Whereas the original delights in pop culture references with an admirable reckless abandon, this film offends as a cash grab in attempting to do the same. Say what you will about the pacing, acting, or even haphazard world-building, but for all its flaws and disparate elements, Space Jam manages to coalesce these into an absolute tour de force.Īs a result, Space Jam: A New Legacy loses what cultural import helped elevate the original from "bad movie" to "cultural touchstone." The threadbare plot and tired premise can't disguise their flaws with the shock and awe of seeing two larger-than-life characters-MJ and bugs-share the big screen, each with their own real-life stakes on display. The brilliance of Space Jam was its synergy with actual events, whether they be Jordan's comeback or the Tunes' return to relevance. He retired to play baseball because of the loss of his father, was simply too competitive to languish in the minors, and rediscovered his love for the game, all while resurrecting the Loony Tunes IP. The script allows audience members to affix a singular narrative to Jordan's tumultuous years away from the game. Whether due to the death of his father or unsubstantiated claims of gambling debts, Jordan's retirement, baseball stint, and return to NBA glory presented an opportunity for Space Jam to capitalize on a preexisting story that would engage directly with the culture of the moment. Michael Jordan was incomparably ubiquitous in the 90s, and his retirement shook not just the basketball world, but the broader American zeitgeist. Space Jam is, generously, an entertaining movie, but its massive success owes less to cinematic quality and more to cultural iconography.
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