{"id":9703,"date":"2024-12-01T09:57:45","date_gmt":"2024-12-01T14:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/?p=9703"},"modified":"2024-12-01T09:57:45","modified_gmt":"2024-12-01T14:57:45","slug":"space-jam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/2024\/12\/01\/space-jam\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Jam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Space Jam<\/strong> (1996)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Warner Bros.\/Comedy-Sci-Fi-Adventure\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 RT: 88 minutes\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rated PG (some mild language and rude humor, cartoon violence)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Director: Joe Pytka\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Screenplay: Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Music: James Newton Howard\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cinematography: Michael Chapman\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Release date: November 15, 1996 (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cast: Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny, Wayne Knight, Daffy Duck, Theresa Randle, Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues, Bill Murray, Larry Bird, Manner Washington, Eric Gordon, Penny Bae Bridges, Brandon Hammond, Thom Barry.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Voices: Danny DeVito, Billy West, Dee Bradley Baker, Bob Bergen, Bill Farmer, June Foray, Maurice LaMarche, Kath Soucie, Jocelyn Blue, Charity James, June Melby, Catherine Reitman, Colleen Wainwright, Dorian Harewood, Joey Camen, T.K. Carter, Darnell Suttles, Steve Kehela, Frank Welker.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Box Office: $90.5M (US)\/$250.3M (World)<\/p>\n

Rating<\/strong>: ** \u00bd<\/p>\n

\u00a0Most people reading these words grew up watching Looney Tunes cartoons. They\u2019re every bit a rite of childhood as climbing trees or learning to ride a bike. Every kid, big and little, loves Looney Tunes. We all have our favorites. I was always partial to Pepe Le Pew, the amorous French skunk forever in pursuit of l\u2019amour<\/em>. I just love the way he runs. I wish he had a little more screen time in Space Jam<\/strong>, a live-action\/animated comedy that pits the whole Looney gang (and NBA legend Michael Jordan) against aliens from outer space in a winner-take-all game of basketball.<\/p>\n

\u00a0No, you didn\u2019t misread the previous paragraph. Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan is the human star of Space Jam<\/strong>. It could even be said that it\u2019s semi-autobiographical because he essentially plays himself. It starts with a flashback to 1973 where we find young Michael (Hammond, Waiting to Exhale) shooting hoops in his backyard while his father proudly looks on. He already has a life plan. He wants to go to the University of North Carolina then play for the NBA before moving onto professional baseball. Michael achieves his dream only to discover his talent doesn\u2019t extend to the baseball field. He\u2019s not a very good player, but nobody seems to mind all that much (except for an annoying sports commentator on TV). People like Mike as evidenced by the catcher telling him which pitches he should swing at.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Meanwhile, trouble is about to rear its ugly head in Looney Tunes Land. Alien heavy Swackhammer (voice of Danny De Vito), the owner of a failing intergalactic amusement park, decides he needs new attractions to save his business. He sends his minions to abduct the Looney Tune gang after watching old clips from their animated shorts. Naturally, the first one they meet upon their arrival is Bugs Bunny himself who, true to character, tries to put one over on them. They capture him and announce their intentions to the others. Not one to give in without a fight, Bugs rallies his fellow Tunes in challenging the aliens to a game of basketball, a contest they should easily win due to their adversaries\u2019 diminutive size. If they win, they\u2019re left where they are. If they lose, they go quietly with the aliens.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Realizing what they\u2019re up against, the aliens devise and execute a plan to steal the talents of top NBA players Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues. In doing that, they also grow to gargantuan sizes. In response, Bugs pulls Michael into his world through a golf hole while he\u2019s playing with Bill Murray and Larry Bird. He wants Michael to coach the \u201cTune Squad\u201d and help them defeat the aliens.<\/p>\n

