Michael at the AMC – IMAX theater in Woodland Hills.

I was seven when I bought my first album by The Jackson 5, ABC. I remember putting the needle on the record. Track 1: "The Love You Save," Track 2: "One More Chance," Track 3: "ABC," Track 4: "2-4-6-8." By the end of that fourth song, I was hooked. From that moment on, I was all in. I bought everything they released, along with Michael Jackson's early solo albums, Music & Me and Ben.
So, when I heard there was going to be a Michael Jackson movie, I was there.

Michael, starring Jaafar Jackson in the title role and Juliano Valdi as a young Michael, did not disappoint. The film transports us back to Gary, Indiana, where it all began. Under the iron-fisted management of their father, Joe Jackson, brilliantly portrayed by Colman Domingo, it's clear from the start that the Jackson 5 was a family business.

The film walks us through the challenges of breaking away from that tight grip and stepping into a solo career, something far easier said than done. Along the way, it offers an intimate look at the creative process behind some of pop music's most iconic songs.

While Michael Jackson's later life became the subject of endless tabloid headlines, this film steers clear of that territory. Instead, it focuses on celebrating his early years and meteoric rise, exactly what a lifelong fan like me was hoping to see.

It was worth every penny and then some. Run, don't walk, to the theater. You'll be glad you did.