Space Jam: A New Legacy

by Julian Spivey

Photo: Warner Bros.

Director: Malcolm D. Lee 
Starring: LeBron James, Cedric Joe & Don Cheadle 
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour & 55 minutes

I’m surprised LeBron James wanted to do his own version of “Space Jam.” For his entire career he’s been compared to Michael Jordan, maybe fairly, maybe unfairly, but the comparisons have always been there. I’m surprised he’d want to follow in MJ’s shoes when it came to “Space Jam.” But James was probably like so many kids growing up enjoying the combination of Michael Jordan and Looney Tunes that he wanted to set out to make his own impact on today’s young generation the way Jordan did in 1996.
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Before I get too far into this review, I wanted to get one thing out of the way – the original “Space Jam” is nothing special. It’s fun entertainment, especially for children, but it’s not great. It’s just so many loved it as children that it holds a special nostalgic place for them in their memories. So, if you don’t like James’ iteration “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” don’t act like it’s tramping on something sacred.

Is “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” directed by Malcolm D. Lee, cousin of Spike Lee, a good movie? No. No it is not. Is it enough to entertain children, which I’d have to assume is its main target featuring Looney Tunes? Probably so, though as a nearly 34-year-old man it’s hard to know what entertains children these days. Do kids still enjoy the Looney Tunes?

It’s important to note that “Space Jam: A New Legacy” is not a remake of “Space Jam.” It’s more akin to a sequel or a stand-alone film. The only similarities are it’s about the world’s biggest basketball star playing basketball with animated characters. I did think that the idea to place the basketball game in ‘A New Legacy’ in cyberspace, whereas the game in the 1996 version was in actual space, was interesting.

What “Space Jam: A New Legacy” does best is its many homages throughout the film to other Warner Bros. properties. You have homages to things like “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Austin Powers,” “Superman,” “Batman,” “The Matrix” and my personal favorite “Casablanca.” I also enjoyed the many characters that served as spectators during the basketball game like King Kong, Pennywise from “IT,” The Wicked Witch of the West and so on. The film also includes a fantastic cameo from actor Michael B. Jordan who, I believe it was Daffy Duck, mistook for the legendary basketball star of the 1996 film in hopes of helping the struggling team at halftime. I particularly love that he tried a “Friday Night Lights” pep talk, as well.

What “Space Jam: A New Legacy” is at heart is a story of fathers and sons and learning as a father to let your kid be who he is – LBJ wants his son (played by Cedric Joe) to love basketball as much as he does and to become great at it, but his son is more focused on creating his own video game.

The biggest disappointment I found in ‘A New Legacy,’ and likely the biggest difference between it and its predecessor, is that the Looney Tunes don’t feel necessary. That’s not something one should feel when watching a Looney Tunes movie. It feels like Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Daffy Duck and the rest of the gang are merely here because it’s “Space Jam” and they’re supposed to be in “Space Jam.” I wanted more of the Tunes than Lee’s movie, written by Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Keenan Coogler and Terence Nance, gave us.

It was also disappointing not having many other NBA players play big roles in ‘A New Legacy,” sure Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and others are featured, but the roles aren’t nearly as integral or funny to this film as the appearances of folks like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues and more were in the 1996 film.

Early in “Space Jam: A New Legacy” Lebron James remarks during a WB pitch meeting: “Athletes acting never goes well.” It was a wink to the audience, but it’s also so true.