There’s no denying thatMichael Jacksonhas created the world’s most iconic music videos, which Jackson referred to as “short films,” and his visual for “Smooth Criminal” is easily one of the most recognizable and memorable in history. “Smooth Criminal” is one ofMichael Jackson’s best music videos, a short film that cemented his status as one of music’s greatest artists of all time. From the white suit and fedora to the iconic lean, “Smooth Criminal” proves why Jackson is theKing of Popand so much more.
“Smooth Criminal,” however, is so much more than just a music video, or even a short film, as Jackson preferred to call it. This visual connects to a greater story that Jackson crafted in 1988, supporting the release of his 1987Badalbum, the follow-up toThriller. Here’s everything you need to know about the context that surrounds the “Smooth Criminal” short film, and why it’s so important in understanding this iconic music video.
“Smooth Criminal” Takes Place In Michael Jackson’s 1988 Movie Moonwalker
It’s A Smaller Part Of A Greater Vision
“Smooth Criminal” is deeply ingrained into the narrative of Jackson’s 1988 movie,Moonwalker.This movie was both an ode to Jackson’s legacy up until this point and also a fictional story surrounding the character Jackson playsin “Smooth Criminal.” Technically, that character is still Jackson himself, although he gives himself more of an action role and lifestyle that is certainly influenced by everything “Smooth Criminal” was as a song.
Moonwalkeris ultimately divided into a few sections. The first serves as a walk down memory lane through Jackson’s career, celebratingall of Jackson’s albumsup until that point. The second plays several short films Jackson created for hisBadalbum, including new material such as a kids' parody of his “Bad” short film entitled “Badder,” his grand escape from relentless fans and paparazzi in “Speed Demon,” and the Grammy Award-winning visual for “Leave Me Alone.”
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This leads directly into the movie’s final segment: the fictional portion centered around “Smooth Criminal.“Starring the likes of Joe Pesci, Sean Ono Lennon, Kellie Parker, and Brandon Quintin Adams, this portion of the movie contains the full context of what goes down in Club 30s during the “Smooth Criminal” short film.
Jackson Is Protecting Orphans From A Drug-Dealing Mobster
His “Smooth Criminal” Isn’t A Criminal At All
This section ofMoonwalkerbegins with a look back at Jackson and the kids playing a game together in a meadow. Upon further exploration, however, the children come across the evil lair of Joe Pesci’s villain, Frankie “Mr. Big” Lideo - a name that riffs off on the name of Jackson’s manager at the time, Frank DiLeo.Mr. Big, a mobster, shares his plans to get every single child in the world addicted to drugs, giving him a chance to make a profit.
Jackson remains the children’s protector once they’re discovered by Mr. Big. Prior to “Smooth Criminal,” Jackson is exiting a storefront on the street with Mr. Big’s forces catch up to him, and he’s nearly shot down. He escapes, however, and tells the children to meet him at Club 30s, where the “Smooth Criminal” short film then takes place. This would, from a certain point of view,make Jackson the titular criminal - from Mr. Big’s perspective, at least.
What Happens To Jackson & The Kids After “Smooth Criminal”?
The Evil Is Defeated
Things get pretty trippy after “Smooth Criminal” finishes. Mr. Big manages to capture Kellie Parker’s character, Katie, and Jackson confronts Mr. Big to demand that he let the young girl go. In a tense showdown where Mr. Big nearly injects Katie with a drug,Jackson suddenly wishes on a shooting star and transforms into a giant robot,allowing him to save Katie and take down Mr. Big’s henchmen. He then turns into a spaceship that allows him to destroy Mr. Big, and he flies away, reassuring the children their paths will cross again.
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They certainly do, as the children get to attend a concert headlined by none other than Jackson himself. He performs an electric cover of The Beatles' “Come Together” with his young friends cheering him on from backstage, promising a happy ending for this forever-bonded group of unlikely friends.It definitely embraces the cheesiness of many 1980s movies, but is also very aligned with the childlike wonder that Jackson often held ontoin his adulthood, a result of losing his childhood as a young star.
“Smooth Criminal” is thus given an entirely new context within the plot ofMoonwalker. Jackson isn’t just a criminal going around throwing punches; he’s fighting Mr. Big’s henchmen to protect not only the children in his immediate care, but also those of the greater world. It’s right on brand forMichael Jackson, who often tried to make himself a voice for those who were never given the opportunity to speak up loud enough.
