Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story

This 'movie' (and i use the term loosely) is a perfect example of all that is wrong with the world! Where do I even start? Firstly, this is a biopic about one of the greatest musicians that ever lived yet it features absolutely none of his music whatsoever. Secondly, the guy playing Michael Jackson didn't look like Michael Jackson.....he looked even less like him after the plastic surgery scene where they smothered his face in talcum powder making him look like.....well, a black man smothered in talcum powder. Towards the end, he looked more like the Joker than Michael Jackson - I was half expecting him, to say 'Why so seriousss'!

His voice was sot on in some places,but mostly too deep. Michael Jackson was basically portrayed as a simpleton that constantly acts like a toddler. It was bad (and not bad as in 'good' like the album bad.....bad as in What?? Grrrrr) Elizabeth Taylor was portrayed so badly in this, I had to cringe and watch through my fingers. From the over the top acting to the little round sticker they put on her face to look like a beauty spot. (It didn't, it looked like a little round sticker....because it was) Debbie rowe was way too pretty to be debbie rowe. The only people that were any good in this were the actors playing Michaels parents (but they were hardly in it) and the girl playing Lisa Marie Presley (again, not in it much)and the bloke that played Martin Bashir. Jordan Chandler and Gavin Arvizo both bizarrely had different names in this for no apparent reason (though I'm guessing legal reasons). I don't know if Michael Jackson had the displeasure of viewing this before he died, but I can only assume that if he did, he had his mouth wide open in utter disbelief throughout the entire excruciating 86 minutes.

The writers and creators of this film should actually be sued... For polluting the world with this crap! "Man In The Mirror" is in fact beyond horrible! Way, way, way beyond!

...and people, I'm not just saying that because I'm a Michael Jackson-fan! Or due to the fact that this is truly one of the most retarded depictions of his life I've ever encountered!

I'm saying it because this is a waste of time, money and celluloid! I feel ashamed of myself just having seen all of it! That's 1 hour and 26 min of my life I'll never get back! I'm telling you; watching grass grow is literally more entertaining than this film!

Consider yourselves warned!

The main word that comes to mind when considering this film is "dodgy". This is a low-quality film biography of one of the most iconic performers of all time. The Gloved One deserved better.

Before getting into the meat of my thoughts on this biopic, I have to say that there are two things I found effective. First was the use of actual fan footage and interviews at certain points in the film, especially in the scenes depicting the first set of child molestation allegations. I feel that this contributed a certain authenticity that was *severely* lacking throughout the rest of the film. Second was the sequence depicting the courtship of Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley. I will not comment on whether I believe the marriage was a sham, but by many accounts, it was a relationship where care and affection existed between the two parties involved. That really came across in this film; Flex Anderson and Krista Rae had decent enough chemistry to pull it off. These successful points are enough to keep Man in the Mirror away from 1-star status.

That said...there was very little else here that worked. Very few of the actors looked like the people they were supposed to portray, most egregiously those playing Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Jackson, and Diana Ross. Also, the absence of Jackson's music was a huge loss. How can you effectively tell a story about him without his music?? I understand that they were unable to secure the rights to it with this being a low-budget, unauthorized production; it seems, though, that if you can't have the man's music in a film about him, you might as well pack it up and go home, because you're missing out on an extremely important part of his life story.

This film's characterization of Jackson bothered me a little, too. I won't argue that he was troubled and may have been a few fries short of a value meal, but here, he was portrayed as something close to mentally disabled. I don't believe that Jackson, known to have been a shrewd businessman, would have been quite as naive about how the adult world works as he was made out to be in this film.

Finally, the way this film was written was nothing short of disgraceful. Many lines or exchanges of dialogue were either extremely corny, like Michael and Janet's "Tinkerbell" exchange, or nonsensical, like the "Blanket of love" comments made by Michael. Also, the screenwriters don't exactly have a knack for subtlety. There was a lot of telegraphing of upcoming events ("What could possibly go wrong??" sorts of lines) and extremely overt hammering of themes and motifs in the film (if I'd heard the word "believe" one more time...). This is what ultimately hobbled the film as something that could be considered awesomely bad.

Perhaps when we are a few years, or even a decade or three, removed from Jackson's death, someone will be able to bring his story to life in a more deserving film. By that time, we might have a better perspective on his life, and someone will be able to present a truly thoughtful examination of who Michael Jackson really was and what he's meant to the world of entertainment. This very dodgy biopic was not that film.

I'm not one who would regularly give a negative review of a movie, even I have liked movies that others have blasted. However, I have to make a huge exception here:

First of all, there was no Michael Jackson music throughout the movie. And every scene was more like a sequence that lack depth, and the movie didn't tell us anything we didn't already know.

If you expected to see a sequel of "Jacksons: An American Family" you will be sorely disappointed, as this movie isn't nearly as deep.

Personally, I will rate a ** out of *****. (And I think I'm being generous).

Just accidentally caught this on some cheap, free 'cable channel'. Hilarious. If anyone has ever seen Star Stories, the British satire on celebrity, then they will enjoy this appalling attempt at entertainment. For starters, Michael Jackson was about 5'9", not 6'3" as portrayed by the far- too-butch actor Flex Alexander. He was also a creme colour, not green! The producers ought to have solicited the talent of some impersonator. This film made even Jurassic Shark look good, which is saying something. In other words, I highly recommend watching this if you roll in drunk one evening and want a giggle for a bit... BELIEVE!!!!! Shamone!