Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland (2017)

the leading man is my tpye

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Overall an average film at best. I think they left out all kinds of tidbits concerning the last few years of his life. Acting was fairly solid and the guy that played Michael was pretty good. Story could have been deeper though. Anyway would I recommend it? Meh... Take it or leave it.

Michael Jackson was one of those mega-stars you either loved or hated. Loved because of the music he gave to more than one generation, hated because of the allegations of inappropriate behavior behind the scenes. What this film does is attempt to paint a portrait of him as a loving family man concerned more about his children than anything else.The film is told through the eyes of Bill Whitfield (Chad Coleman) and based on the book he wrote. Whitfield was hired as personal protection for Jackson and his family when they returned to the U.S. Jackson and his children returned to the country after having move to Bahrain. With his Neverland estate a place of bad memories the family moves into a temporary home in Las Vegas. Searching for someone to trust the job of relaying the family to the home becomes a permanent protection job for Whitfield.The movie progresses with the quirks of Jackson touched on but never too in depth with most being left out altogether. Instead we're presented with a stream of employees who eventually all fail him, some because of self-interest and others because of his own issues. The main one of those is his unwillingness to return to work even though his financial situation is in decline due to his enormous legal woes and spending habits.As seen through the eyes of Whitfield and his second in command Javon Beard (Sam Adegoke) Jackson is nothing more than a man who wants the best for his children, struggling with the fame he created that now intrudes upon them all. At the same time Jackson comes off as childlike in his own right. While the movie never talks about it, one has to assume that not having the opportunity to truly have a childhood of his own, Jackson struggled with that while trying to be a parent at the same time.The film follows two years in the life of Jackson, from his return to this country through his death. Told in flashbacks while prosecutors interview Whitfield and Javon, it allows them to comment on things as much as provide stories of those two years. What it doesn't do is give any depth to the story of what happened. Most all is puff pieces depicting Jackson in the most flattering way possible.Coleman and Adegoke do the best they can with their performances here making both men very credible. The same can't be said for Navi as Jackson. A professional Jackson impersonator his acting skills are subpar level. It's apparent he's had surgery to appear like Jackson and that seems to have made his facial muscles unable to allow him to speak properly at times or to display any emotions other than full on sad or smile. The end result is to make him as eerie to watch as Jackson became after numerous plastic surgery mishaps.Coming from Lifetime Channel I wasn't expecting much from this movie and the end result matched my expectations. Little is learned of Jackson by the end of the film and rather than take a balanced look at the man the reverence with which he is treated here is palpable.Michael Jackson was not a simple person to understand and no biographical film will ever find a way of peeling back the onion like layers of his life and his mind. When you take a man who was robbed of a normal childhood, whose father was abusive, whose brothers (according to at least one scene in this film) treated him poorly, who was surrounded by sycophants and users and who dreamed of little more than a normal life while encouraged by those around him to live abnormally you begin to realize no simple film will do him justice. This one does less than that attempting to glorify him instead. Worse yet it does so in the most bland way possible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Navi was outstanding in his acting debut as Michael and was more realistic than many others I've seen in other documentaries etc. The story line was great. It was lovely to see the relationship between Michael and his security. It was also great to see Michaels sense of humour as well as his vulnerability. Navi's portrayal of the vulnerable and upset Michael was touching and brought a tear to my eyes. His relationship with his children was amazing and his protectiveness towards them. I would love to see Hollywood produce a blockbuster movie on MJ now. You have the best actor for the part as his singing and dancing is second to none and it's difficult to tell the difference between Michael and Navi if you are just listening to the track. This film was more of a success for the USA than many others about Michael. You've found your Michael in Navi. Let us all relive the King of Pop through him.

I think Navi was a great actor. He is obviously a shrewd businessman like Michael was. I am sure that only he (after being so close to Michael) could tell his story around 2009.Unfortunately, the story was weak in a few moments. The one big dramatic & good moment was (spoiler) about a brother of his "acting out" when he needed money. Other than that the movie was repetitive. Most of us fans wanted Conrad Murray moments to see how that man ticked but those moments may be a totally separate movie. On the one hand, although Murray should not be glorified, he should not have just been given an introduction. He did way more than treat the kids. That is the real story.Finally, contrary to another review, Navi also has brown skin like Michael did. I'm not sure where the other user reviewer got the notion that Navi was white. They showed Navi on a special right after and his skin was brown as The Jacksons with no make up. Nevertheless, he was obviously a top MJ impersonator who will make even more of a name for himself, until he is ready to retire.