Hey guys and welcome to a brand new movie review! Today I will be talking about a movie that sure got a lot of people talking when it came out last year and one that I have been looking forward to discussing for quite a while. I am of course referring to Space Jam: A New Legacy, the long in development follow up to the original 1996 feature, with Lebron James filling in the Michael Jordan role this time around. It was also the first Looney Tunes theatrical feature to hit the big screen since Looney Tunes: Back in Action back in 2003. Now as I stated in my review of the original, although I enjoy it despite my issues with it, it is not a film I have a deep nostalgic connection with. That being said I was genuinely excited about this new one, largely because I am a huge Looney Tunes fan and I thought it had the potential to improve upon the first. However the film had plenty of naysayers who were rather cynical about this film’s existence in different ways both valid and frankly odd if I’m being honest. When the film got released, it was torn to shreds by most critics and people on the internet who treated it as an abomination to the artform of cinema… meanwhile I actually really enjoyed it. In fact I actually found it to be an improvement over it’s predecessor in certain ways. With that said, let’s return to the Jam and see why I think this is better than it’s reception implies.
After a prologue centered on a young Lebron James, we cut to the present day where Lebron wants his two sons to follow in his footsteps and become basketball players. However, he has difficulty trying to get his younger son, Dom, interested as Dom aspires to become a video game developer instead. One day, they head to the Warner Bros. studio lot in order to discuss a potential film deal involving the new state of the art technology known as Warner 3000. While Lebron rejects it, much to the dismay of it’s AI, Al-G Rhythm, Dom admires it’s capabilities and is offered by the executives a chance to go to a summer program focused on game development. The two end up disagreeing with Dom coming to resent his father and running away. Lebron tries to find him, but soon both of them end up getting sucked into the Warner Bros. Serververse, a place where all the WB properties reside. Wanting to exact revenge, Al-G Rhythm takes Dom and challenges Lebron to a basketball game. If Lebron wins then Al-G will let Dom go, if not well vice vera. Al-G then ends up sending Lebron to Tune World where he runs into Bugs Bunny, the sole remaining Tune in the world. Now together the two must find the other Looney Tunes and form a team in order to win this game and get Dom back… something that is easier said than done.
I think what turned many people off about this movie even before it released was the whole idea of having the film take place in this WB serververse as many found it to be an excuse to show off the company’s properties and serve as glorified advertisement for HBO Max. While I can understand this mentality and I will admit it especially felt advertisement like when we first step into the WB studio lot (then again the original was a glorified commercial as well so it’s not like this is new for this franchise). However once we get into the Serververse and see the Tunes interacting with different WB films, it is a lot of fun to watch unfold with the writers coming up with some creative scenarios for them to get into and it felt less cynical and more “let’s have some fun with all of this stuff we own”. One of the biggest reasons I found this an improvement over the first is that we do get to spend a lot more time in the world of the Tunes as it is here where the film becomes a fun romp with lots of laughs to be had. I found myself laughing quite a bit throughout as there a number of fun visual gags and jokes, with the big game in the third act containing many of the best ones. Heck, even when we occasionally cut back to the real world, none of those scenes are that annoying and actually got some chuckles out of me at times. I even like the attempt at a message here, something that I felt the original somewhat lacked. The idea of parents learning to accept who their kids are and let them be who they want to be instead of having them adhere to what they want is a familiar one, but also a solid one to explore and for the most part it added a bit more to the proceedings giving it a bit more heart. Heck, the “be yourself” message is actually a really good one to convey with the Looney Tunes as it is their anarchic spirit that makes them as great as they are and I like how the film embraces that. That being said, if there is one thing that I feel the first did better, is that it is better paced. I felt this film ran longer than it needed and could have been trimmed down at points. The beginning is a bit slow as everything is being set up and it is where the weaker jokes are and the film doesn’t really come alive until Lebron is taken into the Serververse and I felt that the big game, while a lot of fun, does go on for a bit too long. Not only that, but I wish the movie went a bit farther with it’s commentary regarding how studios are obsessed with IPs and how they always feel the need to try and revamp everything they have. It’s definitely there in places but it felt as if the writers were a bit afraid to go further with it. Still at the very least the stuff that I liked, I really enjoyed and I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a big smile on my face for large portions of it.
