For a while now, there have been questions about whether or not LeBron James’ team-up with the Looney Tunes in Space Jam: A New Legacy would live up to the expectations set up by the original Space Jam, and now they can finally be fairly answered. The original with Michael Jordan didn’t exact break box office records, but decades later, it’s still revered by fans as a beloved 1990s cult classic.
The notion of putting NBA legend Michael Jordan on the basketball court with animated characters from the world of the Looney Tunes turned out to be an innovative concept that went over extraordinarily well with audiences. For years, there was talk of revisiting the idea behind the movie, and though a sequel with Jordan with never manifested, Warner Bros. at last has a second Space Jam movie. But instead of Jordan leading the picture, it’s his rival in the sport's GOAT debate – LeBron James -- who gets to play alongside Bugs Bunny and the gang.
With Space Jam 2, Warner Bros. promised to offer something totally new with the sequel, and not just the CGI look of the Tunes. Unlike the movie with Michael Jordan, A New Legacy reaches far beyond the world of the Looney Tunes to encompass countless franchises in Warner Bros. library, thus allowing iconic characters like King Kong, Fred Flintstone, Batman & Robin, and Iron Giant to watch the game as members of the audience. Even obscure names like Space Ghost, Peter Potamus, and Jabberjaw had a presence in the crowd. Plus, the Tunes had to visit to different Warner Bros. worlds, such as those belonging to Austin Powers, Game of Thrones, and even Casablanca. It was a unique direction to take, but did it help Space Jam: A New Legacy to be a better movie than its predecessor?
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James
Being a movie, Space Jam: A New Legacy obviously can’t solve the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James basketball debate – but it did succeed in creating a new argument: which one is the better actor? James won’t win an Academy Award for his role, but he showed at least some degree of emotional depth as an actor in his performance, especially in the scenes with his character’s son, Dom (Cedric Joe). Michael Jordan didn’t have the same opportunities, considering that his goal in Space Jam was less personal and more about helping out the Tunes and the NBA players. But, he too proved himself capable of carrying a movie like Space Jam. So similar to the wider debate about their basketball skills, there’s no clear answer here.
Looney Tunes In Space Jam vs. A New Legacy
Among the best features of both Space Jam movies are the Looney Tunes themselves. The 1996 film memorably evoked classic versions of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and all the rest, with each character looking and sounding like the Mel Blanc-voiced Tunes that fans remember from the shorts. In this area, Space Jam: A New Legacy met the bar set by the original. The sequel was able to do some fun, new things with the characters, such as Speedy Gonzalez using his speed to dodge bullets like The Matrix’s Neo, Granny using martial arts, Porky Pig rapping, and Wile E. Coyote actually getting one of his ACME contraptions to work. But at the same time, Space Jam 2 managed to stay true to who the characters are.
It impressively did justice to all of its characters with accurate portrayals and voice performances. There were also no major redesigns, apart from Lola Bunny’s less sexualized look (which was actually a needed change). Also, adding to the Tunes’ classic feel were small but meaningful touches, like Wile E. Coyote using signs to communicate, Marvin the Martian announcing his intent to conquer the planet, Taz’s recklessness, and Daffy Duck’s pessimism.
One key difference between the movies’ approach to the Tunes is the number of characters used. Space Jam’s Tune Squad boasted a much larger roster of characters, many of which being Tunes who didn’t make it into the sequel at all. While it might have been good to see familiar faces like Beaky Buzzard and Barnyard Dog back on the court, it made sense for Space Jam 2 to focus on a team of just 14 basketball players. Space Jam 2 defined which characters would be on its team before the game started with a proper recruitment process, which the first movie didn’t really do. Doing it this way meant excluding certain characters, but it also allowed for everyone on Bugs’ new team to be properly highlighted.
The Monstars vs. The Goon Squad
Space Jam’s Monstars and A New Legacy’s Goon Squad all came with their own personalities, but of the two, the Monstars felt the most developed. They had their own arc in the movie, as diminutive aliens enslaved by the evil Swackhammer before being transformed by the stolen talent of five NBA stars. At the end of the story, they were finally able to obtain their freedom, but had to give up their newfound powers as well. The Goon Squad, on the other hand, were less vital to the story and not nearly as brutal or as menacing as the Monstars, which instilled the original Tune Squad lineup with fear. One thing the Goon Squad did have going for them though, was their abilities. Unlike the situation with the Monstars, every Goon Squad player could be distinguished from each other by their powers and what they brought to the table. That was an element missing from the Monstars.
Space Jam's Story vs. Space Jam 2
The Space Jam movies used contrasting explanations for the merging of real-life and the world of the Looney Tunes. In the 1996 film, Michael Jordan found himself sucked into an underground world where he learned that Bugs Bunny and his friends are real, and that their home is being threatened by aliens. A New Legacy took a different direction via the Server-verse, a concept which established that the Looney Tunes and other Warner Bros. worlds exist in a virtual reality owned by the studio. It came off as a way of explaining James teaming up with cartoon characters, but it was an explanation that was never really necessary. There’s nothing “grounded” about Space Jam – and that’s not a problem. Space Jam’s story hinging on Michael Jordan getting lassoed through a golf hole by Yosemite Sam may not have made much logical sense, but that didn’t stop it from being a fun, basketball-themed adventure.
Why Space Jam Is Better Than Space Jam 2
While Space Jam 2’s bad reviews may suggest otherwise, it does ultimately offer some solid Looney Tunes moments with LeBron James. Plus, it wholeheartedly embraces the essence of the Looney Tunes and their wacky nature in a way that’s similar to what the original did, which is exactly what fans expect from a movie that has characters like Bugs, Daffy, and Sylvester as its heroes. However, it’s held back by the very idea that drove most of the marketing. Complaints about Space Jam 2 having the feel of a massive commercial for Warner Bros. properties have a point, as a lot of the worlds visited in the film don’t really induce much nostalgia with children, and for good reason. Game of Thrones, Rick & Morty, and Austin Powers unfortunately don’t fit into a kid-friendly Looney Tunes movie. In short, Space Jam: A New Legacy isn’t a bad movie, but it’s not likely to become a classic like the one with Jordan.