\u00a0You don\u2019t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out who Space Jam<\/strong> is aimed at. Who else but grade school boys (and some girls) would fully appreciate a movie that brings Looney Tunes, Michael Jordan, aliens and basketball together? I was well past childhood when it came out; I was only interested in seeing my old Looney pals again in an all-new adventure. The whole gang is back- Bugs, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Tasmanian Devil, Marvin the Martian and the rest. It\u2019s great to see the Looney Tunes back in action. Oops, wrong movie! In addition, Bugs gets a love interest in the form of Lola Bunny, a talented, independent-minded player who hates being called \u201cdoll\u201d. It\u2019s about time they introduce a major female character into the male-centric animated world created by Hugh Harman in the 30s.<\/p>\n

\u00a0While Space Jam <\/strong>didn\u2019t thrill me as much as the kids in attendance at the preview screening, I did like it. Sure, it\u2019s all rather silly, but is that not the essence of Looney Tunes? As you can probably tell, I\u2019m still a fan. I frequently post quotes from the old shorts on my FaceBook page. However, I\u2019m not a big fan of basketball or any other sport. As such, that aspect of Space Jam<\/strong> didn\u2019t do anything for me until the Tune Squad turns up the heat in the second half of the game. That\u2019s when we get a big helping of the physical humor that defines the classic shorts. It\u2019s still funny. Co-star Wayne Knight (Seinfeld) even gets in on it after being flattened on the court. I especially love the Pulp Fiction reference.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Humor is one thing NOT lacking in Space Jam<\/strong>. What it does lack is an emotional core. The opening sequence of Michael and his dad just talking and shooting baskets is sweet. After the montage of Michael\u2019s NBA career, we get a few scenes of him at home with his own family. He briefly commiserates with his young son (a Little Leaguer) after they both have a bad day on the baseball field. Unfortunately, the movie doesn\u2019t follow through on this angle. It jumps right into the silly stuff and leaves the serious stuff behind. I wanted more of the father-son stuff. I wanted more heart.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Oh, heck! I don\u2019t have the heart to be too hard on Space Jam<\/strong>. I shouldn\u2019t be looking at it through the eyes of an adult. I should be thinking like a 9YO boy still entertained by cartoons and excited by the abilities of Michael Jordan. On that level, I can see where it would be grand entertainment. If I look at it this way, I don\u2019t have too much to complain about. I can\u2019t even criticize Michael\u2019s acting ability. On the contrary, he doesn\u2019t do too bad a job. He\u2019s a good sport about goofing on his own image. He\u2019s also convincing in his interactions with his animated co-stars. His human co-stars follow his lead in not taking things too seriously, especially Murray who miraculously keeps a straight face. The animated stars are spot-on perfect as usual. All of the major Looney Tune characters get a scene or two; you\u2019ll spot many, many minors ones in the background and in the stands. Myself, I was happy to see Pete Puma.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Directed by Joe Pytka (Let It Ride), who also helmed several of Michael\u2019s Air Jordan commercials, Space Jam <\/strong>works more than it doesn\u2019t thanks to its zany, anything-goes sensibility. It occasionally crosses into subversive territory with some great in-jokes including a direct pot shot at Disney. The players who lose their abilities provide a few laughs too as they try to figure out why they suddenly can\u2019t play worth a lick. The blend of live-action and animation is the best I\u2019ve seen since Who Framed Roger Rabbit.<\/p>\n

\u00a0In the end, Space Jam <\/strong>is kind of fun if you treat it like a trip back to childhood. I\u2019m not going to lament what it could have been had it played up the father-son angle. Instead, I\u2019ll praise it for the fun movie it is. It\u2019s bound to delight kids of all ages.\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Space Jam (1996)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Warner Bros.\/Comedy-Sci-Fi-Adventure\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 RT: 88 minutes\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rated PG (some mild language and rude humor, cartoon violence)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Director: Joe Pytka\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Screenplay: Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Music: James Newton Howard\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cinematography: Michael Chapman\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Release date: November 15, 1996 (US)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cast: Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny, Wayne Knight, Daffy Duck, Theresa Randle, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9759,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animation","category-comedies"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Space-Jam-PIC.jpg?fit=620%2C348&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9703"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9761,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9703\/revisions\/9761"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movieguy247.com\/MovieGuy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}