If you grew up in the late eighties, you probably remember the silver VHS box. It felt heavy. It felt important. Michael Jackson the Moonwalker movie wasn't just a film; it was a fever dream captured on 35mm celluloid. Honestly, trying to explain the plot to someone who hasn't seen it is a nightmare.
Is it a concert film? Sorta. Is it a long-form music video? Sometimes. Is it a sci-fi epic where the King of Pop turns into a literal chrome robot and then a spaceship to fight Joe Pesci?
Yes. Absolutely.
Released in 1988, right at the peak of the Bad era, this project was the ultimate flex of creative ego and sheer, unadulterated star power. It didn't follow the rules of Hollywood because, at that point, Michael Jackson didn't have to. He was the rule.
What Actually Happens in Michael Jackson the Moonwalker Movie?
The structure is a mess. I mean that in the most affectionate way possible, but let’s be real—it’s a collage. The film kicks off with a massive live performance of "Man in the Mirror," which gives way to a nostalgic montage of Jackson’s career. You see the Jackson 5, the Motown 25 performance, and the Thriller madness. It’s a victory lap.
Then things get weird.
We get "Badder," a parody of the "Bad" music video featuring kids in the roles of the gang members. It’s cute, sure, but it’s a total detour. Then we hit the "Speed Demon" segment. This is where Will Vinton’s "Claymation" comes in. Michael is chased by paparazzi and fans, eventually having a dance-off with a stop-motion rabbit named Spike. It’s frantic and high-energy. It’s also a deeply personal look at how Jackson felt hunted by the public.
But the meat of the film—the part everyone remembers—is the "Smooth Criminal" segment.
This is where the actual "movie" part of Michael Jackson the Moonwalker movie lives. Michael plays a hero protecting three kids (including Sean Lennon, son of John Lennon) from a drug kingpin named Mr. Big, played by a very intense Joe Pesci. Pesci is obsessed with getting kids addicted to drugs—a plot point that feels incredibly "1980s PSA"—and Michael has to stop him using the power of dance, magic, and transforming into a giant robot.
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The Smooth Criminal Legacy and the Anti-Gravity Lean
You can't talk about this movie without talking about the club scene. The "Smooth Criminal" sequence is arguably the greatest music video ever filmed. It’s a 1930s noir dreamscape filled with fedoras, pinstripes, and some of the tightest choreography in human history.
This is where the world first saw the "anti-gravity lean."
At the time, people thought it was movie magic or wires. And in the film, it mostly was. But Michael was so committed to the bit that he actually co-patented a special shoe system to recreate the lean live on stage. The shoes had a slot in the heel that hooked onto a peg in the floor.
It’s that level of detail that makes this movie endure. The set design of the "Club 30s" is immaculate. The lighting is moody. When Michael tosses a coin across the room into the jukebox, it’s iconic. It’s pure cinema.
Production Chaos and the $22 Million Price Tag
Making this wasn't easy. It wasn't cheap either. Production started around 1987, and the budget ballooned to roughly $22 million. In today’s money, that’s a massive chunk of change for what was essentially a direct-to-video release in the United States.
Wait, did you know it didn't hit US theaters?
That’s a common misconception. While it was a theatrical hit in Europe, South America, and Japan, it went straight to home video in the States in early 1989. And it crushed it. It became the best-selling music video of all time at the point of its release.
Director Jerry Kramer had the unenviable task of stitching together segments directed by different people. Colin Chilvers handled the "Smooth Criminal" portion, while Jim Blashfield did the "Leave Me Alone" segment. The latter is a masterpiece of surrealist editing, winning a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. It featured Michael dancing with the bones of the Elephant Man and riding a rocket through a giant version of himself. It was his way of mocking the tabloid "Wacko Jacko" persona. It was brilliant. It was weird. It was very Michael.
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Why the Sega Genesis Game Matters
If you were a gamer back then, the Michael Jackson the Moonwalker movie meant something else: the Sega Genesis game.
Most movie tie-in games are garbage. We know this. But the Moonwalker game was different. It used 16-bit renditions of "Smooth Criminal" and "Beat It" that actually sounded good. You played as Michael, rescuing kids from closets and bushes, and your "special attack" was making all the enemies dance with you until they exploded.
