Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker: Music, Movies & Video Game Magic

By Justin D Williams

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker was more than a movie. It was an ambitious combination of music, dance, animation, fantasy, filmmaking, and video game magic that captured the King of Pop at the height of the Bad era. In this retrospective, I revisit the production of Moonwalker, its unusual collection of musical sequences, and the main story involving Michael, three children, and the villainous Mr. Big. I also explore the unforgettable “Smooth Criminal” sequence, “Speed Demon,” “Leave Me Alone,” the film’s wild transformations, and its lasting impact on music videos and pop culture. The retrospective does not end with the movie. I also look back at the two very different versions of Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker released by Sega.

The Sega Genesis game transformed Michael into a side-scrolling action hero who rescued children, defeated enemies with Dance Magic, and performed recognizable moves accompanied by classic Michael Jackson songs. The arcade game delivered a faster, more chaotic experience with three-player action, isometric stages, enormous dance attacks, and Michael’s transformation into the powerful robot from the movie. How well does Moonwalker hold up today? Was it an unfocused collection of ideas, or an ambitious visual album that was ahead of its time? And which game was better, the Sega Genesis version or the arcade version?

https://youtu.be/QpdVZyveRzM