Space Jam

Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny’s wacky basketball adventure is still a fun, nostalgic trip down memory lane.

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PRE-GAME 🏀

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Welcome back to Balls on Film! 👋🏻

It’s about time for another NBA season to get underway, and while I’m still firmly focused on postseason baseball and my Yankees right now, the dawn of a new basketball season had me reminiscing about first getting into the sport, and how much I looked forward to the release of Space Jam, which is why I selected it as this week’s movie.

I still remember when Space Jam was first released. I was 12 years old, and my love of basketball had not long begun. Today, I’m very much firmly a Knicks fan, but the Chicago Bulls were my gateway into the sport. Like most young kids into basketball back then, I loved watching Michael Jordan and was more hyped for this film than I had been for anything else at the time. I went to see it opening weekend in the UK, and it really felt like an event. It felt like ads for the movie played on TV around the clock, and merchandise filled the shelves before the movie even released. I might be remembering all of this through my nostalgic childhood lenses, but it really felt like a huge deal at the time.

This rewatch didn’t quite hit in the same way as that very first viewing at the cinema, but it still makes me feel like a kid again every time I revisit it.

With that, it’s time for tip-off!

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FIRST HALF 🏀

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Let’s just say it - Space Jam isn’t a great movie. It often feels like one big, giant fever dream ad, and Michael Jordan’s acting skills won’t be winning awards any time soon. Despite that, it’s still a fun experience and a great trip down memory lane, especially if you were a kid around the time that this was released. If you want a sports movie with the usual big dramatic moments, this won’t be for you - but if you’re looking for a movie that blends basketball, cartoon silliness, and plenty of 90s pop culture together, Space Jam will be your jam indeed. A movie where Michael Jordan gets recruited by Bugs Bunny to play a high-stakes basketball game against evil monsters who have stolen the powers of NBA players is as ridiculous - and also as enjoyable as it sounds.

Warner Bros

What I liked about Space Jam on rewatch is, despite how absurd the whole situation is, Jordan still plays the part with an air of calm, almost like it’s no big deal and part of his everyday routine. We very quickly accept and move past the fact that he’s interacting with cartoon characters like it’s nothing. Now, perhaps that was just the limit of his range as an actor, but it weirdly works for the movie. He’s the same cool Michael Jordan that everyone loved in real life. And not to sound like Skip Bayless, but compared to LeBron James’ acting in the sequel, Jordan looks like Marlon Brando in The Godfather here. The movie just embraces the wackiness, and it does a good job of masking his limitations as an actor. When I think of Space Jam, I think of Jordan facing off against the ‘Monstars’ and him stretching his arm halfway across the court for the game-winning shot, not his slightly wooden line delivery.

There’s a good supporting cast too, although Bill Murray’s acting here is about on par with Michael Jordan’s. Wayne Knight makes an appearance, and all your favourite Looney Tunes characters are here too - although I’m not exactly sure if kids today care about Bugs Bunny and co. Maybe that’s why the second film didn’t land quite the same? Is Space Jam more of a movie for people in their 30s & 40s in 2024? So many questions!

Watching NBA players like Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing lose their basketball skills and stumble around the court looking lost will forever put a smile on my face. Having the other players in there makes the film feel like slightly less of a movie that was solely designed as a vehicle for Michael Jordan. The whole plot is extremely simple and barebones, but it works. It’s where the sequel failed, after trying to do way too much. It felt awkward and forced, where the original feels effortless in how fun it is. The extremely short running time also helps. At 87 minutes, the movie zips along. Take note, Space Jam 2.

Can you tell I’m not a fan of the sequel? 😬

Warner Bros

The animation, despite feeling a bit dated by today’s standards, holds up reasonably well. Watching the Looney Tunes characters interact with Jordan in a mix of live-action and animation is still a lot of fun and has a real charm to it. Oddly, the sequel already feels more dated in that regard. Sorry, I’ll save the Space Jam 2 bashing for the eventual review!

Warner Bros

Let’s not forget the amazing soundtrack. Having a soundtrack full of popular songs usually dates a movie and suspends it in that time period, but that’s part of the charm here. The music in this film takes me right back to my childhood, and I guess it’s now why I think of this as a movie for people my age rather than kids. I still remember sitting in the movie theatre, and the songs blasting in my ears as I watched this for the first time.

