Antoine Fuqua directs Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long and Colman Domingo in this authorised jukebox musical biopic charting little Michael Jackson’s efforts to have a solo career away from the Jackson 5 and his abusive father.

The Little People, Big Dreams version of the Michael Jackson story. Almost family friendly despite the constant trauma that lurks around every success. It is corny. It is sanitised. Yet it makes a palatable, diplomatic, if garish, beauty out of the horrid necessities it needs to bodypop and moonwalk around. It navigates the distastefully obsessive fanbase, the cash grabbing family and management team, Bubbles and THE ALLEGATIONS quite delicately. It was always going to be a mad, post truth endeavour. But it absolutely gets the music up on screen with blockbuster verve. That “We Did It With Bohemian Rhapsody” Graham King template works double bubble overtime. The pop icon we fell in love with as kids and who was kicked death around 1993 is resurrected. I’m happy the image version … the King Of Pop brand… can be revived in such an entertaining way. Domingo is fairy tale evil, hidden under Eddie Murphy levels of prosthetic make-up (and playing how I imaging Eddie would play it if someone had the testicles to cast him as Joe Jackson). MJ’s real life nephew, Jaafar Jackson, has got the moves. The triple whammy finale of Human Nature, Workin’ Day And Night and Bad is undeniably glorious. All the iconic hoofing and noise making is. Go for the razzle dazzle and switch off the controversy. Michael is a brass knuckle blast. And if your heart ain’t pure for this at least the Bloods and Crips dance-off scene will fill your sarcastic snarky little cups. Sincerely ridiculous fantasy.

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Perfect Double Bill: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)