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“The Last Dance” is a documentary and biographical mini-series about the basketball legend Michael Jordan and his experience in the NBA. This TV series, produced by Netflix and ESPN in 2020, was conceived by Michael Tollin, who was assisted by director Jason Hehir.
It has quickly become the most watched ESPN documentary ever, as it definitely catches the attention of a lot of basketball fans, but also of many viewers interested in the story of Michael Jordan.
Being a documentary, the cast does not feature actors, but different NBA sportsmen: Michael Jordan himself, some of his former teammates such as Scottie Pippen, Steve Keer, Dennis Rodman, coach Phil Jackson, various reporters and many other figures.
The Last Dance revolves around the career of Michael Jordan, and in particular the 1997-1998 season, in which he won the championship with the Chicago Bulls.
The narrative is full of flashbacks – which present various stories and events, highlighting both positive and negative aspects – and interviews to teammates Pippen, Rodman, Kerr and coach Jackson, that have the aim of recount important facts that marked Jordan’s life and career.
The documentary is also full of exclusive footage shot by film crews: they were allowed to access areas usually not filmed by cameras, in order to render unpublished moments of the Bulls championship run. The story flows smoothly: it is full of anecdotes and explanations that can provide the viewer with a big picture of the NBA culture.
This mini-series is definitely recommended for basketball and sports lovers in general, but not only: it is also recommended to people who have never approached this world and want to find out more about the best basketball player of all time.
The whole sequence of events manages to arouse in the viewer many different emotions and feelings such as tension, suspense, enthusiasm, curiosity. Surely this production stands out for its positive aspects, but it also has some flaws: flashbacks are sometimes fast and confusing and those who are not aware of the events told in the series may lose the thread.
To conclude, The Last Dance is a mini documentary series that is worth watching if you want to get closer or to find out more about the basketball legend Michael Jordan.
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