Michael Jordan to the Max

Originally produced for the five-story IMAX screen, Michael Jordan to the Max cannot help but be somewhat diminished in its leap to the home screen. Depending on the screen size, the film's picture-in-picture insets can look like postage stamps. But Michael Jordan himself remains larger than life, and if the video often seems like a glorified highlights reel, well, these highlights are truly glorious. Narrated by Laurence Fishburne, this documentary is both a chronicle of the Chicago Bulls' 1998 pursuit of its sixth NBA championship as well as an inspiring biographical tribute that emphasizes the work ethic that elevated Jordan to his iconic status as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. Interviews with, among others, Jordan and former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, are testament to what Jackson calls Jordan's "special skills" as a tireless competitor. Jordan reflects on his devastating disappointment at not making his high school's varsity basketball team, and how his mother inspired him to "prove to the coach that he made a mistake." In addition to the 1998 championship run, the film also looks at Jordan's seventh-inning stretch to pursue baseball to the best of his ability, and includes a moving segment about Jordan's father that stresses the precious years they had together rather than his shocking murder. In the end, Steve Kerr gets the film's best line, which speaks volumes about Jordan's legacy. Recalling Jordan's first game after coming out of retirement, Kerr admits that he wondered whether Jordan would start the game. He quotes teammate John Paxton's response: "As a general rule, when you have your own statue outside the stadium, you don't come off the bench." Slam dunk. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[Blu-ray Review—Mar. 15, 2011—Lionsgate, 46 min., not rated, $19.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2000's Michael Jordan to the Max sports a great transfer with DTS-HD sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary with filmmakers James D. Stern and Don Kempf and producer Steve Kempf, a behind-the-scenes featurette (21 min.), a “Bullet Time” slam dunk featurette (2 min.), text Jordan stats, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray debut for a solid sports profile.]