Warning: possible spoilers ahead for Space Jam: A New Legacy (released in July 2021, directed by Malcolm D. Lee)
Space Jam: A New Legacy is the much-awaited sequel to the 1996 film starring Michael Jordan. As a kid, I really liked the original. However, it has been long enough that I don’t remember much about it. I thought about rewatching the first film beforehand (hey, its price on Amazon Prime Video is less than a cup of TP Tea), but ended up jumping in cold turkey.
At 1 hour and 55 minutes, the film felt a little long. Parts of it definitely could’ve been cut shorter. It was also ridiculous how Warner Bros did not shy away from including references to anything they owned. There were tons and tons of random character cameos thrown in. I have to say, some of them (i.e. the Droogs from A Clockwork Orange) felt really out of place for a kid’s movie.
Anyhow, I was able to predict most of the plot. IMHO Space Jam: A New Legacy doesn’t have the magic of the original. Maybe it’s because they didn’t really showcase LeBron James’ talents. His character could’ve been any average Joe and the Looney Tunes would still have won the game vs. Al-G Rhythm. The plot would’ve been much better if LeBron James’ basketball skills were somehow crucial to success.
PS: funny enough, I watched Space Jam instead of tuning into Game 5 of the Bucks / Suns NBA Finals
