Michael Jordan to the Max

The Movie Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

I blame my Utah Jazz losing in the 1998 NBA Finals on IMAX. That's right. You heard it here first.

During the 1997–98 NBA season, IMAX decided to follow Michael Jordan along throughout the playoffs, chronicling the game's greatest player's last professional basketball season. Do you really think Jordan was going to tarnish his legacy by leaving an everlasting imprint of a loss on IMAX film? Not a chance. There's no way, knowing that IMAX cameras were following him around all playoffs, that he was going to go out as a loser. As a Jazz fan I'm thinking about boycotting IMAX from now on.

'Michael Jordan to the Max,' like I said, is a journey through the 1998 NBA Playoffs with Michael Jordan. While the majesty of his last playoff performance plays out, we learn some of Jordan's career history . We hear the story of him not being selected for his high school team. We see him rise through the ranks of basketball players, develop a deadly shooting game, and become one of the most feared defenders in the league. We hear firsthand accounts from Phil Jackson, Steve Kerr, Bob Costas, and others about how truly competitive Jordan was.

These are all stories we've heard before, but of all the documentaries that have been done about the man this one feels the most complete.

I never saw 'Michael Jordan to the Max' on the big screen. I would have liked to, because some of the shots of him dunking are truly impressive. IMAX must have been a grand showcase for Jordan's high-flying game.

Even though much of this movie seems pretty self-congratulatory it's hard not to just sit back and realize how amazing he actually was. Watching him take over a game was something to behold, even if you knew that meant he was going to dismantle your team right before your eyes.

Jordan chimes in from time to time to talk about the murder of his dad, his short foray into baseball, and what he was thinking about when he stole the ball from Karl Malone right before he hit The Shot. Stories are shared about him that I hadn't heard before. Like when he'd enter a stadium he would think that there's someone in that arena that hadn't ever seen him before and would never see him again, so he'd better put on a show for them. Touching stories, even if they sound a bit embellished.

Truth is, Jordan was the most dominant player to ever play the game. 'Michael