forward without deepening it.

IMAX amplifies this contrast. When the film is aligned with its strengths, the scale enhances every detail. When it moves into its more uneven dramatic territory, the same scale exposes it. Close-ups stretch across the screen, and the difference between conviction and construction becomes easier to see. Small inconsistencies in tone or performance are harder to overlook, as well as the flip side: the angelic smile that is almost a permanent feature of the portrayal of Michael by Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew. In contrast, the musical sequences gain presence and clarity.

The film also draws a clear boundary around the life it chooses to show. It ends before the most controversial chapters, stopping short of the period that continues to define much of the public debate around Jackson. That decision leaves a noticeable gap in the portrait, closing the story at a point that feels over-curated. 

What remains, though, are the performances. They carry a level of precision and presence that cuts through the uneven storytelling around them. Those sequences linger, leaving one almost mesmerised by the musical genius of Michael Jackson.

Michael is currently screening in cinemas in South Africa.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx, editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za, and author of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI – The African Edge”.