It’s one of the few instances where a movie and a video game are inextricably linked in the cultural psyche. You can’t think of one without the other. The game even featured Michael’s own digitized voice saying "Who's bad!" and "Hee-hee!" It was a massive marketing win for Sega and helped cement the film's cult status among younger fans.
The Technical Wizardry of the Transformation
The climax of the film sees Michael cornered by Mr. Big’s army. Instead of surrendering, he transforms.
First, he becomes a sleek, silver car (a Lancia Stratos Zero prototype). Then, he becomes a massive, armored robot. This wasn't just cheap CGI—mostly because CGI barely existed yet. It was a mix of practical effects, stop-motion, and early digital compositing.
The transformation sequences were handled by legendary effects artists. They wanted it to look organic yet mechanical. Seeing Michael Jackson turn into a laser-firing machine to save his friends is peak 80s absurdity. It’s the kind of thing that only happens when an artist has total creative control and a limitless budget.
Critical Reception vs. Fan Reality
Critics weren't exactly kind. They called it vain. They called it disjointed. Variety and The New York Times basically shrugged it off as a vanity project.
But fans didn't care.
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The movie captured Michael at the height of his physical abilities. His dancing in the "Smooth Criminal" section is arguably better than anything in Thriller. It’s more mature, more precise. For a kid in 1988, watching Michael Jackson turn into a spaceship was the coolest thing ever put on screen.
The film also serves as a time capsule for 1980s celebrity culture. It shows the tension between Michael's desire for privacy and his absolute dominance of the spotlight. He wanted to be Peter Pan, but he was also a global corporate entity. That tension is visible in every frame of the "Leave Me Alone" sequence.
How to Watch It Today
Finding a high-quality version of Michael Jackson the Moonwalker movie can be a bit of a hunt depending on your region. It was released on Blu-ray internationally, but for a long time, the US market was stuck with old DVD copies.
Fortunately, most of the individual segments—the "music videos"—have been remastered in 4K on Michael Jackson's official YouTube channel. You can watch "Smooth Criminal" or "Leave Me Alone" in stunning clarity. But to get the full, bizarre experience of the "Speed Demon" claymation and the Joe Pesci showdown, you really need to find the full film.
It’s worth the effort. Even the parts that don't make sense are fascinating.
Actionable Steps for the Ultimate Viewing Experience
If you're planning to revisit this classic or watch it for the first time, don't just put it on in the background. It’s too strange for that.
- Watch the "Leave Me Alone" segment twice. The first time, just watch Michael. The second time, look at the background details. It is packed with references to the tabloid stories of the time (the hyperbaric chamber, Bubbles the chimp, the Elephant Man bones).
- Compare the "Badder" kids to the original. The choreography in the "Badder" segment is a shot-for-shot recreation of the original video. It’s impressive how well those kids nailed the moves.
- Focus on the sound design. The "Smooth Criminal" sequence has incredible Foley work. The sound of the shoes on the wooden floor is rhythmic and percussive, almost becoming part of the song itself.
- Check out the Sega Genesis soundtrack. After you finish the movie, go to YouTube and listen to the 16-bit version of the songs. It’s a masterclass in how to translate pop music into early gaming hardware.
- Look for the cameos. Beyond Joe Pesci and Sean Lennon, keep an eye out for Kellie Parker and Brandon Adams, who were prolific child actors at the time.
The film remains a testament to a time when music videos were the most important art form on the planet. Michael Jackson didn't just want to make a movie; he wanted to create a visual universe where he was the hero, the magician, and the machine. He succeeded. Even if it makes no sense, you can't look away.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
To truly appreciate the technical side of the film, look up the original patent for the "Method and Means for Creating Anti-Gravity Illusion" (US Patent No. 5,255,452). It provides a fascinating look at the engineering required to bring Michael's imagination to life. Additionally, tracking down the "Making of Moonwalker" documentary, which was released alongside the film, offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the Will Vinton claymation process and the elaborate set construction for the Club 30s sequence. Watching these technical breakdowns makes the final product feel even more impressive, considering the lack of modern digital tools available at the time.