Warner Bros

While the majority of the barebones plot works as part of a kids movie, some parts feel more like a product of the time and don’t hold up quite as well. The focus on Jordan’s baseball career, for example, just doesn’t work today - especially for a younger person watching this for the first time. But it doesn’t really matter because Space Jam doesn’t pretend to be anything more than a fun, family-friendly, nostalgia-loaded sports comedy - and on that level, it works.

Warner Bros

Sure, the plot is dumb and basic, and there are a few moments where even the pop culture stuff feels overdone. It does start to feel like one big commercial cooked up after an ad executive’s cocaine binge at times - but that’s also what makes the movie so much fun. It’s a silly, unapologetic mash-up of everything weird and wonderful that we remember from 90s pop culture: larger-than-life sports, classic cartoons, and a total disregard for reality.

Space Jam is available to rent or buy via most digital stores. It’s also currently streaming on Netflix in the UK, where I watched for this review.

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HALFTIME 🏀

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Let’s take a break for halftime.

Here’s what else I’ve been watching this week:

Mr. Crocket

This has dropped at the perfect time of year. A fun gateway horror movie with a really cool concept and a great villain, played brilliantly by Elvis Nolasco. Mr. Crocket is an evil tv character, who enters kids’ homes via the television and inflicts chaos and torture on their families before abducting the children and taking them back to his world. It’s like Goosebumps for adults, and even though it runs out of steam a bit towards the end, it’s still well worth adding to your spooky season schedule.

Streaming on Hulu (US), Disney Plus (UK).

Only Murders in the Building

I hate to say it, but is anyone else just utterly bored of this show? I adored the first two seasons and felt like it really took a dive in season three. I was hoping it would bounce back for me this year, but after a strong start, this latest season has descended into a bit of an unfocused mess that wants to focus more on the big-name guest stars than the three main characters together working to solve a murder, which is what made the show so good in the first place. I really hope it picks up before the end.

Streaming on Hulu (US), Disney Plus (UK).

Terrifier 3

Who’d have thought just a few months ago, that it would be a much different clown than we were all expecting, who would be topping the box office charts? The third film in the series is a mixed bag. It’s better than the second film, but it’s still too long, and most of the kill scenes and gore stuff are just too boring and drawn out. The opening is great, and the last half hour or so where the actual interesting part of the story ramps up, is also good. But everything else is just set piece after set piece designed to appeal to the gore heads and it’s just not all that interesting. It’s still bookended by an enjoyable movie though, and the Christmas vibes are loads of fun.

In theatres now.

As usual, let me know what you’re watching, reading, playing, listening to - anything at all. Let’s get back on to the court!

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SECOND HALF 🏀

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Let’s jump into some awards and bonus content.

BEST SCENE 🏆

The scene where the NBA players have their talent stolen is one that I always enjoy, and I always think about how much fun it would have been for the players to shoot too.

BEST LINE 🏆

There’s actually not many great lines in this film, but for some reason this totally random line from a random fan at the game makes me laugh every time.

Woman Fan: This guy next to me is doing something very weird in his raincoat.

MVP AWARD 🏆

Michael Jordan isn’t a good actor in the slightest, but watching LeBron James in the sequel gave me a whole new appreciation for his performance here.

BEST LETTERBOXD REVIEW 🏆

IMDB TRIVIA HIGHLIGHT 🏆

Towards the end of the basketball game, Daffy asks Bill Murray, "Exactly how did you get here?" To which Bill responds, "The producer is a friend of mine", referring to producer Ivan Reitman.

BONUS FEATURE 💿

Here’s Michael Jordan talking about the making of the film back in 1996.

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POST-GAME 🏀

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Next week, we’re doing our first sequel week. Don’t worry, it’s not Space Jam 2. You guys loved the Rocky review from a couple of weeks ago and it got such a great response, that myself and John Lees will be back next week to revisit Rocky II. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the second film, and I’m eager to see if it holds up.

I’m also hoping that by the time the next edition of Balls on Film rolls around, my Yankees will have secured a spot in the World Series. I’d love to know your favourite baseball movie that I’ve not covered here as of yet - bonus points if it features the Yankees in some way. I’d love to add it to the schedule for the following week, in the hope that it ties in with a World Series appearance.

See you next week! 👋🏻

~James