MICHAEL JORDAN: TO THE MAX

Anyone who loves basketball will enjoy MICHAEL JORDAN: TO THE MAX, a larger-than-life chronicle of Michael Jordan’s last run at the NBA title with the Chicago Bulls. However, aside from the opening and closing 360 degree big-budget special effect of Jordan dunking from the foul line and outstanding sound editing, some fans may come away disappointed. This very short (45 minutes) very expensive (eight bucks for most IMAX theatres) trip to the movies ends up feeling a lot like one of his other straight-to-video highlight films. The drama comes in the final series of the 1997 NBA Championship with the Bulls facing the Utah Jazz. As John Stockton and Carl Malone pass and dunk to menacing music, Chicago’s Jordan plays the hero – bringing the Bulls back time and again until ultimately they claim the NBA’s most prestigious award: the National Championship Trophy. Jordan flies through the air and shoots with nothing to be heard but the slam of a dunk and the “swish” of a slow motion shot going through the hoop.

MICHAEL JORDAN: TO THE MAX takes a look at Jordan’s personal life as well – from growing up in a strong encouraging family, to the years of his worldwide fame as a ball player. In a movie such as this, you expect to hear nothing but positive things about the hero, and MICHAEL JORDAN: TO THE MAX is no different. The audience will be amazed by Jordan’s work ethic – listening to story after story of how Jordan would run after practice and wouldn’t rest until he had eliminated the weak areas of his game. We hear about the time that, due to a bad back, he had to be carried to the gym…only to score 40 points. We also hear about his love for his family, and how he survived and became a better person through the random murder of his father. Therefore, the audience will see Jordan as a daddy, playing in the backyard with his sons and carrying his sleeping daughter through a camera-crowded airport. Through interviews the audience learns that Jordan sometimes wishes that the media circus would stop, and that he could be lost in the crowd for once.

However, Jordan was made to play basketball. On the court, he is a great leader – always making his teammates better through both positive criticism and encouragement. One thing that sets Jordan apart from other great athletes is his respect for those in authority, like the Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson. Jackson, who has been given the title of “Zen Master” by media and players alike, gets much of his coaching philosophy from his religion, Zen Buddhism. Since his religion is discussed in this documentary, MOVIEGUIDE® recommends discussion on this topic with children. As far as Jordan’s views on religion, he respects the discipline of Jackson’s philosophies, but not necessarily the ideas behind them. Interestingly, however, Coach Jackson recently did a news interview that informed readers that his parents were strict Christians who didn’t allow him to go to movies as a child It may be that Jackson is rebelling against such legalism.

MICHAEL JORDAN: TO THE MAX is a fun film to watch, but take it off of the eight-story screen and one is left with just another Michael Jordan highlight film. However, parents and children alike will enjoy this ‘behind the scenes’ documentary not only for its heroic sports theme, but also for its message of never giving up, but trying harder.