Like Mike

This is by no means, an awful film. I recently downloaded a copy of the film for my sister and she thoroughly enjoyed. She actually enjoyed it so much, she watched in 3 times in the next week! She told me it was a great film and I began to watch it.

I must admit, at first the film seemed a little weird but very soon the film introduces you to Kalvin, Reg and Murph and the bully leader Ox. That was one particular strength for the film. Also, when the coach gives Kalvin the tickets, you can start to connect with the character and understand what his life as an orphan must be like. The film got my attention and I began to enjoy it. It had, to be fair, not many laughs but the story was good, closely resembling the story 'Holes' in many ways.

Tracy Renalds was a brilliant addition to the film and he really connected well with Kalvin. This was, in my opinion, the biggest strength of this film.

Brenda Song does a great job as playing Reg. I'm a big fan of 'Suite Life of Zack and Cody' where she does an amazing job and I thought her performance was great in this film. Bow Wow did a very good job in the film.

Overall, definitely ignore IMDb on this circumstance and watch this film. However, note that this film is not for all ages and its mainly for little children but I myself being a 16 year old liked it.

An unusually strong supporting cast (including Crispin Glover, Robert Forster, Eugene Levy and Anne Meara) enlivens this simple family comedy built around the appealing young actor Lil' Bow Wow. He plays an orphan who, upon finding a magical pair of sneakers, becomes an NBA superstar and in the process befriends another player (Morris Chestnut) with his own family problems. Bow Wow will have an appeal to children of various ages because his own age seems indeterminate; he can act like a teenager (managing various relationships in the orphanage, rallying his teammates) or a pre-teen (gorging himself on so much food he gets sick, saying his prayers at bedtime); and his winning smile makes him non-threatening to adults. There's absolutely nothing that isn't predictable here and the film itself culls themes and sequences from other family films such as `Home Alone' and `E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial'. There's also nothing objectionable either: it's barely above the level of a Disney Channel movie so kids will gobble it up, which isn't a bad thing. The NBA had a hand in making the film in an obvious attempt to improve its bad boy image, and naturally most of the real players come off as kindly, caring and ready to perform good works. (Fortunately, there are exceptions: Allen Iverson doesn't play cute and Gary Payton treats Bow Wow as an equal on the court, making him pay.) Not bad for its genre--that supporting cast definitely helps, especially the always-welcome Glover and Levy--but hardly memorable.

Extremely funny, lighthearted kids romp with a positive message and enduring theme. Was pleased seeing a young rapper placed in a non-stereotypical role that valued family and teamwork themes. The basketball player "big brother" Morris Chestnut worked well as a trouble gifted basketball player who reluctantly takes Bow Wow under his wings and albeit predictable softens up in his parental role with the youngster. The scene where they paint geometry lessons on the side of his mansion was hilarious and keep up the importance of school! Kids do the darnest things and I can see a youngster after a pair of magical shoes clinging to a tree in a thunderstorm. Okay, as a parent thats dangerous and would not want to see my youngster dangling from this tree BUT I do remember my own exploits as a child doing much of the same type of daring challenges. Kids will be kids so this gives excellent opportunity for the parent to talk with their child about keeping it safe! The NBA should be elated to have been giving a more good-guy image then their typical bad boy look. Very satisfied with this film portraying a positive image for my children to watch. Go Ohio! :)

I just finished watching "Like Mike" with my 7 year old son and he loved it. On a scale from 1-10 I gave it an 8. I must admit I was partial on the vote because it reflected my son's enjoyment. I think some should remember that this was a kid's movie and shouldn't take it so seriously. I enjoyed the flow and even though it was obviously very predictable let's not forget the target audience for this film. "Like Mike" was enjoyable and warm and perfect for your FAMILY film night, as it was intended in the first place.

I am not saying this movie is perfect as it isn't. The story is very predictable, the ending is a little too silly for my liking and the villain is disappointing, more to do with how he was written than how he was acted. That said, the cinematography, scenery and music are cool and the film is snappily written and directed. The pacing is also brisk, and the chemistry between the two leads is believable. I was impressed with Bow Wow in his debut, he makes for quite an appealing lead and makes the most of what he has. So all in all, this is far from perfect family entertainment but for some harmless fun I actually recommend it. However, for a sophisticated plot or a milestone of a villain, this may disappoint. 7/10 Bethany Cox