Michael Jordan to the Max (2000) User Reviews

IMAXimum Jordan

[bennettz · 8/10 · 11 June 2000]

This is a great movie. The new IMAX theatre opened here in Nashville with two movies, one a 3-D about a dinosaur and the other was Jordan to the Max. The Jordan movie is hands down the better of the two. It showcases Michael's life in great fashion and further proves the fact that he is a hero and the greatest to ever play the stupid game of basketball.

You'll like it even if you aren't a basketball fan

[Shiva-11 · 7/10 · 24 July 2000]

Michael Jordan to the Max: A short journey through the life and career of Michael Jordan, the man and the myth, with a focus on the 98 championship series. > I am not a sports fan - I went to this movie with no prejudices or expectations. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. > This could have been a sycophantic attempt to deify Jordan. But it isn't. I don't think anyone would disagree that Jordan had a phenomenal career, and stands out as one of the best athletes of the twentieth century. He was a one man marketing machine with global appeal, and while millions knew of his exploits, few have ever seen the man behind the ball. > Through interviews with colleagues, friends, and Jordan himself, we meet a man whose greatest gift appears to have been perseverance - if he were not good at something, he would keep practicing until he was. Only when he had given it his all would he even consider giving up. The best example of this was his foray into baseball - many people dismissed this as hubris, but I think it took a lot of courage to try another sport in which he was not star. Few athletes would dare take such a risk. Fewer still would admit they couldn't cut it. Furthermore, when he left baseball, he didn't make up excuses, he just got on with what he did best. > Some detractors have said that the film contains some of the commercials that Jordan did, and is too positive. My response is "So what?" The commercials merely document the rise of his public image, and I'm not aware of a seamy side to his life. Michael Jordan is not perfect and says so, repeatedly. Everyone praised him for his work ethic and drive to succeed. He points out that if you give your best, you are never a failure, which is a great message for both kids and adults alike. Also, he stresses that love for the sport - not the potential for fame and wealth - is the most important reason to play. Finally, I think it took a great deal of courage to get out when he was still at the top of his game. > I recommend this movie for anyone who is in the mood for a positive uplifting film, and some great basketball sequences (including a beautiful slam dunk from the free-throw line shot with a "Matrix" style 360 degree camera angle). >

Good (IMAX) movie for all basketball or NBA fans.

[nikola_djordjic · 8/10 · 20 September 2005]

It's a good quality movie, about Michael's last games in the Playoffs '98, when he won his sixth and last NBA Championship title. The best about movie, are high quality shots from Michael in game with a good music background. All in all not bad movie, but I would recommend also ''Michael Jordan: His Airness'' and ''Ultimate Jordan'' (Both movies are perfect 10 and a must see for basketball fans). Michael Jordan: His Airness is a half documentary, half biography about Michael Jordan, its a movie about Jordan's life story, that shows much more attractive moves from Jordan in game, with a great music background, much better than in ''Michael Jordan to the Max''. It's an awesome movie, and I, as a big basketball fan, especially NBA fan, enjoyed it much more than movie ''M.J. to the Max''. And about movie ''Ultimate Jordan'', it is as good as ''M.J.:His Airness'', maybe little shorter, but it has all that super stuff from Michael Jordan, all the moves that made him famous, shown in NBA Action style (10 best dunks, 10 best shots in Jordan style, 10 best shots in last game's seconds for victory, 10 best passes + commentary from other famous NBA players, all with great dynamic music background which is similar to the one in NBA Action shows).

So, to sum it up. This movie is not bad, especially because of it's quality (IMAX). The other two movies that I mentioned, doesn't have IMAX quality, but are much better and more enjoyable, and they have everything that movie about one of the greatest basketball athletes and a basketball legend, should have. I own all three movies and together they make a great collection for basketball or NBA fans. If you were Jordan's fan or just love basketball, go get them. You won't regret it. ;-)

Expected MORE!

[kenandraf · 10/10 · 31 March 2001]

I expected more to this documentary.The best thing about this film is that it was done in IMAX form which really details everything so clearly and incredibly.I finally found an IMAX subject matter that I wanted to see for I am a die hard NBA fan.This was the first IMAX experience I have ever had and I liked it.My complaint is the fact that this documentary was too SHORT!I wanted more!Maybe about 30 minutes longer at least.The soundtrack was great and the film overall was done very well.It was just too rushed though.Oh well,it will still be worth your money if you are a Jordan or NBA fan......

Great Pic.

[jtfsouth · 9/10 · 28 June 2001]

Not the biggest fan of basketball but I have always admired Michael Jordan for the way he has conducted himself not only on the court, but off the court as well. He has always had a great sense of class and style that to this day has never been duplicated by very many people in any professional sport.



I thought that the documentary was well done and pretty insightful. I only wish they would have done a lot more of the wide angle shots which are usually associated with any of the IMAX productions. None the less I would recommend this film to anyone who either likes basketball or not, it is at the very least a very upbeat and moral boosting film.

Great Homage to the World's All-Time Greatest Athlete.

[tfrizzell · 28 November 2002]

"Michael Jordan to the Max" was an Omnimax documentary detailing the superstar's final championship run with the NBA's Chicago Bulls at the end of the 1998 season. Interviews and amazing archive coverage makes this an entertaining and vastly interesting viewing experience. Truly the film does lose a little luster on a non-Omnimax screen, but overall the production is first class all the way with intriguing interviews and cinematography adding to the movie's superiority. If you want to see a good Michael Jordan flick avoid "Space Jam" and watch this twice instead. Laurence Fishburne narrates this must for all fans of the international sports icon. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

A medium that finally suits Michael!

