A childhood fantasy: to play in the NBA. The way this movie portrayed one of the most wonderful, heart-warming dreams was almost inspiring in itself. I smiled at it, and I think everyone else who sees it will too. This isn't a masterful flick by any means, but the fun and interesting material that it portrays makes it essential. The sense of fulfilling accomplishment is enough. This feature was an extravagant ride of pure hope and excitement.

 

     I will admit that Lil' Bow Wow has extreme potential in acting. He was good here, except for the slight slipping out of character every now and then. But overall, his performance was solid; and the casting director made the right choice. He fit the stereotype for the character "Calvin Cambridge". All of the actors as a whole were good, but not necessarily great. The roles could've been much improved, but they served the purposes of this movie very well.

 

     I could predict this one from the first five minutes of film shown, but for once, this didn't madden me. The predictability was in a way the, stories charm; it wouldn't have been the same without it. If they had changed the plot one bit it would've taken away from the happiness and excitement, and the wonderful feeling possessed by the end. I loved the screenplay for Like Mike, unlike most other critics.

 

     I like how the director posed the different shots in the film. There were little tricks encased by the view of the camera that meant a lot to the story, but they weren't necessarily hard to pick up on. He had such a harmonic way of bringing things into view with his direction. It helped me set my perspective on the entire motion picture. I liked the sequential repeats of elements in the flick that kids can pick up on and feel good about. This movie is one of the easiest for kids to understand from a theatrical aspect.

 

     There were two shots that I admired the most. One was of Calvin running around everywhere in a hotel room in absolute craze. The way the pace changed so frequently upon the video was excellent. One minute, the film is going so fast you can't even see, and the other, it is so slow it makes you feel tired! This is not a bad thing in any way; I enjoyed it. The second shot I adored was when Calvin jumped up out of nowhere on the basketball court and dunked the ball. In the credits, they show how its done. They posed him on a blue screen, he jumped onto a giant trampoline and he slam dunked onto a bare wall. The finished version looked incredibly real (aside from the fact that it would be impossible to do in reality.)

 

     In conclusion, Like Mike is a warm, exciting ride. I enjoyed it, as all members of a family will. You will adore a series of jokes about an orphan's point of view on room service; I found them to be exceptionally hilarious. Any children that even remotely follow basketball will love this even more, too. It is a must see, whether in theatres or on DVD/Video. Like Mike is a cute version of an emotional roller coaster through stardom.

 

-Danny, Bucket Reviews