neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Like Mike
	John Schultz Lil' Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Robert Forster, Crispin Glover, Eugene Levy, Anne Meara 2002		Even if it's nowhere near as bad as it could have been, this fantasy for the family is largely a glorified promo for NBA basketball. A 14-year-old orphan named Calvin finds magical sneakers that, it's presumed, once belonged to hoops superstar Michael Jordan. Calvin, played by pubescent rapper Lil' Bow Wow, puts on the sneaks, and suddenly he can soar through the air and slam-dunk...like Mike (as in the living-legendary Jordan). Despite his youth (and there must be league rules to prevent this sort of thing), Calvin is allowed to join the Knights, a failing (fictional) NBA team — and turns the squad's fortunes around. Yes, the film is full of cameos by NBA pros, from Allen Iverson to Dirk Nowitzki. Also, there's a sob story about the kid wanting a dad, but it's by-the-numbers stuff wherein a contentious relationship with a fellow Knight (Morris Chestnut) is sure to lead to a bond, etc. The real calamity here is the waste of nutty comic actors Eugene Levy, Anne Meara and Crispin Glover in pay-for-play mode.