JANET JACKSON.

In the main, the two hours provided for review strike a balance between introspection, rumination, and elation.

“Janet Jackson.” is a no-frills, straightforward documentary and justifiably so, as Jackson’s story makes for riveting drama without any unnecessary directorial flourishes. Janet comes across as thoughtful, passionate, warmhearted and open.

Janet Jackson’s reticence to reveal herself is well known, especially when it comes to her personal life, so this doc’s access is very much without precedent. But it’s also revealing in its wealth of incredible archival footage.

Janet’s talent and career are certainly deserving of close examination and celebration, but they prove almost impossible to disentangle from the fact that while she was one of the biggest stars of her pop era, her sibling was arguably the biggest and most controversial star in pop history.

While the portrait painted of Janet thus far feels deeply familiar and previously established, it’s nevertheless a rare treat for her most dedicated fans. Whether they discover anything new about the secretive superstar is another story.

The four-hour documentary special (of which critics received the first two episodes) is a work of uneven personal storytelling, an attempt by the legendary star to wrest control of her narrative from the grips of public discourse.

“Janet Jackson” is a sanctioned documentary with the feel of a YouTube news clip aggregation. Jackson is interviewed extensively, but largely provides play-by-play, rarely color commentary.

Throughout, Janet Jackson doesn’t tell you everything, but she tells you just enough that you can make inferences, even ones she doesn’t intend.

For now, Jackson remains fascinating but enigmatic — a star about whom we’ll perpetually want to know more. And viewers will have known that before investing the time in a doc that can’t quite figure out its namesake.

Janet Jackson gave a documentary crew access for five years, but with Jackson and brother Randy Jackson serving as executive producers the resulting project, "Janet Jackson," feels too conspicuously like a licensed product. Addressing some uncomfortable parts of her biography but sidestepping others, it's pretty obvious who's in control here.