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.

---

Plot Keywords:

shoe | orphan | lightning | orphanage | basketball | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sport

---

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

The mystical shoes in the movie come from the Salvation Army thrift store.

---

Goofs

When Calvin's special sneakers are first delivered he immediately puts on of them on and looks at the initials on the inside tongue of the shoe. The bully then walks over to Calvin sitting on the ground and grabs the shoes, which are no longer on Calvin and are now tied together.

---

Quotes

Coach Wagner: How could we lose to the BULLS?

---

Connections

Referenced in The Irate Gamer: Goonies 2 (NES) (2007)

---

Soundtracks

"Can I Holla"
Written by Jermaine Dupri, James Rollins, George Goldsboro and Leon Huff Jr.
Performed by Young Steff featuring Bow Wow (as Lil Bow Wow)
Courtesy of Roc-A-Fella Records, L.L.C.
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Keep the film in perspective

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.