Like Mike

Overview

"For Like Mike, which isn't much more than a NBA promotional piece, Fox has done an admirable job on this family oriented DVD. The picture, with both a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer on one side and the full-frame version on the other, is very natural looking. Colors are well-saturated and detail is precise. There aren't any noticeable distracting elements, resulting in a fine transfer. The 5.1 Dolby Digital English track is adequate for a film like this. There is a some separation of the channels, but for the most part it plays in the front speakers. Often the track seems more in line to appease a certain audience, primarily due to the subject matter. Music is often loud, occasionally muffling the dialogue. Probably the real surprise here is the number of extras that are included. Both sides of the disc contain a commentary by director John Schultz and actors Lil Bow Wow and Jonathan Lipnicki. Is it a good commentary? Not really. There are some interesting notes about the production, but generally Lil Bow Wow comes off as a cocky star and Lipnicki just narrates the scenes he's in. Schultz does what he can, but there's not much you can discuss about this film. On the widescreen side there is also a nice featurette called ""Off the Hook and on the Set"" which chronicles the production, from rehearsals to scoring the film. On the full frame side are the other extras which include a six-minute ""fluff"" piece containing interviews with cast, crew, and NBA players. In addition are three deleted scenes with optional commentary from Schultz, a music video from Lil Bow Wow, and a trailer, of all things, for Daredevil. Strangely enough, a trailer for this film isn't included. While Like Mike is certainly not a bad film, this disc is well-produced, making it a good reason to watch the movie."

Product Details

Release Date:	12/10/2002
UPC:	0024543057024
Original Release:	2002
Rating:	PG
Source:	20Th Century Fox
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:40:00

Special Features

Closed Caption;Full-length audio commentary by director John Schultz, Lil Bow Wow and Jonathan Lipnicki; Deleted scenes with optional director's commentary; "Off the Hook and on the Set" ; Featurette; "Bow Wow's Bow" featurette; "Basketball" music video and more; Anamorphic Widescreen (aspect ratio 1.85:1); Full-frame format (aspect ratio 1.33:1); Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Surround, Spanish Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround; Subtitles: English, Spanish

Editorial Reviews

This fantasy gives the Nike catch phrase "It's gotta be the shoes" a whole new meaning. Transposing Rookie of the Year's pipsqueak-in-the-pros formula to basketball, Like Mike rides an astonishingly natural performance from rapper Lil Bow Wow all the way to easy grins and harmless escapism. The idea of a 14-year-old in the NBA also has an ironic timeliness, as the feature was released in an era in which the sport was coming under fire for enticing teenage athletes to skip college. As a socially responsible children's movie, however, Like Mike makes sure to include footage of Calvin Cambridge continuing to do his homework, even as he's on the road with the team, trailed by a media circus. (Less commendable is the copycat-prone scene in which Calvin gets zapped while fishing the sneakers in question from an electrical wire). Though it contains more establishing shots of its primary product tie-in (L.A.'s Staples Center) than actual jump shots, Like Mike does mostly have its priorities in order. With real player Spud Webb having demonstrated that height is not an absolute prerequisite for NBA success, the concept isn't even that far-fetched, though its execution is hardly seamless, with the dunking Calvin looking jerkily airlifted toward the basket. Lil Bow Wow holds the shakier moments together with a grounded performance, his doe eyes expressing volumes of excitement and disappointment. He also buries his instinctual rapper machismo, embracing the film's kiddie focus. Notable supporting performances include Crispin Glover, whose oddball tics are a pleasure in such a mainstream movie, and Jonathan Lipnicki, who still seems barely to have aged in the six years since Jerry Maguire.