Space Jam

Rating:
Summary: Slam Dunk
Review: Space Jam teams up His Airness, Michael Jordan, with His Hareness, Bugs Bunny, for a fun, and funny, family film.

Michael Jordan has retired from basketball, and currently playing baseball, when Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals ask for his help in playing a b-ball game against diminuative aliens from Moron Mountain. These aliens have stolen the talent of 5 NBA players, including Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, and are now larger than life. Since this is Looney Tunes Land, this game is NOT your average basketball game. If it was, it wouldn't be any fun.

Though not an actor of any kind in anyone's book, Michael Jordan does a very good job of interacting with his cartoon co-stars. Most of the jokes are well done and the basketball game itself is a lot of fun. In addition, it is quite funny to watch the 5 NBA players that had their "games" stolen trying to cope with their newfound ordinaryness.

This movie is not groundbreaking by any means and most all of the original Looney Tunes cartoons are better. But this movie never tries to be more than it is: a good time. And at that, it succeeds very well.

Rating:
Summary: Jordan does a slam dunk with a classic!
Review: Man I have so many great memories of the days during most of the 1990s when the Chicago Bulls were the ultimate NBA basketball team and that I myself enjoy playing basketball and have won several basketball competitions when I was in school. To add to this great era in NBA history is a really quirky but absolutely entertaining movie that is called "Space Jam" which brings the NBA legend Michael Jordan onto the big screen for the first and only time as of writing this review.

In the case of this, Michael Jordan plays himself but as a golfer with a peaceful life with his family. However, his peaceful life is suddenly interrupted when he is pulled through a golf hole while trying to retrieve the golf ball and finds himself in the world of Looney Tunes. The characters from The Looney Tunes are in grave danger. A gang of vicious cartoon aliens from outer space have taken over the cartoon world and the Looney Tunes, striking a deal with them, decides that their fate will be decided through challenging the aliens to a basketball game. If they lose this game, the Looney Tunes are doomed to becoming slaves to the alien race for the rest of their lives by telling the same jokes every night to entertain their race. Realizing what's at stake for them, Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Tweety Bird, Pudgy Pig, Tasmania and the remaining Looney Tunes cartoon characters call on the aid of Michael Jordan to challenge the aliens to this basketball game. The aliens make things a lot more complicated when they steal the basketball skills away from several 'real life' NBA basketball players rendering the players almost inept at NBA games and the aliens grow from mere small annoying creatures into gigantic troll-like beings who call themselves the "Monstars" as a basketball team and the newly grown aliens are just about experts at basketball due to them draining all the skills away from the 'real life' NBA basketball players. It's a lot at stake as the Looney Tunes are far disadvantaged against the formidable "Monstars" basketball team. With the help of Michael Jordan and cameo appearances from Wayne Knight, and Bill Murray, the basketball game will decide the fate of the cartoon world's future.

"Space Jam" I think is one of the most brilliant movies that came out around this time (Around in 1996) during the Chicago Bulls at their heights in the history of the NBA and "Space Jam" blends the glory of this time and combines it with the Cartoon World in the greatest live/cartoon hybrid movie since "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" from eight years before then. This may have been Michael Jordan's only stab at acting in movies (at least at the time of writing this review) but Jordan was absolutely amazing in this movie and showed that he was absolutely capable of great acting. I also loved seeing "Seinfeld" actor Wayne Knight also play for the Looney Tunes basketball team against the "Monsters" team as well.

My favorite of the Looney Tunes were Bug Bunny and Tasmania whose eccentric cartoon characters really added so much fun, and humor to the movie. Bugs Bunny was so funny and witty and Tasmania's sometimes feral personality was absolutely a riot. I actually didn't care much for Lola Bunny a whole lot. The movie went on to become a smash hit and deservedly so because it's one of the best movies of the mid to late 1990s. I haven't been a major fan of the Looney Tunes on a historic note either except for Tom and Jerry but man, even the Looney Tunes characters were absolutely a riot in this movie. If you can, I would also recommend the soundtrack to this movie as well as it has all the fun that the movie itself has, and this is taking into account that while I have had a very intense dislike for most modern day rap music, the rap on the soundtrack is fun and excellent. Man do I wish there was another movie that blended cartoon styles with live action movie footage the way "Space Jam" did but at least where it stands, "Space Jam" is up there with "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" as the best live/cartoon hybrid movie of all time.