One aspect that did excite a good number of people on this film was that it would utilize 2D animation like the original as well as CGI to bring the Tunes to life in live action form. Fortunately I felt that both were really well done. The 2D animation is beautiful to look and is smooth in execution. I particularly loved when we get to see the Tunes interacting in different worlds based off of different WB properties and movies such as DC, Mad Max: Fury Road, Casablanca, and more as the characters blend in well with the live action environments and they are just really fun to watch unfold as I found it a treat to see which characters would appear in what worlds and the ones we saw were quite clever with the biggest visual stand out being in an entire sequence Themyscira which takes on the visual look of a comic book. As for the 3D, I was very impressed at how the artists were able to perfectly translate the Tunes into CGI characters as they have more realistic features such as the fur, but otherwise still maintain the cartoony nature of the characters. I also really dug the designs of the Goon Squad, the rival team created by Al G and Dom, as they each have a cool design with unique skill sets that match the individual players they are emulating with my personal favorite being Chronos (Damien Lillard) whose mechanical design is fun and he is responsible for one of my favorite moments in the movie (it’s often used power, but one I always enjoy seeing). I felt both of these styles were done very well with the artists successfully imbuing these characters with a lot of energy and expressions that just captured the spirit of them perfectly. The visuals as a whole are extremely well done as the movie looks colorful and does a great job of making the Serverse feel vast. Director, Malcolm D. Lee, also does a fine job in giving the proceedings a sense of energy, which is most apparent in the third act with the basketball game, as overlong as it is, being a treat to watch in that sense. This applies more for the animated parts as the live action parts don’t really have anything to write home about, direction wise, but again we spend far more time in the former world so that didn’t bother me too much. Oh and as for the matter of the soundtrack, it isn’t quite as memorable as the originals’ but I did find myself enjoying a couple of them with “We Win” by Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin being my personal favorite.
Much has been said about Michael Jordan’s performance in the original and yeah I’ll admit it isn’t what I’d call the finest work of his entire career (although I will also admit that he worked well enough as a straight man to the insanity of the Tunes). One other reason I was optimistic about Space Jam: A New Legacy was that Lebron James has had experience in acting before (with his role in Trainwreck being the most notable) and seemed to have a lot of passion towards this project and for the most part I did find him to be a better lead than Jordan. Granted, neither are what I’d call great thespians as James’ performance can come off a bit flat and awkward at times, but at his best he brings the right amount of energy to the role and plays off of the Tunes well, especially when he is in Tune form. I also thought his relationship with Dom served as a solid crux for the feature, with Cedric Jones providing a solid performance. The rest of the human cast, including Lebron’s family, don’t really get a whole lot to do and are mainly there for emotional support during the big game and an occasional joke although I did find some of the cameos that were present to be amusing (and no I’m not just talking about the plethora of recognizable WB owned characters that make up most of the crowd for the third act basketball game). However once again just like with the original, it is the Tunes that steal the show and they are once again a joy to see on the big screen. While some have taken issue with how they are portrayed as a family in this when they are known to not be like that at all, that didn’t bother me too much as I saw it as they are still true to their personalities and I saw it as more of a family that loves to mess around with one another rather than one that loves one another, if that makes sense. I also thought they were utilized better in this movie than in the original as they actually fit into the main plot of this movie and have an actual connection with Lebron James making their appearance in the narrative actually make sense this time around. Of course Bugs Bunny is the one who gets the most screentime, but each one of them, whether it be Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Wile E. Coyote, or even Gossamer get their time to shine in the spotlight. Plus all of the voice actors such as Jeff Bergman, Eric Bauza, and more do a great job voicing these iconic characters. Then there is the matter of Lola Bunny (voiced by Zendaya instead of Kath Soucie) who was portrayed in the original as a one note love interest for Bugs, while here she is given more of a strong willed personality. While I like that idea, her personality doesn’t really extend much more than as she is just there to show off her perfect skills and add to the team’s morale. It is a shame as I do think there was potential to give this character more to do than just be “the girl” of the team. However while the Tunes are great, the other stand out who makes the film entertaining is Don Cheadle as Al G Rhythm, who just steals every scene he is in. Cheadle just looks like he is having the time of his life, chewing the scenery like there is no tomorrow, making for a truly memorable villain. I also like the idea of an AI being the villain, and given the recent happenings going on at Warner Bros., I honestly would not be surprised if the studio did have something like Al G making these cold calculated business decisions.
In the end, as unpopular of an opinion this may be, I had a lot of fun with Space Jam: A New Legacy and found it to be a lot better than it’s reputation implies. I have my issues with it don’t get me wrong, as it runs too long, it could have been a bit more aggressive in some of it’s commentary, and the human stuff isn’t the greatest. However I still could not help but enjoy myself thanks to a lot of funny jokes and gags, some nice themes, a greater focus on the Tunes, great looking visuals, some neat easter eggs and cameos, and a fun villain. While I can see why people would not be fond of it and I respect anyone who felt differently, I personally found it to be an improvement over the original. Even though it’s not quite on the level of something like Looney Tunes: Back in Action for me, I still thoroughly enjoyed it as a Looney Tunes fan and I hope to see them return to the big screen in the future. Speaking of which, when the heck is Warner Bros. going to find a new release date for Wile E. Coyote vs. ACME?! Now that’s a project I’m stoked for!
Rating: B+
Please leave your thoughts down below in the comments and see you guys later!
Review Time 