Space Jam: A New Legacy

25 years after the original, Space Jam: A New Legacy is a spiritual sequel that replaces Michael Jordan with LeBron James as he and the Looney Tunes have to compete in another basketball game against an artificial intelligence that acts as Warner Bros.'s studio software. The A.I., called AI-G Rhythm and played by Don Cheadle, has kidnapped LeBron's son out of anger because the basketball player dismissed him and threatens to erase the Tunes and hold hostage other people if he wins. Having grown up with the first film and watching it so much to the point that the VHS tape eventually broke, I was really curious how this one would do. That's not to say that I think the first Space Jam was an all out masterpiece, as it does have several issues but love how bonkers it is. Right from the beginning I knew it wasn't going to hold up as while it does show James's childhood different from Jordan's, the credits sequence doesn't have a hugely memorable song and relies too much on video game graphics over images of LeBron's play footage. While one can agree that James has more experience in acting compared to Jordan when making the movie, and he does give a good performance even if at times he still seems wooden, he doesn't have the charm or charisma of his predecessor. The voice actors for the Tunes, including new addition Zendaya as Lola, all capture their characters perfectly and Cheadle makes for a really fun villain. Not only does the traditional animation work really well for the classic cartoons but the shift to CG for them is just as good. One huge credit I have to give is that while it has a similar story to the 1996 original, it's not an exact copy and goes on different directions. Unfortunately, not all those directions work as prior to the actual game LeBron and Bugs have to travel the virtual space composed entirely of Warner Bros. properties for the rest of the Tunes. In theory, this should have worked but totally falls flat on its face mainly due to simply relying on old footage of movies from say Casablanca and The Matrix without much interaction or new footage. And even when there is interaction, like in DC World or when the spectators of the game are all Warner owned characters, a lot of the time they're just standing and moving around in a way that just seems so awkward. You could cut out a lot of these cameos and references and it wouldn't really affect the movie all that much. The actual game itself is not that bad, with some new ways to play thanks to its video game aesthetic but the opposing team, the Goon Squad, not as memorable as the Monstars. Director Malcolm D. Lee does manage to make a lot of what's onscreen, between live action and huge CGI effects, feel natural. Though the biggest flaw for this movie is the ending as they make it seem like something bad has happened to Bugs and yet LeBron barely reacts to it and suddenly he's fine right out of the blue without even making us think it would stick. While the first film is a product of its time but managed to become so memorable despite that, Space Jam: A New Legacy tries so desperately to fit with its time that it looses what made the first such a classic but still can be given a lot of credit for not being just a rehash. Over all: 68%

2021 top list so far:

1. In the Heights

2. Nobody

3. Black Widow

4. A Quiet Place Part II

5. Raya and the Last Dragon

6. Cruella

7. Wrath of Man

8. F9

9. Space Jam: A New Legacy