If you can find it, I say get a hold on the 2-disc collector's "Special Edition" as the edition carries a lot of cool extras on it and has much better sound and visual quality than the VHS edition. I've watched the VHS version countless times and wore it out as a result a long time ago and went for years without seeing it so I replaced it with the "Special Edition" DVD and let me say, it's worth every penny. If you love basketball-themed movies, then this is the movie for you but anyone who wants loads of fun and entertainment along with intelligence, wit and smart craftsmanship will find much on "Space Jam".

Rating:
Summary: Mike Mike do what ya like
Review: I had to see this a couple of times to like it. The third time I was smashed and got into the idea of the Lonney Tunes trying to enter the human world. Things happen when you're wasted so maybe they are here? This is a good wholesome kids movie. And Bill Murray is in it which is nice.

Rating:
Summary: WEEEEOOOOOOUUUPLOP MIKEY'S ALL TIME LOW
Review: Well two disks?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Ill be mmmbopping down to my locale dvd emporium in jiffy.
What can i say about a boy that was never born??? Have i been to the toilet before????
YES
HAVE I WATCHED POOPY SLOPPING IN THE BOWL FOR A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF MY ENJOY MENT THAN THIS EXCREMENT WHICH DRIBBLED OUT OF MJ's BUMBUM????!?!?!?!?!

YES i HAve THIS IS THE MOST APPALLING DIRE WASTE OF PLASTIC I HAVE EVER POOPYED ON. I MEAN GIMME A BREAK THIS DVD NOT ONLY CONTAINS THE WORST MOVIE EVER ( EXCEPT MARIO BROS, PURE PANTAS POOPING) THIS HAS TWO DISKS! WHY?? SO YOU CAN WIPE YOUR BUMBUM ON THE SECOND ONE AFTER THE DRIBBLE CAUSED BY THIS EXCREMENT HAS LEAKED AND SPEEPED ONTO YOUR NICE NEW CLEAN SOFA.

Over all i give it a 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Slam Junk
Review: If Jack Warner had read the Space Jam script, he would most likely have rejected it, all through out this movie, it seems like this movie went through endless rewrites. Between Jordan and the Looney Tunes playing their basketball game, the NBA players loseing their abilities, and the rather unfunny jokes that Bill Murray and a miscast Wayne Knight use. At most this is a large infomerical about the NBA, at worst, it shows clones of the Looney Tunes gang that clearly do not act or look like themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Big Macs for life
Review: How any critic can call Looney Tunes: Back in Action an exercise in franchise promotion but not puke at the 80-minute commercial that is Space Jam is beyond me.

Our plot has Danny Devito play the voice of an evil, monster type businessman who's theme park is failing. In desperation he sends 5 little creatures to capture the Looney Tunes and bring them back as the new attraction.

So...where is Looney Tune land? Apparently it's underground. And digging up any golf ball hole will eventually lead to it. When the Looney Tunes challenge the would-be kidnappers to a basketball game they kidnap Michael Jordan to be on their team.

The quality of the film nosedives from here on. Jordan's acting is so wooden it's mahogany. He expresses no confusion, joy or surprise at being yanked into Looney Tune land and confronted by all the toons. 'Bugs Bunny you're a cartoon you're not real', he says in the most flat, boring and dullest way (missing commas intended as he doesn't use them).

And then the big game follows. Once it's over, and there's no reason left to continue watching, the film goes on for another 10 minutes (to beef the running time up 'feature length') with the basketball/Jordan story. It's rubbish.

It's no surprise that the film is directed by Joe Pytka (he's NOT Joe Dante that's for sure), a man who has never done any other features but over a 1000 TV ads, or something. Space Jam is nowt but 100% proof Warner like to whore out their most famous creation to make a few quick, and cheap, bucks. It's heartbreaking, heinous stuff.

Casting Michael Jordan alongside the Looney Tunes is not inspired and imaginative. It's crass and desperate. Now they can attract sports fans AND kiddies. And Michael Jordan of all people! He's not a good actor and his fame outside of the U.S. is minimal to say the least. Moreso today.

The only part of the film that comes (very, very remotely) close to the true spirit of the Looney Tunes is the score. James Newton Howard (a truly bizarre choice, how about Jerry Goldsmith, Bruce Broughton or even Danny Elfman) recognizes the classic Looney Tunes themes and uses them appropriately in certain moments but the rest of the score is generic and uninspired.

