Film

Like Mike

Name: Like Mike
Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Released: 2002
Cast: Shad Moss, Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Anne Meara, Jesse Plemons

Fantasy
Light-hearted

A kid from an orphanage finds magic sneakers, gets struck by lightning, and suddenly has NBA-level basketball skills. Like Mike is a pure fantasy wish-fulfilment film—earnest, silly, and utterly committed to its premise. It's for anyone who loved underdog sports movies as a kid, or who remembers when family films had genuine magic-realism ambition instead of just talking animals.

TMDb rating

3.1

If you liked this

Space Jam1996

Michael Jordan plays himself alongside Looney Tunes characters in a basketball movie that's equally ridiculous and entertaining. Peak '90s nostalgia with genuine charm and wild energy throughout.

But The plot is threadbare, the acting is broad, and the whole thing hinges on you accepting that Jordan is fighting cartoon aliens. It's aggressively silly.

Air Bud1997

A golden retriever plays basketball. Like Mike's spiritual cousin: completely earnest magical-realism sports fantasy with heart. Same era, same energy, same refusal to wink at the audience.

But The basketball is not good. Watching a dog play is adorable but not exactly thrilling. The film knows this and doesn't care.

The Mighty Ducks1992

Ragtag kids learn hockey from an unlikely coach. The template for every underdog sports film that followed: scrappy, funny, with genuine stakes and character work beneath the fantasy.

But The '90s production design has aged aggressively. Emilio Estevez's motivational speeches tip into corniness. It's not subtle.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Like Mike

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Hoop Dreams1994

Both centre a kid's basketball dream, but one punctures it. They're opposite sides of the same American fantasy.

A documentary following two basketball-obsessed kids from Chicago over five years. Like Mike is fantasy; this is brutal reality. Same dream, same obsession, but no magic—just the grinding truth of what it takes and what it costs.

But It's three hours and devastatingly sad. No happy ending, no wish-fulfilment. It's a film that confronts the mythology that Like Mike celebrates, which can feel heavy.

Teen Wolf1985

A high school kid literally turns into a wolf and becomes cool. Pure magical-realism wish-fulfilment in sports context. Michael J. Fox commits entirely, and the logic is internally consistent in the way only '80s films manage.

But The premise is absurd and never explained. The romantic subplot is thin. It's dated in the specific way '80s teen films are.

Kazaam1996

Shaq plays a literal genie who helps a lonely kid. Same DNA as Like Mike: celebrity athlete, orphan/sad kid angle, magical wish-fulfilment, zero embarrassment about its own premise.

But It's genuinely rough. The special effects are terrible. Shaq is not an actor. But that's part of why it's honest in a weird way.

Rookie of the Year1993

A kid breaks his arm and suddenly throws a 100-mph fastball. Daffy and quick-witted, with Danny Stern playing against type. Baseball magic-realism for people who love underdog stories told with a wink and a grin.

But It's goofy in ways that don't always land. The pace gets slack in the middle. The baseball doesn't satisfy actual sports fans.

The Scout1994

Albert Brooks and Brendan Fraser in a baseball comedy about a kid who might be the greatest pitcher alive. Smarter and weirder than it needs to be, with genuine affection for the sports-movie form.

But It's oddly paced. The tone shifts between comedy and sentiment without always landing the tonal shifts. Brooks' neurotic energy won't work for everyone.

Angels in the Outfield1994

A kid sees angels helping his baseball team win. Warm, funny, and genuinely moving about loneliness and family. Christopher Lloyd is perfect. It takes its magic seriously without taking itself too seriously.

But It's very earnest about faith and redemption, which might feel heavy-handed. The baseball sequences are just okay. It's a film that banks on heart over spectacle.

Juwanna Mann2002

Both are unironic love letters to basketball stardom from the fan's perspective. Same dreamy, obsessive energy, but one is aimed at kids and one at confused adults.

A troubled NBA player befriends a starstruck fan. Same year as Like Mike, same earnest magical-thinking vibe, but aimed at adults. It's weird, sincere, and deeply strange in ways mainstream film rarely is anymore.

But The plot is bonkers. It has almost no critical respect. The tone is genuinely odd—it's not quite comedy, not quite drama. It will feel off to most viewers.

24 Hour Party People2002

Both are 2002 films that treat reality as negotiable. Like Mike adds magic to sports; this one treats real history as permission to ignore how things actually worked.

A chaotic musical history told by an unreliable narrator who keeps breaking the fourth wall. Like Mike is fantasy-sports wish-fulfilment; this is music-industry chaos told with magical-realism energy and total commitment to its own weirdness.

But It's deliberately fragmented and disorienting. The humour is arch and the pacing is strange. If you want a straight narrative, you're in the wrong place.