Like Mike Review

by Eugene Novikov (eugenen AT wharton DOT upenn DOT edu)
August 5th, 2002

Like Mike (2002)
Reviewed by Eugene Novikov
http://www.ultimate-movie.com/

Starring 'Lil Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Eugene Levy, Crispin Glover, Jonathan Lipnicki.

Directed by John Schultz.

Rated PG.

"I'm not averse to using the word GIMMICK!"
Ironic how the quote above is actually uttered somewhere towards the beginning of Like Mike, a mildly retarded, instantly forgettable kiddie wish-fulfillment fantasy that never transcends its gimmick. It should satisfy those looking for nothing but a "clean" family film, but should irk those looking for a fun one; there is a way to make great entertainment without fart and shit jokes, but this ain't it. And I wish the movie had found a way to either dispense with its hokey central image -- that of a kid under 5 feet dunking a regulation basketball -- or at least film it with better special effects.

Like Mike begins at an orphanage, that old stand-by of abject misery and adorable children. This one is no exception: its owner/operator (Crispin Glover) exploits the children for profit, having them sell candy bars outside the Staples Center where the mystical L.A. Knights play. One day, a denizen named Calvin Cambridge (rapper-turned-actor 'Lil Bow Wow) finds a pair of old shoes in the courtyard with the initials "MJ" scribbled on them. The same day, he finds himself at a Knights game, and with the opportunity to go "one on one" against star player Tracey Reynolds (Morris Chestnut). Wearing his "MJ" shoes, he somehow wins, making a soaring slam dunk over the head of the utterly befuddled Reynolds.

Next thing he knows, Calvin is being recruited by Knights publicity maven Frank Bernard (Eugene Levy) and, to a lesser extent, Coach Wagner (Robert Forster). At first, the struggling team only wants him for publicity, not to play basketball, but when he shows them that he's got game, he suddenly becomes their star player, and the roommate of the reluctant Tracey Reynolds. Calvin also sees this as an opportunity to finally get himself adopted, because what family wouldn't like to have a professional basketball player at the dinner table?

The movie's approach is maybe a little too realistic; as little Calvin is scoffed at and ridiculed by the likes of Allen Iverson and the play-by-play announcers, we're embarrassed for him. Once Calvin and the movie find their groove and this ceases to be a problem, we're robbed of seeing any good basketball scenes; they're short, and repetitive, and it seems like the Knights are the only ones who ever score any points.

Worse, I found Like Mike's central special effect to be distracting. I'd have liked to see the movie portray its gimmick of a boy who becomes a basketball whiz by having him sink three-pointers and out-maneuver defenders. Instead, he mostly just jumps fifteen feet in the air, which loses its gee-whiz quantity after the very first time, leading to a groan with every subsequent occurence. Stuff like this reveals a lack of imagination.

The film's emotional tug is tired and predictable, with grumpy Tracey Reynolds gradually warming up to Calvin and becoming a father figure. There are some vague attempts at characterization, as Tracey helps Calvin overcome his fear of the dark (come on: the dark is the best they could come up with?). The ending (SPOILER WARNING) is soapy and stupid, and begs the question of what the hell Tracey is going to do with these kids during basketball season.

I liked 'Lil Bow Wow, who is charming and cool, but is it good or bad that I thought Morris Chestnut, whom I'm familiar with but somehow didn't recognize, to be a real pro basketball player portraying himself (I'm not, as you can sense, very familiar with pro basketball)? And should I be pleased that Eugene Levy is predictably the best thing in a movie ostensibly about the NBA? Like Mike is hard to hate, but it's placid and uninspired, never delivering the goods; I yearned for the "great" kid-in-pro-baseball movies like Rookie of the Year or Little Big League.

Grade: C

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©2002 Eugene Novikov

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