Space Jam 2: A New Legacy

Details: MPAA Rating: PG

Cast: Lebron James, Don Cheadle, Zendaya, Jeff Bergman

Release Date: July 16, 2021

Pros: The original Space Jam is one of the most beloved and nostalgic movies of all time. Now by no means was it perfect but it never really took itself too seriously which made it a good time for the family. Now, the sequel to Space Jam features Lebron James as the lead and is nowhere near as fun as the original. Regardless, in terms of the pros, the voice acting is pretty solid. Notice how I mentioned voice acting not actual acting. Zendaya does a great job as a Lola Rabbit while Jeff Bergman voices Bugs Bunny (as well as numerous other characters in the movie.) Don Cheadle feels like the only actual actor that does a great job. He did the best with what he had as the villain Al-G Rhythm and truly made the movie as fun as it could be. There were also a few jokes that got out a solid chuckle from me as well as numerous meta-references to Lebron's career as well as numerous Warner Brother properties. The CGI and animation were both pretty solid and especially were put on display during the sequence at Toon World where Bugs Bunny runs into Lebron (literally). Unfortunately, that's where the positives of this movie end.

Cons: I would like to preface what I'm about to say with I am well aware that Lebron James is not an actor. Even Michael Jordan in the original Space Jam was a horrendous actor so Lebron James definitely did better than Jordan. With that being said, I cannot let James' acting go unmentioned. It's just not good. And the sad thing is, I know James tried his best but the acting is just...yeesh. In terms of the plot, the entire movie is pretty much Warner Brothers flexing how cool they are. Everywhere you look left and right there are Warner Brother characters flying around. At first, it was cool and funny, for example seeing Rick and Morty returning the Tasmanian Devil to the Tunes was smart and chuckle-worthy. But by the climax, it became a huge game of Where's Waldo except instead of Waldo you're trying to find as many Warner Brothers characters as you can. This really detracts from the movie as a whole and makes the film seem cheap. Not only that, but it felt like the Looney Tunes were sidelined from their own movie. Like as a whole, they never really played a big part in the movie which is starkly different from the first Space Jam as they were the focus of the movie. Especially Bugs Bunny, who comes off as downright unlikeable and selfish which is a terrible way to portray one of the most beloved animated characters in television. This is a great segue into the plot of the movie which makes no sense and is pretty bad. Now I am very aware that I'm over-analyzing a movie made for kids but still I feel like trying to add a sequel to a movie as big as Space Jam should be done right and this is very much not right.

Star Rating: 4/10

Final Thoughts: Space Jam 2: A New Legacy, is a movie with a terrible plot, some funny jokes, and a highlight reel of Warner Brothers "best moments" while sidelining what is supposed to be the main cast of the movie. All this movie proved to me was that Michael Jordan really is the GOAT.