Like Mike (2002)

A 14-year-old orphan becomes an NBA superstar after trying on a pair of sneakers with the faded initials "M.J." inside.

Director:

John Schultz

Writers:

Michael Elliot (story), Michael Elliot (screenplay),

Stars:

Bow Wow, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bow Wow	...	Calvin Cambridge (as Lil Bow Wow)
Morris Chestnut	...	Tracy Reynolds
Jonathan Lipnicki	...	Murph
Brenda Song	...	Reg Stevens
Jesse Plemons	...	Ox
Julius Ritter	...	Marlon (as Julius Charles Ritter)
Crispin Glover	...	Stan Bittleman
Anne Meara	...	Sister Theresa
Robert Forster	...	Coach Wagner
Eugene Levy	...	Frank Bernard
Roger W. Morrissey	...	Marvin Joad (as Roger Morrissey)
Timon Kyle Durrett	...	Henderson (as Timon Kyle)
Stephen Thompson	...	Smith
Alex Krilov	...	Krilov
David Brown	...	Jones

Storyline

Calvin and his friends, who all live an in orphanage, find old shoes with the faded letters MJ connected to a powerline. One stormy night, they go to get the shoes when Calvin and the shoes are struck by lightning. Calvin now has unbelievable basketball powers and has the chance to play for the NBA.

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Plot Keywords:

shoe | orphan | lightning | orphanage | basketball | 

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Taglines:

Think like Mike, Achieve like Mike, Be Like Mike.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief mild language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 July 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Calvin - Voll am Ball

Filming Locations:

First Union Center - 3601 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$306,422 (Australia) (17 January 2003)

Gross:

£1,242,842 (UK) (17 January 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Heller Highwater Productions, Josephson Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Prior to release, power companies issued press releases to remind people of the danger of high-voltage power lines. In the movie Calvin retrieves a pair of "energized" basketball boots from such a line.

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Goofs

During Calvin's initial game with the Spurs, the scoreboard reveals that Calvin has only 12 points heading into the final possession. Therefore, the game-winning three pointer would increase his total to 15, yet the following day the news anchor says that Calvin had 27 points.

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Quotes

Ox: What's room service?
Calvin Cambridge: Well, you're in a hotel room, and you pick up the phone. You dial 6. You tell them what foods you want, and they send it up
[beat]
Calvin Cambridge: for free!

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Connections

Features NBA Inside Stuff (1990)

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Soundtracks

"Radio Athletico"
Written by Derek Dah Large and Dread Flimstone
Performed by Derek Dah Large & The BloodSuckas
Courtesy of Union Square Music and Acid Jazz Records Ltd.

User Reviews

Magical Nikes OK with me

Like Mike was one of those fun family movies. I never had high expectations of the movie going in and subsequently I was pleasantly surprised. It is no masterpiece, but it is definitely a worthwhile-piece. Bow-Wow was decent as was the script. The movie held an even keel throughout, never getting too dull, but also never having any real riotous moments. Obviously the movie was a bit of a fantasy with a boy finding mystical shoes that gave him the skills of Michael Jordan; but hey, that is what made the movie as good as it was. I like the idea of using a kid as opposed to an adult so as to make the movie more entertaining. In fact, it reminds me of a story I wrote for a sixth grade project. All-in-all, a good movie, certainly better than average.