Don't be like Mike. HECO wants ‘Like Mike’
to keep it realStar-Bulletin staff
That's what electric companies across the nation, including the Hawaiian Electric Co., are telling kids in response to "Like Mike," a movie that shows a child being zapped by a bolt of lightning.
In the movie, Calvin (played by rapper Bow Wow) climbs up on a roof to get a pair of basketball shoes with the initials "M.J." on them that are hanging from a power line. As his hand reaches for the sneakers, lightning strikes a nearby pole and sends a current down the line that throws the boy, with shoes in hand, to the ground.
The child becomes "supercharged" and turns into an all-star basketball player comparable to Michael Jordan.
The movie is set to be released today and Century Fox executives have said that the movie is not meant to be realistic. Executives were not available for further comment yesterday.
HECO has joined with the national Edison Electric Institute to push for a warning at the beginning of the movie that would warn young viewers of the danger of power lines. HECO spokesman Likelike Davis-Nutt said, "We want them to certainly be aware," of the power line segment.