Bob Marley: One Love has been a hit with audiences since arriving in theaters this past February. A lot of those positive feelings don’t track with a number of film critics, though, who’ve seemingly been a bit tougher on the musical biopic. (Of course, critic and audience division isn’t unusual when it comes to a movie or TV show, as the group’s tastes can differ.) Up until this point, the Marley family has remained silent on the discourse. Now, the late reggae legend’s eldest son, Ziggy Marley, has finally weighed in on the film’s negative reviews and surprise box office success.
Bob Marley: One Love had critics saying the same thing, which is that focus of the film is more so the message of the musician than the man himself. (CinemaBlend’s One Love review conveyed the same sentiment.) While the music and cast have also been praised, some have criticized the flick for being a by-the-book biopic. However, those opinions seemingly haven’t impacted moviegoers’ responses to the beloved figure’s life story. As the film approaches the elite circle of blockbuster biopics, the eldest Marley son — who’s also a producer on the movie — opened up to Variety about the critic vs. audience reception, and he apparently wasn’t surprised when the reviews dropped:
I remember when reviews came in. It was like, ‘Let’s see what the people say.’ That was my demeanor. I was like, ‘Yeah, this is actually perfect for something representing Bob. That the critics don’t get it, but the people get it.’ It was meant to be this way. I was just going over the review of the ‘Exodus’ album. They killed it, [writing] ‘It’s terrible.’ So, the box office thing was how it was meant to be. People make the decisions, not the critics.
The multi-Grammy winner seemed unfazed by film critic reviews overall. He knew the film would connect with the Marley fanbase and casual moviegoers, and it did. The 1970s-set musical film surprised both groups by blowing past box office expectations, as Bob Marley: One Love topped the box office with $52 million after five days by the time it hit its opening weekend. And that accomplishment proved not to be a fluke, as the film held strong the second weekend against new competition like Ordinary Angels and Drive-Away Dolls. As of this writing, the biopic has grossed over $148 million worldwide against a reported budget $70 million, which isn’t too shabby. Time will tell if it hits that $200 million mark.
Ziggy Marley’s rationale does make sense when you think about it. After all, he’d know better than anyone that art that’s related to his pop hasn’t historically been well received right away. While talking about Reinaldo Marcus Green’s film, Marley doubled down on the movie’s reviews to the reception of his late father’s classic 1977 album, Exodus, saying:
The reviews of my father’s ‘Exodus’ album… they bashed the album that became the album of the century. It’s not what they missed, but what they were looking for. They were looking for a different story. Our story’s about this man inside himself and his heart. It’s not a typical biopic or rags-to-riches story. It’s spiritual, too. So maybe they’re missing the essence of the thing and what it’s supposed to be instead of what they think it should be.
So the biographic film is more of a spiritual and musical offering to Bob Marley fans, celebrating his legacy and addressing misconceptions. The legendary performer’s family seems overjoyed at the success of the motion picture. Amid its amazing reception from fans, Ziggy Marley even shared his favorite memory of his late father. Almost two years after Elvis’ strong financial reception. One Love’s outstanding box office performance may signify a musical biopic renaissance. That might bode well for upcoming films like Back to Black and Michael. We’ll have to wait and see if that ends up being the case. But, right now, everyone involved with the Marley film has a lot to celebrate.
You can still check out Bob Marley: One Love for yourself, as it’s still playing in theaters. Also, read up on other movies that are currently on the schedule of 2024 movie releases.
