The production values are top notch. The colours are vivid and the sound is crisp. The voiceover commentary is provided by Laurence Fishburne and sets the tone well. Because the movie was filmed using IMAX technology it has a wide view of the on-court action which allows the viewer to take in everything which is happening. The DVD extras are more of an afterthought and do not really bring much to the mix.

As I alluded to before, this film focuses more on Jordan's leadership and his burning desire to win, which is a refreshing change.

Jordan is one of my favourite athletes. It is nice to finally see a production which actually pays him and his abilities the respect he deserves. I highly recommend this film, even more so to those people who never saw him play prior to his comeback with the Wizards, as they will see him when he was at the absolute pinnicle of human skill and ability.

15 of 17 found the following review helpful:

Do you have a big TV?  Feb 15, 2001
By Hansol Lee
I mean, a really REALLY big TV? If the answer is no, then you probably shouldn't get this DVD/VHS. Make no mistake: MJ to the Max is an IMAX movie, and you'll be very disappointed when you see it at home. About half of the movie has these really annoying picture-in-picture shots, which take up maybe 25% of the screen, and made me feel like I was watching streaming videos on the web. I'm sure this "technique" worked fine on a 80-foot-high screen, but it definitely doesn't on a regular TV.

In terms of the content, the movie also disappoints. It's nothing more than a rehash of ESPN highlights, except that it is shot at awkward angles and further away from the action. Again, this may have worked on a huge IMAX screen, but certainly not on a regular TV. The movie also fails to provide any in-depth behind-the-scenes material.

My 2 cents: Save your money unless 1) you are a die-hard MJ fan, and/or 2) you have a really really REALLY big TV.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Good film if you're a Jordan fan, average if you aren't.  May 10, 2001
By Peter
I didn't see the IMAX version and I would agree with one of the previous reviews that mentioned this DVD is probably best left for large (5') screens. On a smaller screen, it is annoying to watch the picture-in-picture interviews and isn't any more impressive than a regular NBA Film production.

It was disappointed that the film covered everything you already knew about Jordan. (ie father's murder, being cut from the high school varsity squad, etc.) The behind-the-scenes footage isn't impressive, most of the film is dedicated to oncourt "ESPN highlights" and Jordan talking about his background.

Contains more extras than most sports documentary/films including a director's commentary.

Through all the negatives, it still leaves a warm spot in your chest because you can't help but admire the best basketball player of all time.

Important Note - I could not get the extra features menu to work on a PC DVD!

17 of 23 found the following review helpful:

Jordan's the man, but this film is weak  Jun 16, 2001

I wanted to see this at IMAX, but didn't get to. I'm very happy about that now. I bought the dvd and I gotta say it's pretty weak stuff. Nothing new, same old stuff you heard and saw a million times in the latter part of Jordan's career. In short, this film is a dud. It's like reading a Sports Illustrated for kids that's just a "get you up to speed" type of thing. Lots of praise, no controversy. Where's the gambling, Isiah Thomas hating guy who gave his teammates hell? This movie is all sweet and no bitter and it makes for very boring material. If you want to see a real Jordan video, watch Playground or Airtime (which are said to be coming out on a dvd called "Michael Jordan's Ultimate dvd"). If you want some real insight into the real Jordan, read "The Jordan Rules." But don't buy this Hallmark card movie. Besides, those of us who remember Jordan back in the 80s and early 90s can tell you that he was much more exciting then. Even when he wasn't winning championships, he was more entertaining than this whole Lakers squad is now. But "Jordan to the Max" is nothing to get excited about.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

MICHAEL JORDAN FOREVER  Mar 24, 2002

Excuse my poor english, but I'm a french fan of Michael Jordan and I would like to advise the future french customers about this dvd. First of all, the movie is great and tells the carreer of that astonishing athlete, probably one of the greats sportsmen ever seen. But the good new is that this dvd has a 5.1 dolby audio track in french, so I readed it easyly on my multizone dvd player. French fans of M.J., don't hesitate! This dvd is really the must!!!

See all 41 customer reviews on Amazon.com