Spike Lee slams 'Michael' movie critics, praises 'beautiful' singer
Director Spike Lee, who worked with Michael Jackson, has his own verdict on the new biopic.
Brendan MorrowSpike Lee knew Michael Jackson, and he thinks critics of the new biopic have got it all wrong.
In a conversation with CNN, the Oscar-winning "Do the Right Thing" director, 69, praised the movie "Michael" and pushed back on criticism that the film ignored the child sexual abuse allegations against the "Bad" singer.
"I've seen ['Michael'] twice," Lee told CNN. "Love it."
The filmmaker added, "If you're a critic, and you're complaining about all this other stuff [that isn't in the movie]. But the movie ends in '88! And the stuff you're talking about, accusations, happened [later]. So you're critiquing the film on something that you want in it, but it doesn't work in the timeline of the film!"
The movie stars Jaafar Jackson, the pop icon's nephew, and is directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Lee directed the music video for Jackson's 1996 song "They Don't Care About Us," as well as two documentaries about him: "Bad 25" and "Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall."
Lee pointed to the box office success of "Michael," suggesting audiences have proved the critics wrong by turning out in droves. "People showed up," he said. "Worldwide, people showed their love [of] Michael."
Lee added, "I miss Mike. I miss Prince. I mean, these are my brothers. I worked with both of them. Both beautiful, beautiful people."
"Michael" tells the story of the singer's life from 1966 through 1988, depicting his rise to solo stardom up to his "Bad" tour. The film ends five years before Jackson first faced allegations of sexual abuse, which he denied, in 1993.
According to reports from Puck and Variety, "Michael" was originally set to depict Jackson being accused of molesting 13-year-old Jordan Chandler in 1993, but this plot had to be removed because of a legal settlement barring Chandler's allegations from being dramatized in a movie. The final version of the film focuses heavily on Jackson's music and his struggle to assert himself with his abusive father.
"Michael" was mostly panned by critics, many of whom accused the film of whitewashing the sexual abuse allegations and providing an overly sanitized version of Jackson's life. But the movie has been a huge hit at the box office, setting a record for the biggest opening weekend for a musical biopic ever. It has grossed more than $400 million worldwide so far.
The end of "Michael" teases a sequel that would cover more of the singer's story, but it remains unclear whether this potential second film would address any of the allegations. Jackson was also charged in 2003 with molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo. He was acquitted on all counts in 2005.
Colman Domingo, who plays Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson in "Michael," previously defended the movie ignoring the allegations against Jackson during an appearance on the "Today" show in April.
"We center it on the makings of Michael, so it's an intimate portrait of who Michael is," the actor said, adding that "there's a possibility of there being a Part 2 that may deal with some other things that happen afterward."