Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Spike Lee pays tribute to Michael Jackson's Bad on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the epochal album, offering behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson recording the album and interviews with confidants, musicians, choreographers, and such music-world superstars as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey.
Spike Lee's documentary on Bad's 25th anniversary is a solid, affectionate tribute with genuine archival treasure — the behind-the-scenes recording footage is the real draw. Interviews with collaborators and artists add warmth, though the talking-head format is fairly conventional for music docs. The cinematography blends archival and contemporary footage competently but unremarkably. Novelty is modest — the celebration-of-an-album format is well-worn, though the specific access to Jackson's creative process elevates it slightly. The ending doesn't land with particular impact, wrapping things up somewhat routinely without a memorable final note.