[emmykam · 10/10 · 16 May 2000]

Michael Jordan to the Max should be seen by every man woman, child and their brother! Michael is an awe-inspiring athlete, and it was a privilege to see him "larger than life" eight stories high. Thank you to the directors and producers of this film for putting together a film that teaches good....fulfilling a dream, not throwing in the towel when the cards are stacked against you. In this age of movie violence, Jim Stern and company have made something truly special. You owe it to yourself to see this film. (And for those people who aren't looking for inspiration, see this film to see Michael Jordan eight stories high! (The film uses special effects by Manex...the people who did the bullet-time effects from The Matrix)

Farewell Documentary

[view_and_review · 10/10 · 25 June 2021]

This documentary gave me chills. It made me relive the '98 finals all over again.

"Michael Jordan to the Max" was sort of Jordan's farewell documentary. He retired (for the second time and presumed the last time) after that '97-'98 season and it was believed that he'd never play again. He was going out on a high note like John Elway did the same year.

"To the Max" shows us all the reasons we love Michael Jordan with a focus on his last three seasons, and unlike "Come Fly With Me" eleven years prior, this documentary boasts of Jordan's championships. Just like a "Star Wars" fan will watch all things "Star Wars" or an MCU fan will watch all things Marvel, I will watch all things Michael Jordan and love every minute of it.

Solid At Best

[daveisit · 2/10 · 27 November 2000]

"Michael Jordan to the Max" should never have been screened at IMAX. There were a few reasons for this, although the biggest problem was how chopped up the production was. There was minimal continuity throughout the screening, detracting from the IMAX experience. It was much more suited to the kind of video you watch before playing sport.

For much of the movie only about a sixth of the screen was being used. Examples of this were the many commercials Jordan has appeared in. I did not go to IMAX to watch commercials I've already seen Jordan and his sponsors repeatedly screen on TV.

At least I got to see some of the great Luc Longley in action.

The message doesn't fit the medium

[debsever · 2/10 · 29 June 2000]

This is a case of trying to fit a nice little picture into the wrong frame. The IMAX screen works wonderfully with expansive sites as was the case with Everest. This film is filmed too close up to make it work for anything except a sore neck or a headache. The only shots that were effective were those wide angle shots of the stadium of the skyline. I could not follow the action under the basket shot from floor level. The images were just too big. Besides this fundamental flaw - it just didn't work - the content felt like one big commercial or promotion. Come on now, using clips of three of Michael's TV ads to show what a great personality he has???? I can see how this project might have taken root. Take a bigger than life superstar and make him even bigger. I sure like Michael, but not because of this piece but in spite of this.

Who cares about the 1998 Finals (we've all seen it!), Focus more on the earlier years!!

[pinokiyo · 5/10 · 1 November 2001]

If you're really a Michael Jordan fan you would see a lot of games he played especially the playoffs and this movie was mainly focused on the 1998 NBA Final series and i think most of us already seen that so many time on Sports News and stuff recently so it wasn't much of an excitement, the movie should of focused more of the olden days where Michael was getting to the best like when he won the first NBA championship in 1991, 1998 Finals it was only 3 years back, i think we don't forget that early. I was really disappointed all they showed was the 1998 playoff where i already seen on T.V, if they would focused on the 1991, 1992, 1993 playoffs i would of been more into this movie since at that time i wasn't into basketball so i never got a chance to see Michael Jordan then...

And they never talked about Michael winning the Slam Dunk Contest with the famous taking off from the free-throw line dunk... Instead they showed a Michael jump from the free-throw line against a cheap blue-screen of the Bulls Arena slamming dunk... come on now! It was so obvious it's fake, they should of used the Real 1987 slamdunk contest one... They should also have included the story when he won a gold medal in 1992 at the Olympic games with the Dream Team... This movie is totally incomplete, MJ accomplished more stuff then what this movie shows which is a real disappointment.

Okay, if you don't know anything about this guy then watch this movie, it's a good start but if you're already a fan of MJ and saw the 1998 NBA Playoffs of the Bulls then forget it...

In my prospective this movie was about 65% done, The movie was only about 50 minutes long (i guess they didnt want to make it too long cause you'll get sick watching it on the huge IMAX screen but this is a waste to buy on video). This movie was not even close to the MAX, a real disappointment for MJ Fans...

5/10

Well-done, but not overdone

[fallout-ag · 5/10 · 31 May 2000]

As an employee of IMAX theatres, which are the sole venues carrying Michael Jordan to the Max, I have had plenty of exposure to the film. It could have very easily been the bloated and overhyped media we are used to seeing about Jordan, but this film was tastefully done and contains entertaining elements for everyone, even someone who is not a sports fan. I would recommend it to anyone who's interested in Jordan, but don't expect too much action - it's a documentary.

Nice to look back again

[ericposton1 · 11 June 2004]

I recently saw this movie for the first time, (I wasn't trying to see this on IMAX) and let me say first that I'm a huge Michael Jordan fan... Having said that I must say that this movie rocked!!!! For better or for worse, the true magnitude of Jordan's greatness seems to have diminished some over past few years. What with the likes of Kobe, Shaq, Lebron, Tim Duncan, and a number of other young guys currently lighting up the league every night. But with all the high-flying antics, big egos, crazy bling, and poor work ethic of today's player, it was refreshing to see the true man among boys again...You almost laugh at what's going on today after watching a true NBA finals series unfold. The previous review of this maybe would apply for 2001, but it does the movie no justice in 2004!! Now we should really appreciate just how great Mike was, and this movie takes you through what ended up being his final NBA FINALS Appearance!!! (98") Classic Stuff!! I must disagree with the last review and HIGHLY RECOMMEND this flick!!