23 vs. 39

January 16, 2003 10:41 PM

Ability vs. Guile. If you've seen the latest Gatorade commercial where 39 year old Michael Jordan plays against himself circa his 85 - 86 Bulls era and wondered "how'd they do that?", here's a very cool description of one of the neatest tricks I've seen recently.
posted by jonson (7 comments total)

Just downloaded this off of Kazaa Lite a few minutes ago...

The technology they used was okay... hopefully soon in feature films we can have realistic flashbacks ( this was tried earlier in "In the Line of Fire" I believe ).

Most of the "technology" seems to be just making everything really dark, but at least it didn't have that CG look to it, like attempts to resurrect Astaire and other actors in commercials.
posted by bobo123 at 11:52 PM on January 16, 2003

undoubtably the best part of the whole commercial: MJ's trash-talking:
39: "let's see what you can do now..."

39: "don't smile kid..."
23: "how much you want?"

23: "i got that."
39: "you got what?"

23: "just when you thought it was safe to come outsiiiide..."

23: "betcha won't score again?"
39: "i wont score again?!" [shoots] "how dya like that rainbow?"

23: "excuse me..." [4 spectacular dunks]

39: "look here... sucka"

39: "you reach, i teach"
39: "lesson just started"

39: "that's ugly"
23: "coulda dunked it"
39: [scoffs] "shoulda dunked it"
posted by ruwan at 12:09 AM on January 17, 2003

As for why the ad works? This stuff is subjective, of course, but I'll offer up a short list of why I think it strikes a chord:

1. It's bitchin' -- Camaro bitchin' [...]

Umm somehow I just don't think the Bitchin' Camaro reference means what the author wants it to mean.
posted by wobh at 6:00 AM on January 17, 2003

I love this ad. I first saw it at my parent's house over the holidays. My sister and I were watching it and wondering how in the hell they did it, and now we know. Thanks for the link jonson.
posted by vito90 at 6:28 AM on January 17, 2003

The game is fierce, but it's never decided. "Michael said he couldn't let either his young self or his present-day self win," Ryan told me. "Because that would mean one of him would lose."

Arch-competitor!!
posted by orange swan at 6:31 AM on January 17, 2003

[this is good.]
posted by zpousman at 8:30 AM on January 17, 2003

You can also stream it straight into Windows Media Player here.
posted by anser at 11:14 AM on January 17, 2003