Bad 252012

As a snapshot of a time, a talent and an album, Spike Lee’s absorbing, moving and resolutely toe-tapping documentary about the music and impact of Michael Jackson’s album Bad, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, is a wonderfully complex look into the creative genius of Jackson.

I'm usually not a big fan of talking-head interview-style documentaries, and with a runtime of 2 hours and 11 minutes, i thought i'm gonna be incredibly bored by it, but then i forgot that the subject matter of the documentary is Michael Jackson's Bad, i'm a huge Michael Jackson fan, and Bad isn't just my favorite album of his, it's one of my favorite albums of all time, i love every single track on it, they're all classics, all masterpieces, so of course i'm gonna enjoy it from start to finish. Bad 25 also deserves credit for its unseen footage, which is genuinely fascinating to watch, more importantly, the conversations throughout the film really work, you hear from people who were not only directly involved, participate, and work with Michael, but also musicians who are simply fans, and that mix makes everything feel more personal and engaging, i was hooked the entire time. I even got a bit emotional near the end, especially when the "Man in the Mirror" section kicks in and carries through to the closing moments, ending the film with a performance from the tour is a powerful choice, and it really lands. Overall, Spike Lee does a decent job from a filmmaking standpoint, but what truly makes Bad 25 special is the subject itself, the man, the music, the stories, the footage, and the people, it comes together as a heartfelt celebration of one of the greatest albums of all time, at least in my opinion.

The film is a sensational snapshot of the peak of the music video as art form, as well as the intricately layered process by which superior pop is crafted.