Spike Lee's latest doc captures the magic of Michael Jackson

I have definitely had my quibbles (to say the least) with director Spike Lee's latest output as a filmmaker. His narrative movies have become unfocused and messy, with their good ideas drowned out by the director's excesses and indulgences.

That said, his work as a documentarian has been peerless. He has yet to make a bad nonfiction film in my opinion. Perhaps the genre's requirement that he step back and tell someone else's story both liberates him and unburdens the audience.

While Lee's perspectives and style are not erased from his documentaries, they never intrude on the subject matter. That's why his When the Levees Broke, in my mind, stands as the best cinematic document to date on the Hurricane Katrina tragedy.

And his two recent films about the musical legacy of Michael Jackson, Bad 25 and now Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, are the definitive tributes to the late King of Pop.

I should probably preface this all by saying that Michael Jackson is quite possibly my favorite musical artist of all time. I find him endlessly fascinating and tragically misunderstood. And since the better part of his last two decades on this earth saw him subjected to merciless parody and ridicule, the true genius of his creativity has often taken a backseat.

What is so exhilarating about Lee's films on Jackson is that they are the energetic work of an obsessive fan. Lee pulls out remarkable archival footage of Jackson (interviews, rehearsals, concert performances, diary entries, more candid personal reflections) and lets his talent speak for itself. You see him singing like an angel, dancing like a dervish and pushing himself on a lifelong quest for perfection.

And even if you are not an unabashed Jackson fan, there is no denying the influence and impact he had on American popular music.

Michael before things went south

Bad 25 presented Jackson at the peak of his success, trying valiantly to reassert his dominance, but Off the Wall might be even better, since it portrays perhaps the most powerful moment in his career -- when he successfully made the transition from child stardom to adult fame.

Even if Jackson never fully developed in his personal life, he recognized that if he were to ever have longevity as a singer he needed to tap into his deep seeded sensuality and brooding. The result, Off the Wall, is easily the best R&B album of the disco era, and possibly Jackson's most personal LP as an adult solo artist.

Lee expertly charts Jackson's desire to break free from his brothers and establish his own superstar persona. He did that, brilliantly, by being an incredible human sponge. He absorbed the dance crazy, drug-addled scene of Studio 54, the songwriting and sound booth skills of Stevie Wonder, the film-making prowess of Sidney Lumet (on the set of 1978's The Wiz) and managed to synthesize it all into the most accessible crossover music ever made.

Jackson's hard work, dedication and perfectionism are the most compelling qualities examined in this film, how the life he observed around him helped color his music and vocal performances. Often people have wondered what he was channeling -- this film gives you some insight into what made him tick.

It is not, however, an attempt explore his demons, which are what the film's detractors will lament. My counterpoint to that will be that that side of Jackson's persona has been poured over endlessly. If you want an examination of his eccentricities you needn't go very far.

But if you are interested in how he crafted songs, what kind of stature in the industry he was trying to achieve and what musical influences played the biggest role in his life, this is the movie for you. It's currently airing on Showtime, and for MJ fans it's a real treasure.