Like Mike

Designed as a slapdash kiddie flick, built around a dumb plot device (magic sneakers turn a young orphan into an NBA all-star) and starring a novelty hip-hopper (Lil' Bow Wow), Like Mike's overall concept is thick with seemingly predictable, third-hand story elements. Will the kid find adoptive parents? Will his team win the big game? Well, duh. But director John Schultz (Drive Me Crazy) doesn't use the shoes as a storytelling crutch (they account for about four minutes of the whole movie), and he gets charismatic performances from his cast of talented players (including Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Robert Forster, Crispin Glover, Eugene Levy and Anne Meara), and he beats down almost every encroaching cliché, creating a reasonably smart kids' picture full of delightful surprises. Yes, it's good-natured fluff that fades fast from your memory, but it successfully sidesteps the hackneyed elements that make such movies so intolerable to anyone who isn't a kid. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director John Schultz and costars Lil Bow Wow and Jonathan Lipnicki, a six-minute making-of featurette, three deleted scenes with optional director commentary, Lil Bow Wow's “Basketball” music video, and a brief promo for the movie's soundtrack. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a decent family flick.] (R. Blackwelder)