Space Jam: A New Legacy

It's a rare occurrence when the kiddos and I aren't on the same page when it comes to movies. It seems as if animation studios have learned to cater to adults as well as children when it comes to kids' movies, and that's a great thing as a parent. But then a movie like Space Jam: A New Legacy comes along which gives parents nothing to grasp on to and makes you feel every minute of its excessively long two-hour running time. As for the kiddos though, they absolutely loved it!

In Space Jam: A New Legacy LeBron James basically plays an exaggerated version of himself, treating his two boys like basketball teammates, rather than acting like a father, in a very overbearing and demanding way. Although one of his children likes playing basketball, his youngest Dom (Cedric Joe) would rather stay in his room building video games. LeBron is having none of it and demands that Dom constantly practice as well as attend an upcoming basketball camp. It is then, after a series of strange events, Dom & LeBron get sucked into a computer program run by Al G. Rhythm (Don Cheadle), with their only hope of returning to the real world if LeBron can beat Al G. In a basketball game. It may sound easy, but with James only having Looney Tunes characters as teammates and Al bringing in NBA & WNBA stars on his team, this may be a game that LeBron can't win.

THE GOOD

Not a penny has been spared in making this one of the most colourful, beautifully animated features ever seen on film. Animation has come a long way from 1992's original Space Jam and in this sequel of sorts, all the usual Looney Tunes characters return, but this time, have been given a 3D-style makeover. If only some of that money was spent on producing a decent script!

Mr. 10: This film was awesome. I loved seeing all the Looney Tunes characters come to life and seeing Porky Pig rap was my favourite. There were also lots of funny jokes, which was good too.

Mr. 7: All the Looney Tunes characters are so silly and it's really funny when they're constantly fighting with each other. I like how they all team up together to play basketball against the bad guys.

THE BAD

With a script that sounds more like a Public Service Announcement, rather than an entertaining movie, I actually thought I was listening to something that a bunch of sixth-graders had put together rather than a Hollywood movie. While a lot of animated movies may cater to adults this film does not even bother, keeping everything low-brow and very childish from start to finish. I have no problem with this because my kiddos loved it, but what I don't understand however is just why you'd bizarrely put in scenes from The Matrix, Mad Max, and Casablanca. Mr.10 and Mr. 7 were continually leaning over in their chairs asking me what all these strange scenes were. Not only were kids not born when these films were originally released but they're not even in the age range to watch these films NOW!

Mr. 10: The only part of the film I didn't like was Al G. Rhythm because he didn't make any sense. Sometimes he's really strong and then sometimes he's really weak. If you run the computer program shouldn't you always be strong?

Mr. 7: I didn't like the bad guy because he kept changing the rules so he could win and LeBron would lose. It didn't seem very fair.

THE UGLY

If you want to see a film whose main reason to exist is based wholly and solely to market toys to kids, then Space Jam is that film. From start to finish there is always a product brand, toy, or game perfectly positioned on the screen to face the audience with a character on the screen saying something along the lines of "hey will you pass me that LeBron James branded basketball?" 'Yes, I can pass you this LeBron James branded basketball'. This may be a slight exaggeration but watch this film and you'll get my drift.

I knew that Space Jam: A New Legacy wasn't going to be good but I just didn't expect it to be that bad. From wooden acting (by the human cast) to Looney Tunes characters with voices completely different than the ones I grew up with, this movie was quite the slog to sit through. In saying that though, my kids enjoyed every minute of it and I'm happy to admit that not every film is made for me.

TWO AND A HALF LEBRON JAMES BRANDED BASKETBALLS OUT OF FIVE

Mr.10: This film was awesome. The Looney Tunes characters were really funny and it was great to see them all team up together. Porky Pig was the best. Four and a half out of five.

Mr. 7: I liked seeing all the Looney Toon characters turn from cartoon to 3D and they were all really funny. But I didn't like how long the film went for or the bad guy. Four out of five.

Possibly one of the worst films I've seen this year.

LeBron can't act to save his life, and it feels like the film was just made to appease his massive ego.

I only gave it 2 stars because the animation was well done, and Don Cheadle as the villain had some chuckle-worthy moments.

Honestly, this movie wasn't as bad as people are saying. I thought it was a fun, entertaining way to spend two hours.

In 1996, the original Space Jam "had something", so to speak. Seeing Michael Jordan on the big screen interacting with the Looney Tunes was a first-of-its-kind sort of experience, and despite the ridiculous concept it worked perfectly. Sadly, this long-await sequel captures absolutely none of that magic or fun.

For a very basic overview, Space Jam: A New Legacy sees Warner Brother's sentient artificial intelligence Al G. Rhythm (Don Cheadle) hatch a plan inside the "server-verse" to finally get the recognition he feels he deserves. Central to that mission? Abducting LeBron James and family to play in a high-stakes basketball game that pits father against son. Along the way, James must root out the old Looney gang for the epic court contest.

I will readily admit that nostalgia for the original got me into the theater to see this sequel. Absolutely no doubt about that. However, I will not concede that the same nostalgia is preventing me from giving this one a better rating than 3/10. "A New Legacy" is just a bad movie, plain and simple, for numerous reasons...

-Whereas Michael Jordan just had to show up and be himself in the original, here LeBron James is given the emotional heavy-lifting tasks. Predictably, it does not go well. He cannot believably convey a single emotion.

-A lot of people are criticizing the decision to showcase so many WB properties (Harry Potter, Superman, Batman, Matrix, Game of Thrones, etc.) in this film. That didn't so much bother me, and I actually enjoyed the concept of a tongue-in-cheek poking fun at those topics. But it all comes crashing down when the finished product looks suspiciously like an algorithm-created property that the plot was trying to skewer!

-The "Looney Tunes playing basketball" concept is no longer new (by virtue of the '96 effort), and nothing is done to spruce that avenue up whatsoever. Same old gags just replayed again. Also, the way we interact with athletes is so different now that James simply cannot command the cultural cache that MJ once did. Just having him physically present isn't enough like it may have been in the mid-90s.

Overall, "Space Jam: A New Legacy" is a clunker, no two ways around it. It isn't the worst film I've ever seen (it got me to chuckle a few times), but it is almost completely devoid of any real emotion or fun, in stark contrast to its predecessor that is still considered one of the most fun films ever made.

Let's be honest: the original Space Jam was not a great movie. It holds nostalgia in our eyes because it starred the greatest basketball player of all time next to some of our favorite cartoons. However, the original Space Jam looks like a classic compared to this overly produced mess of a sequel.

First off, let's get something straight. LeBron James is an amazing basketball player and he's very popular with young adults. However, he does not have the same aura about him that Michael Jordan did. MJ came at a time when being a celebrity wasn't so ubiquitous like it is now with the Internet and social media. Also, media is so fragmented now that we really don't have those "shared" experiences like we once did. EVERYONE knew MJ and the Chicago Bulls, basketball fans or not. I'm not sure LeBron has that same appeal. Also, even if people didn't like MJ, they respected him. Maybe it's because he gets political, or maybe because he switches teams, I don't know why, but LeBron is much more polarizing. Maybe it's just the cultural climate we live in today, but there are a lot of people who straight up don't like the guy.

The second thing is how corporate this movie is. So many product placements and pseudo commercials all over the place. It takes people out of the story and makes it feel like you are just watching endless commercials for 120 minutes.

Third, 120 minutes is way too long for families. 90 minutes or less. Kids loss attention after that. So do adults.

This movie is fine if you are looking for something to do for 2 hours, but there are better ways to spend that time than watching a lukewarm, unnecessary, over the top commercial showcase designed as a sequel to Space Jam.