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Moonwalker

  • 19881988
  • PGPG
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Michael Jackson, Sean Lennon, Brandon Quintin Adams, and Kelley Parker in Moonwalker (1988)
Trailer for Moonwalker
Play trailer1:37
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Crime
  • Fantasy
Anthology movie by, and starring, Michael Jackson in his prime, combining a number of music videos from his bestselling "Bad" album with a fantasy tale of Michael's confrontation with a ruth... Read allAnthology movie by, and starring, Michael Jackson in his prime, combining a number of music videos from his bestselling "Bad" album with a fantasy tale of Michael's confrontation with a ruthless drug dealer known as Mr. Big.Anthology movie by, and starring, Michael Jackson in his prime, combining a number of music videos from his bestselling "Bad" album with a fantasy tale of Michael's confrontation with a ruthless drug dealer known as Mr. Big.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Jerry Kramer
    • Colin Chilvers(segment Smooth Criminal)
  • Writers
    • Michael Jackson(story)
    • David Newman(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Michael Jackson
    • Joe Pesci
    • Sean Lennon
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Jerry Kramer
    • Colin Chilvers(segment Smooth Criminal)
  • Writers
    • Michael Jackson(story)
    • David Newman(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Michael Jackson
    • Joe Pesci
    • Sean Lennon
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 108User reviews
    • 23Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 2 nominations

    Videos1

    Moonwalker
    Trailer 1:37
    Moonwalker

    Photos118

    Michael Jackson in Moonwalker (1988)
    Michael Jackson in Moonwalker (1988)
    Michael Jackson in Moonwalker (1988)
    Michael Jackson in Moonwalker (1988)
    Michael Jackson in Moonwalker (1988)
    Moonwalker (1988)
    Cindera Che in Moonwalker (1988)
    Joe Pesci in Moonwalker (1988)
    Joe Pesci in Moonwalker (1988)
    Joe Pesci in Moonwalker (1988)
    Moonwalker (1988)
    Moonwalker (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Michael Jackson
    Michael Jackson
    • Michaelas Michael
    Joe Pesci
    Joe Pesci
    • Mr. Bigas Mr. Big
    Sean Lennon
    Sean Lennon
    • Seanas Sean
    Kelley Parker
    Kelley Parker
    • Katieas Katie
    Brandon Quintin Adams
    Brandon Quintin Adams
    • Zekeas Zeke
    • (as Brandon Adams)
    Jeff Adkins
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    • (as Jeffry Adkins)
    Patrick Alan
    Patrick Alan
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Brenda Barrett
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Scott Benson
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Bonnie Beutler
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Lindell Blake
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Kim Blank
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Shelby Brown
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Geron Canidate
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Cindera Che
    Cindera Che
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Chris Coaley
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Gary Coburn
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    Raphael Douglas
    • Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")as Dancer (segment "Smooth Criminal")
    • Directors
      • Jerry Kramer
      • Colin Chilvers(segment Smooth Criminal)
    • Writers
      • Michael Jackson(story) (segment Smooth Criminal)
      • David Newman(screenplay) (segment Smooth Criminal)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      While filming the scene outside the night club of Brandon Adams dancing, Michael Jackson sat just out of camera range, cracking up uncontrollably.
    • Goofs
      When Michael is taking off the rabbit costume, he pulls down the pants and he has no gloves on, although the next thing you see him take off are the gloves. When he takes off the mask, the gloves are back on. He also has no tape around his fingers when he's taking off the costume, but he has it on when he has the dance-off with Spike (the rabbit, come-to-life), although it is on his fingers when he puts the mask with the other clothes.
    • Quotes

      Young Michael: What is he wearing?

      Agent: A Prince t-shirt and red sneakers.

      Young Michael: *Prince* t-shirt?

    • Alternate versions
      MTV and VH1 have shown this film many times, and although it isn't a long film they have cut it, specifically the "Smooth Criminal" segment (the showpiece of the film): The dance segment in Club 30's is heavily edited, as is the scene where the kids' dog is returned to them by Michael's manager (leaving one plot question unanswered!) The "Come Together" performance is also shorter. The more recent VH1 Rock and Roll Picture Show airings cut the film down even more, most noticably in the Retrospective sequence.
    • Connections
      Edited from Michael Jackson: Speed Demon (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      ABC
      Written by The Corporation

      Performed by The Jackson 5

    User reviews108

    Review
    Top review
    A ninety-minute love letter to Michael Jackson, from Michael Jackson.
    It may seem hard to believe now, but back in the 1980s Michael Jackson didn't need to refer to himself as the King of Pop; we all KNEW he was, in part because his lifestyle and pecadillos hadn't yet started to overwhelm his music (back when his music was worth the effort of overwhelming). One of the offshoots of his amazing success was "Moonwalker," a movie basically designed to celebrate the awesomeness that is - or was - Michael Jackson, which was a massive cinematic Christmas gift for his fans in 1988 just about everywhere, except at home; Jackson's then-manager and one of the movie's executive producers Frank DiLeo demanded a massive share of the box office from its potential US distributor, and when they said no "Moonwalker" was released directly to video in the US.

    The trouble is, viewed as a movie this decision isn't hard to understand - "Moonwalker" isn't so much a movie as a collection of music videos, all varying in quality. The bits dealing with Michael's younger years are truly fun, and so are some of the special effects throughout (like Will Vinton's work in "Speed Demon"), but the centrepiece of the short film "Smooth Criminal" (pint-sized villain Joe Pesci, as "Lideo" [get it?], wants to get all the children in the world hooked on drugs, and guess who has to stop him? Clue: His name appears 45 times in the credits) doesn't work, in part because the story stops dead to allow for the "Smooth Criminal" video to be shown in its entirety.

    The movie's unending and unquestioning adoration of Michael Jackson gets its fullest flower there, although the video for "Leave Me Alone" (in which he basically exploits his life in song while at the same time telling us to go away, something he would later take even further in "Stop Questioning Me" and "Black or White," which set new standards for self-serving BS topped only by Geri Halliwell and Jennifer Lopez) comes close. Even at the time it seemed a bit much, and viewed today... well, remember how ill-timed the joke in "Addams Family Values" about a kid screaming at a poster of Michael Jackson was? The entire movie nowadays has that same feel magnified; plus it feels like a relic from another age.

    The shame of it all now is that it reminds you that MJ really was a wizard once upon a time, but it's all changed now.
    helpful•13
    12
    • Victor Field
    • Aug 17, 2003

    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the European Blu-ray Version and the Uncensored Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 23, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Warner Bros. (Japan)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Badder
    • Filming locations
      • Brownstone Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • MJJ Productions
      • Ultimate Productions
      • Will Vinton Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $22,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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