Review of Like Mike

Introduction

Orphan Calvin Cambridge likes to play basketball, even though he`s only 4 foot 8. One day he finds a pair of sneakers that might just have been owned by the most famous basketball player of all, Mike Jordan. Getting his chance against one of the local teams, the Knights, Calvin amazes everyone by out-shooting one of their key players. Taken on as a novelty act, it`s soon clear that he could take the Knights all the way to the play-offs. Of course he`s got a few problems to sort out along the way, the grasping orphanage manager, getting adopted by the ideal family and incidentally, his homework.

Lil Bow Wow a rap star in the USA makes his feature debut. This film has been partly funded by the Basketball Association. Many of the people featured are real players and sports presenters. Notably there is an appearance by Crispin Glover, in a supporting role. A notoriously intense and known to be difficult actor he played Michael J Fox`s father in `Back to the Future` 20 years ago but was not used in the sequels.

Video

Good quality transfer of a very recent film. There are many nighttime shoots and interiors and no standout locations. Nothing tricky or expensive has been done apart from using a little blue screen magic for the jumps.

The extras are of variable quality, in particular the documentary about the making of the film cobbled together from the acting coach`s working footage. Some of the footage is used is out of focus. Apart from a little eye ache it shouldn`t offend too much you are unlikely to watch it more than once.

The music video that accompanies is on a different level with supersaturated colours.

Audio

The sound has been reproduced well with a Dolby soundtrack-it doesn`t really warrant any extra treatment.
There is quite a lot of music on the soundtrack. Its very catchy and I was `playing basketball` for days afterwards.
The dialogue is simple-easy for younger children to follow.
Also subtitled in 12 languages, which includes close captions for the hard of hearing in English.

Features

Audio commentary by John Schultz, Lil Bow Wow and Jonathan Lipnicki
This is a chat between the young director and his two little co-stars. Jonathan Lipnicki is right at home. He should be as he seems to have been born on a film set. It is not deep stuff but more of a conversation between the three of them. I`m not sure whether a film like this justifies a commentary but hey it`s a free country.


Featurette `Off The Hook And On The Set`

The acting coach who worked with the children and the basketball players kept a video diary, which has been made into this short film. Some of the featured footage is slightly out of focus.

Three deleted scenes with optional director commentary.
With the movie running to `bladder time` the deleted scenes are simply to speed it up a bit. None of them add anything to the film.

`Making of` Featurette - `Bow Wow`s bow`

This is the professional version of the making of taking Rap star Bow and making an actor out of him.

Music promo
The advert for the music soundtrack

`Basketball` music video

A great song, 0K not great but catchy! Slickly produced music video. Bow also does great hair.

Conclusion

This film sounds great with an interesting cast of veteran supporting actors and two young and energetic leads. Somehow it lacks the sparkle of the classic Disney live action offerings.

It all seems to be a little flat. I feel like young children will enjoy it but it lacks any depth for the adult viewer. The support cast, including Crispin Glover, Eugene Levy and Robert Forster are given little to do. There are enjoyable basketball sequences, the music is catchy but the plot is light. It is also firmly aimed at the American audience and we Brits are merely hangers on in this main game.
There are a reasonable amount of extras but I can`t help wondering why such an average film warrants this treatment, again it could be down to the status of Lil Bow Wow in the States.

Rent it for the kids if you were a fan of the Harlem Globetrotters!