66
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyRogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyExquisitely 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.
- Lee’s documentary is, ultimately, enjoyably nostalgic, but says little more than what we already know.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyLee'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.
- 70Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydLos Angeles TimesRobert LloydLee 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.
- 60The GuardianLanre BakareThe GuardianLanre BakareIt’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.
- 58ConsequenceMichael RoffmanConsequenceMichael RoffmanThe film is a friendly, warm, and inviting documentary that dances and shouts without ever shaking its body down to the ground. There aren’t any revelations, there aren’t any demons, and there’s zero drama. It’s simply another rolodex of talking heads — including David Byrne, speak of the devil — that want to talk about Michael Jackson.
- 58The PlaylistNick SchagerThe PlaylistNick SchagerSpike Lee’s documentary on this formative period in Michael Jackson’s career derives its electric, enlivening energy from these fantastic clips. Alas, they’re not enough to alter the fact that this non-fiction effort . . . is merely a nostalgic promotional puff piece meant to look back fondly, and uncritically, at an artist transitioning from a youth-oriented pop fad to the biggest star in the world.