Space Jam: A New Legacy

A good while back, I Retro Reviewed Space Jam, one of my favorite films from the 90s. 

Perhaps wrongly, I assumed that many other people loved the film (at least outside my circle), but was quick to find out that it definitely was not loved by critics upon its release - at least not universally - and there are many who like it today, while some of us hold it in very high regard.

The original Space Jam took Michael Jordan, one of the biggest celebrities on the planet, combined him with the Looney Toons and some other basketball stars and comedians to create a zany, wacky, hilarious, fun adventure the likes of which this 6 year old "Jordan" had never seen before. Even all these years later, it's still a blast, and a total nostalgia bomb and it's a film that has strangely stood the test of time. I love it (come fight me!).

For the longest time, I've been waiting on an equally memorable sequel, even though I know catching lightning in a bottle twice isn't likely. When Hollywood so rudely ignored my pitch for a Peyton Manning/Will Ferrell/Looney Toon team-up versus his evil brother Eli Manning sequel (yes football, but would have worked gloriously) we eventually started to get rumor that LeBron James would be starring in a sequel that followed similar patterns as the first. 

Much like back in the 90's with Michael Jordan, not everyone loves LeBron James. Personally, I don't hate him and my biggest beef comes from being in the same Conference as him when my up-and-coming Denver Nuggets are trying to win a championship. Sure, he's full of himself - I get it, but he's also one of the greatest basketball players in history and tends to do a lot for his communities that are above and beyond (his "I, Promise" school, for example). 

Expectedly, Space Jam: A New Legacy is opening to some awful reviews - more from critics, but also from viewers. With how little time I have to devote to a variety of hobbies these days, that would normally force me to skip this but my love for the original + it being on HBO Max were enough to see for myself if this was worthy of the Space Jam name.

CGI Lola Bunny < Cartoon Lola Bunny

As is usually the case, the answer lies somewhere in between, but an "Instant Classic", this is not. For starters, this is a fairly uninspired sequel in terms of advancing the story and/or doing something different. It's almost the exact same as the first film in broad strokes and it barely has any fun with that legacy. I get that the target audience here is likely to have no idea there even was a first film (or who Michael Jordan is for that matter), but c'mon! This is just lazy setup. 

Actually, it's not lazy setup; it's manipulative and greedy. The one significant difference in A New Legacy, is that LeBron gets transported to a "multiverse" of Warner Brothers properties that the film hammers home any chance they get. There's an entire world dedicated to Harry Potter, Game of Thrones (yes, the quite-mature TV series), another for DC, one for Mad Max (yes, the R-rated, graphically violent series), another for Casablanca, and even one for the Matrix (yes, that other R-rated violent series). In about the most inauthentic and uninventive way possible, this new Space Jam packs in the references to these films, trying to give viewers those "OMG what a crossover!" or "Did you see X in the crowd?" moments without having earned any of them outside of WB paying to own the IP. I'll admit, some instances were neat, but even the best of them still feel like misguided and unfocused efforts for a film that's supposed to be about the Looney Toons and basketball. In the final game, with a crowd full of these cameos hidden (and some not so hidden), it becomes immensely distracting as your eyes subconsciously hunt for things you already know. As I started to see Whitewalkers, War Boys, and Pennywise the Clown, I began to wonder who this film was really for.

This plays a large part of the film - and is arguably why it's too long - but aside from the shoved-down-your-throat-IP and some really wooden acting from King James (to be fair, MJ wasn't much better), I found A New Legacy to be good, harmless fun that never quite reaches the highs of the original, but still has some great scenes. Unfortunately, it takes a while to get to the main event: the basketball game, but it's here (aside from the aforementioned distracting crowd) where the movie shines brightest. The colors are bright and vibrant, other WNBA and NBA stars fill the ranks of the Goon Squad, the Looney Toons have to find their mojo, and there's "some" basketball. A handful of other surprises are present - a rap battle and "Dame Time" come to mind - that help it shine even brighter and it's almost enough to save the film from everything else that I'd consider unmotivated or just straight "corporate". Perhaps the only one feeling like he's really trying to do his best here is Don Cheadle as our computer villain Al G. Rhythm (algorithm, get it?). Cheadle does his best to ham up the material that he's given and anytime he was on screen, the film was more entertaining. 

"LeBron! I need your energy to match Bugs'!"

By the end of it all, I found that my soft spot for the predecessor left me on the more "positive" side of A New Legacy. It's not as awful as many claim, but I also don't dispute their claims because the choice to cram IP in the film is nearly enough to bring the whole structure down. For many, I'm sure it did. If you're able to look past that (or even enjoy it, I suppose) then A New Legacy is a uninspired, but still decently fun sequel that's best when it's letting the Looney Toons (or Don Cheadle) shine. It won't have the lasting power of the original though.

CONS

• Easily the biggest offender is the lazy, copious, and distracting amount of Warner Brothers IP that's shoved down your throat
• Strangely, this also includes a lot of R-rated properties that are not appropriate for a film aimed at children. If your kid is leaving a movie begging to watch "Mad Max", you've got an issue
• Uninspired setup. This sequel barely references/builds on the original or does anything all that different
• James is not a great actor. He has his moments where he's "fine" but also some very cringe ones
• Pacing issues throughout. The film flies by, but it feels slow to setup then eager to wrap up
• Misses having a comedian that provides some laughs much like Murray did in the original

PROS

• The Looney Toons stuff is still a blast
• Once the film gets to the big game - aside from that crowd - it's a lot of fun
• Handful of scenes within the game that are a hoot and/or very cool
• Not as funny as the original, but had some good laughs here and there
• Good, sometimes great soundtrack (though it can't rival the OG here either)
• Don Cheadle is a treat as the villain and is the film's MVP

Rath's Review Score | 6/10