Film Reviews

Like Mike

• Rating:
• Director: John Schultz
• Starring: Bow Wow
• Details: US / 100 minutes / (12PG).

A very limited comedy drama in which Lil Bow Wow plays 13-year-old orphan Calvin Cambridge. After finding a pair of sneakers, which once belonged to Michael Jordan, Calvin is transformed into a world beating basketball player. After a bit of cheeky tomfoolery, he wins a competition to participate in a half time game with his hero Tracey Reynolds (Chestnut) at an LA Knights game. Impressing the crowd with his skills, Calvin is signed as a gimmick for the team. However, when he gets an opportunity to play and grasps it with both hands, the 13-year-old becomes the biggest star in the NBA. And it's all thanks to Jordan's old basketball boots. Ah, bless.
One of those movies where the kid triumphs over whatever adversity is placed in his way. For extra impact here, Calvin is desperate to find himself a loving family to be adopted by, Like Mike is filmmaking-by-numbers. You don't need to be Pauline Kael to predict how things will turn out and there's very few surprises or moments of genuine warmth throughout. As a movie it may come in valuable if you find yourself saddled with very young kids over the Christmas. But that's about the extent of it.

Review by Garreth Murphy