This feature will open Friday, July 16th at theaters and on HBO Max.
In 1996, Warner Brothers released the live-action/animation hybrid Space Jam. It stared basketball legend Michael Jordan and the story sent him traveling into the cosmos to help Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck win a game against a team of aliens. For this reviewer, it earned a few laughs from its unique concept, but wasn’t an exceptional flick. However, enough time has passed that the generation who grew up with the movie now have nostalgic feelings for it.
Unfortunately, the stand-alone sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy is a rather blatant cash-in on the first film’s success. The first and most immediately bizarre aspect that stands out has to do with the title itself. No part of this follow-up’s story actually takes place around or has anything to do with outer space. Truth be told, it’s more of a “Virtual Reality Video Game Jam”, but that clearly doesn’t have the same ring to it. And that’s just the beginning of the problems with this effort.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James stars as himself, an extraordinarily wealthy, hard-working and successful athlete living on a lavish estate with his wife Kamiyah (Sonequa Martin-Green) and sons Darius (Ceyair J. Wright) and Dom (Cedric Joe). He’s struggling to connect with his youngest boy, insisting Dom go to a basketball camp instead of developing a basketball-themed video game. Meanwhile at the Warner Brothers lot, studio executives are taking advice from their new A.I. computer server, Al-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle). The villainous figure becomes furious when LeBron James turns down a business proposal. The A.I. program kidnaps LeBron and Dom, scanning them into the Warner 3000 Server-Verse and pitting them against each other in an online basketball game. Dom uses his digital creations to compete for the server, while LeBron enlists the “Looney Tunes” to help him win.
On a technical level, the movie is advanced and towers over the previous feature. It’s bright and colorful and the concept involves LeBron James helping Bugs find his famous animated friends, who are scattered across different worlds within the Warner Server-Verse. The protagonists move between animated environments and backdrops of live-action movies and TV shows from the studio. A few sight gags are amusing. There is also a chuckle-worthy cameo late in the feature involving a mix-up regarding a notable personality from the previous film. And one or two of the more elaborate sight gags during the climactic game earn laughs as the wild and chaotic characters attempt to shake the game up.
However, anyone familiar with the famous Looney Tunes (and Tiny Tunes) characters will know they should be sharp-witted, wisecracking rabble-rousers who poking fun at anyone they come across. That does not generally occur in this movie. Most of the written interplay between Bugs and LeBron James doesn’t land and much of the humor is based around the animated leads simply popping up in other properties. Things get even stranger during the on-court climax, which features background extras like Pennywise from It enjoying the game courtside.
Initially, it may be distracting to pick out the famous characters in the background and various worlds on display, but there isn’t any real wit involved in the proceedings. The film could have satirized some of the Warner properties on display, but no comical shots are taken at the intellectual property. Instead, the entire movie feels like a 2-hour commercial for HBO Max (where you can see all of the movies and television properties featured).
Yes, Space Jam: A New Legacy is slickly-produced and the cast tries to deliver some positive messages about listening to the wants and needs of family members. Admittedly, kids will likely find the eye-popping images on display diverting. However, only a couple of jokes connect over the lengthy running time and final edit ends up feeling like a not-so-subtle push for moviegoers to sign up for a pricey streaming service. Alas, this reviewer would be very surprised if this new edition makes anywhere near as lasting an impression on audiences as its predecessor did.