Flex Alexander's affecting performance in the lead role lifts Man in the Mirror, an account of the troubled, turbulent adult life of Michael Jackson. And a grim, melodramatic, and sometimes way over-the-top tale it is, as ... more »the film chronicles the litany of catastrophes visited on Jackson since Thriller turned him into the self-proclaimed King of Pop. It's all here: the Jehovah's Witnesses' horrified reaction to the supposedly blasphemous "Thriller" video (a disclaimer was added at their behest); the filming of the Pepsi commercial during which Jackson's hair caught on fire; the constant hectoring and bullying by his father, Joseph Jackson, and his subsequent alienation from his family; his many cosmetic surgeries; the debacle that was his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley; the controversial incident when he dangled his newborn son from his Berlin hotel room window; and, of course, the ongoing allegations of child molestation (to their credit, the filmmakers are fairly circumspect about the latter, neither condemning nor exonerating him). Through it all, Alexander plays Jackson as a true innocent, guileless and easily manipulated, wondering how the world can be so wicked ("What's wrong with love?" is a frequent refrain), and yet essentially kind, likable, and devoted to his fans. Alexander has Jackson's voice down, as well as some of his dance moves, and if Man in the Mirror contains no actual Jackson songs or realistic performance footage, well, that's life in the low-budget world of made-for-TV movies (it originally aired in 2004 on VH-1). Man in the Mirror hardly qualifies as great art, but in the end, it's nothing more, or less, than diverting, voyeuristic good fun. --Sam Graham« less
"This is the first movie I have seen that I wanted to rip the DVD out of the player and break it. The acting sucks. In fact, the extras in the movie give better performances than the leads. The story sucks. You could make a fun drinking game though. Watch the movie and drink every time MJ says the word neverland.
If you are not a MJ fan, you will hate this movie. If you are a normal MJ fan, you will hate this movie. If you are the biggest MJ fan in the world, you will HATE this movie.
Pop question hot shot....What's the stupidest idea ever? No Michael Jackson music in a Michael Jackson movie! Yep that's right. No Beat It, no Thriller, no Billy Jean. Just cheesey music.
Take the money you were about to spend on this DVD and pay someone to kick you in the balls, hard, because that would be better than this movie."
Try again VH1!!!
R. C. Culbreath | 05/02/2006
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Who ever played the part of Michael Jackon needs to be monkey stomped to death!!!-I find it hard to believe that someone would take the time out to write, direct, and act in such a tabloid filled mess.-Also, I bet the director never yelled "CUT" once during the entire production of this sorry excuse for a movie!!-If you plan to watch this movie, -let me give you a little advice: Don't waste your time. "Man in the mirror" is very low budget, over-the-top, and meaningless. This movie is a abomination. It lacked four key elements:
1. Entertainment 2. Music 3. Passion 4. -and HEART!
-And any true Michael Jackson fan can tell you, he is all of these things and so much more."
I Have To Agree
Andre S. Grindle | Brewer Maine | 05/05/2005
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Sadly I was looking forward to this VH-1 TV movie.I was expecting more of a 'Movies That Rock' kind of thing.But 'Man In The Mirror' isn't.So I will list the ten reasons why:
1:The movie begins in 1984-not when he began recording
solo and having plastic surgery and first became a star.
It just picks up where The Jacksons - An American Dream (The Complete Miniseries)
left off.
2:The lead actor is dreadful.His face is flat and he
looks more like Powder then MJ (if you remember that movie.And his acting is,at best highly charicatured.
3:Michael's manager in the 1980's Frank Dileo is depicted
but under another name and the actor looks NOTHING like
him.
4:The events depicted in this movie read like a long list
of the National Enquirer's strange and weird fact file
they've kept on Michael for years.Nothing really substantive is revealed.
5:None of Michael Jackson's music is featured-to be replaced by needless dance montages to very ER-ish muzak.
6:This is actually too short.No event is depicted in any
detail,prefering to focus more on Michael's obsession
with his Neverland ranch.
7:His music career is horribly skimped over.The period between 1985 and 1990 (which included the Bad period) is ignored completely.The emphasis
always slings around Michael's odd personal life.
8:The lead character does alot of 'justifying living'
routines I doubt would ever interest the real Michael.
9:The story clearly takes Michael's side in terms of his
skin whitening.
10:The ending is so cutesy and oozy it's almost
unwatchable as we stare into the faces of children of all
ages as Michael makes a bleeting case for his innocence
as he confronts his current charges.
That pretty well covers it.
"
Where do I begin?
Cristine | USA | 03/24/2005
(1 out of 5 stars)
"I am a HUGE Michael Jackson fan & when I saw this movie, I was beyond pissed! This movie seemed to have a budget of $5! The acting was horrible & the actors looked nothing like the people they were supposed to be protraying. The make-up they put on Flex made him look ashy! Where exactly did the people for this movie get there info from cause there's a few things in this movie that they got wrong! It was all way too over the top & it seemed like it was ripped from the tabloids. This movie was a complete joke & it should have never been made!"
TERRIBLE MOVIE!
J. Lovett | Riverdale, ga usa | 02/10/2005
(1 out of 5 stars)
"JUST TERRIBLE. IF YOU DID'NT WANT TO CATCH IT FOR FREE ON VH1..WHY WOULD YOU PAY FOR IT ON DVD? TERRIBLE MOVIE. FLEX IS TOO BLACK AND TOO TALL TO BE MJ. WHAT A WASTE! THE REAL MICHEAL JACKSON MOVIE IS THE ONE WITH ANGELA BASSET AND LAWRENCE HILTON JACOBS. TRUST ME. THIS MOVIE IS A WASTE!"