Back in Action was intelligent, witty and satirical. Space Jam is corny, cheap and classless. It's an absolute travesty. How can we honestly take seriously a movie that has every cast member awe at Michael Jordan, has not too subtle product placement for McDonalds and has the Looney Tunes (one of the most ingenious creations in history) exploited in the most shameless and guilt free manner. With Space Jam, Warner showed that they'd cash in the Looney Tunes at a pawn shop for $5 if they could. A total lack of respect for Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson.

And they don't even act Looney. The only laughs come from Bugs and Daffy. And it's sporadic and inconsistent. Producer Ivan Reitman (who has no experience and no business with this franchise) managed to convince Bill Murray to appear in this drek (for about 10 minutes) so the trailer could boast an ACTUAL star other than Jordan. Murray's performance is the bare minimum and has a let's-get-this-over-with feel (though Murray working below-par is still miles ahead of many other actors at the top of their game). His appearance in the film is massively oversold.

It's just not fair that THIS is a big hit while Back In Action flopped horribly. I consider it the biggest miscarriage in justice ever. I still blame the marketing for Back in Action. It was bad, REAL bad. But still has some sort of quiet dignity about it when compared to the McDonalds promoted, in your face junk that was Space Jam's marketing. Is it any wonder Joe Dante had Back In Action nicknamed 'The Anti-Space Jam movie'?

And just what the hell is a Space Jam anyway? It's not even set in Space!!!

It took Warner 3 tries but the finally released the movie in its original aspect ratio. The DVD presents the film is 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with pretty active Dolby 5.1 sound. There are loads of features but they are all fluff. Some 80's Looney Tunes shorts are included too.

Rating:
Summary: A funny film
Review: If you're a fan of the Warner Bros. cartoons,basketball,or golf,this film is for you. Basketball great Michael Jordan stars in this half-animated feature. At a basketball game,we see Bugs Bunny,Porky Pig,Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd in the audience. To the best of my recollection,Bill Murray and Danny DeVito have cameos in the golf scene(s). We also see Pepe Le Pew,Wile E. Coyote,Road Runner and Speedy Gonzales in this film. The featured song in this film is R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly",which was on hit parade in the fall of 1996 when this film was released.

Rating:
Summary: At least a great DVD boxed set from Warner Brothers
Review: Disk One; Contains a restored print of the movie in widescreen with great picture and sound quality.

Disk Two; Contains a Making of the Movie featurette that is both fun and informative, as well as five Looney Tunes cartoons from the early 90's that are both fun to watch and also have great picture and sound quality.

At last a Warner's DVD worth your money.

Rating:
Summary: A Review of the Two-Disc DVD
Review: The new "Space Jam" 2-Disc DVD is a fun addition to any Looney Tunes or family DVD collection.

Disc One features the film, which can be enjoyed with commentary from the director, as well as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Most DVD commentaries are a bore to sit through--and this one does have its over technical moments (especially if you have young children who "believe in" Bugs or Daffy), but the comments from the characters are very witty--including a jab that Bugs throws at Michael Jordan early in the presentation (concerning his brief baseball career).

Rounding out the first disc is the theatrical trailer of the film (this is almost a MUST with me for any DVD).

The Second Disc is a nice bonus and could have easily been packaged as a stand-alone item. It features a "Making of Space Jam" and several Looney Tunes shorts (from the 1980's and 1990's), as well as the 1988 television special, "Bugs vs. Daffy: Battle of the Music Video Stars". Speaking of music videos, the second disc also features "Fly Like an Eagle" and "Monstars Anthem".

This is a great gift for any Looney Tunes fan. Folks who liked it as children in 1996 (when the film was released) should still like it as teens. Children who have never seen it will also enjoy it. In short, it's a keeper.

Rating:
Summary: Is Warner Brothers finally making good DVDs..?!
Review: Well Warner Brothers announced recently that they will start making better quality DVDs. Space Jam is the first. I purchased this and the LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION DVD set. So far, not bad. The Special Edition of SPACE JAM is actually quite good (with some flaws however). Disk One has the widescreen version of the movie with excellient picture and sound quality. The audio commentery however really stinks. It sounds more like three radio DJs debating the music industry rather then on any informative dialoge on how the movie was made.
Disk Two has the bonus features, and they are a pretty mixed package. The five Looney Tunes Cartoons on the disk range from very funny to rather forgetable. The behind the scenes featurette on Space Jam is pretty good, but it runs only 30 minutes and I hope it would have run a bit longer. All in all, pretty good.