No Take Off: A Space Jam Review
As a kid, I loved Space Jam. It was a fun movie, but I really started loving it when I fell in love with basketball. So as you can imagine, many movies that are on my all-time favorite list are basketball-related. Although Aladdin has a special place in my heart and is at the top of the list, the next few on my list changes year after year but include the likes of Love & Basketball, Above the Rim, White Men Can't Jump, and other cliche classic b-ball films. All this to say, I was both nervous and excited about Space Jam: A New Legacy. Well, primarily worried. I watched the two movies back to back, and well, I will try to be objective.
Space Jam
Space Jam is a movie of its time. Two years before Space Jam was released, Lion King was released then the year before Disney/Pixar's Toy Story came out, the animation game was being won by Disney. Don't get me wrong, WB had success. But Space Jam was a marketing move to move their needle. It was released at a time where basketball was on global take off with Jordan leading the charge. It came out following the 1996 Olympics and the rise of the WNBA. It was a marketing goldmine for WB, to be honest.
But as a kid, what made Space Jam so good is the comedic timing. There are a lot of just funny instances in the movie. The movie was very corny and just fun. The self-referential humor was great. I missed many pop culture references but watching the movie later, I caught more of them. The little jabs at Disney were great too. One thing I can't forget is the music. The best part of the movie had to be the music. The music was selective and made scenes in the movie that much better. And if you never listened to the soundtrack, you missed out. You can find all the songs on Youtube. The Monstars Anthem is still good.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Again, WB wanted to use a marketing move to move their needle. Space Jam: A New Legacy with this generation's most influential athlete in the most popular sport is the way to do that. Basketball is at a turning point again. The NBA is expanding into new markets through investments in Africa and the G-League. They are making the product better. Well, besides the constant techs by sensitive refs and touch fouls for everyone. But that's another topic! Because of the pandemic, the Olympics were pushed back to 2021. So it just happens to be the 25th anniversary of the 1996 Olympics and the WNBA. Just good timing for WB.
This movie wasn't as funny. I can remember only one part that I really laughed out loud. A Lot of the jokes just fell flat to me. The movie seemed to be quirky and have a more profound lesson, but it didn't meld well. Also, the lesson seemed to be more for parents than kids. The emotional stakes didn't work for me. The strong family dynamic troupe felt a little like Dom in the Fast and Furious movies. What I liked most about the movie is the WNBA rep. The first one didn't have that. Finally, the multiverse product placement was over the top. I couldn't decide if they just wanted to promote their stuff or poke fun at the multiverse trend. Either way, it didn't work for me.
Is It Fair to Compare?
I believe it is fair to compare the two. Space Jam: A New Legacy is a standalone sequel but tries to make little jokes about the original. Only one of those jokes really lands. Neither athlete are a great actor, but that's okay. That is not where their talent lies. I think the new movie would've been better with a more goofy Lebron because the "stern, everything but basketball is a distraction" Lebron didn't work. And as I mentioned above, the emotional stakes didn't work. It was one scene that just made me mad.
I will say the graphics on the new movie is insane. Watching the movies back to back really highlighted how far we have come in technology. I can only imagine what Space Jam 25 years from now would look like.
Final Thoughts
I didn't hate Space Jam: A New Legacy, but I won't be rewatching it like I've done Space Jam. The movie just wasn't that great for me. If I had to grade it, I would give it a C, which may be just a little generous. Would I recommend it? Eh, maybe. If you have a kid who loves Lebron or Looney Tunes, then like the original, the kid will miss all the problems. Neither movie has a strong plot, but for me, Space Jam wins over A New Legacy if I had to pick which one to rewatch.