Full disclosure, Space Jam was not a film that I had seen when I was younger. For whatever reason I was stuck under a veritable rock that left me blind to the phenomenon that was Space Jam. It wasn’t until my early twenties that I watched the film for the first time, and I remember being confused as to why the film had done so well. Yet, here I am again, watching the legendary Michael Jordan face off against the Monstars, a maniacal group of aliens planning to face off against the Looney Tunes in a game of basketball. This simple game of baseketball will determine the fate of Bugs Bunny (Billy West), Daffy Duck (Dee Bradley Baker), and the rest of the crew, as Swackhammer (Danny DeVito) threatens to steal them away from their homeworld and use them as props at his amusement park.
I’m most impressed with the ability of the crew at Space Jam to merge both live-action and animated worlds so seamlessly. As Jordan leaves his three-dimensional world and enters the animated reality in which the Looney Tunes exist, I fully expected a mismatched world that failed to accurately convey the true movements of His Airness and the rest of the actual humans existing in this fictional world. Those expectations, however, were not necessarily correct, as the two worlds married together beautifully to create something genuinely unique for the time.
As a fan of Looney Tunes, seeing the cartoons in action against the big, bad Monstars is entertaining. Furthermore, as a subscriber to the fact that Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time (sit down Lebron fans), it’s always fun to see what else these wonderful athletes have to offer the world. Choosing Jordan to help represent the Tune Squad was the clear choice in the mid-1990’s, as he was in his prime, and leaps and bounds ahead of the other talents in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The issue, however, is that Jordan, while immensely talented on the court, lacks something in terms of acting ability. He’s beyond mediocre, he’s genuinely bad. I love seeing him in action (even if that action isn’t real), but having to suffer through an hour and a half of his lack of emotion and failed attempt at acting is truly a challenge. Space Jam aims to showcase Jordan’s other abilities, but he’s not suited for cinema, and that’s a fact.
Not having seen Space Jam when I was younger hindered my overall opinion of the film, but I have to say that I understand the allure of the film to viewers my age. Space Jam is one of those films that you must see at a younger age in order to fully appreciate as an adult--and as a result of me not having seen it as a child, the love that many others my age have for the film has escaped me. One of the greatest athletes of all time crosses paths with one of the greatest animated television shows in history to create a spectacle ahead of its time. Do I love the film? No; but I appreciate all that the film has to offer. It’s fun, funny, and the final basketball sequence, the defining moment of the film, exudes emotion. Whether you like basketball, Jordan, the Looney Tunes, or just cinema in general, the final act of Space Jam has something that will resonate with you.
Space Jam is fast paced and full of lessons from which everyone can learn. The film is action-packed and completely void of a dull moment. Director Joe Pytka takes viewers on an interesting and fun journey that is sure to entertain them on some level. I enjoyed this film far more this time than I had in the past, and I blame my parents (just a bit; and if you’re reading this, I still love you) for my struggles to fall in love with this film like others had. If you have children, do them a favor and show them this film while they're young--they will thank you.
Directed by Joe Pytka.
Written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, & Herschel Weingrod.
Starring Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randle, Larry Bird, Bill Murray, Thom Barry, Charles Barkely, Patrick Ewing, Tyrone Bogues, Larry Johnson, Shawn Bradley, Billy West, Dee Bradley Baker, Danny DeVito, Bob Bergen, Bill Farmer, Maurice LaMarche, Kath Soucie, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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