Space Jam

1996 "Get ready to jam."
6.5| 1h28m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 15 November 1996 Released
Producted By: Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://spacejam.com
Info

With their freedom on the line, the Looney Tunes seek the help of NBA superstar Michael Jordon to win a basketball game against a team of moronic aliens.

Watch Online

Space Jam (1996) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Director

Joe Pytka

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Family Entertainment

Space Jam Videos and Images
View All
  • Top Credited Cast
  • |
  • Crew

Space Jam Audience Reviews

More Review
Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
Catherina If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.
chaofunisawesome There are many people saying that hybrid films such as The Smurfs and Hop are pretty terrible, but no other hybrid film will be more terrible than Space Jam. From what I know, Looney Tunes, real life, and basketball do not mix well with this film. The animation is okay, but it gets uglier later in the film. The acting and voice-acting are both mediocre at best. And the idea for this film was so bad, it had to be redone in Looney Tunes: Back in Action, which was a massive improvement to this sorry excuse of a film. Space Jam is forgettable movie, just watch the classic Looney Tunes instead.
CalvinValjean My review of SPACE JAM has always been the same: if you go into this expecting the definitive cinematic adaptation of the classic LOONEY TUNES shorts and everything that made them great, especially the work of the great Chuck Jones, you will be disappointed. But if you go into this accepting it for what it is, a family-themed sports-fantasy movie that just happens to feature the LOONEY TUNES characters in it, then you'll be adequately satisfied. This isn't a great movie, but it does give you exactly what you pay for.The movie is directed by Joe Pytka, who'd mostly directed music videos and commercials, including several Super Bowl TV spots (which, pre-YouTube, was considered the golden timeslot for the highest quality commercials you'd see all year). And that's exactly what this movie really is: one feature-length commercial. A commercial for LOONEY TUNES, the NBA, and hip hop music, all rolled up into one movie filled with corporate logos.The plot: aliens invade and threaten to enslave the LOONEY TUNES characters and make them attractions on their planet's theme park. So Bugs, Daffy, Porky, and the gang must come up with a plan and eventually decide to...challenge the aliens to a basketball game? Really? As pretty much every critic pointed out, these are characters known for such zany hijinks and slapstick-filled adventures that break the laws of physics. That they would pick something as mundane as a basketball game feels out of character. Chuck Jones disliked the movie and said his version of Bugs Bunny would have outsmarted the aliens in about seven minutes and not needed anyone's help to do so.The movie is aware that it has a flimsy premise, but it needs it in order for the gimmick to happen: Bugs has to recruit Michael Jordan from our world to help the gang. Jordan coaches our heroes and they play in the big game, filled with CGI and-then groundbreaking FX. He has a dorky sidekick Stan (Wayne Knight) and a surprise ally in Bill Murray. Murray is actually the best thing in the movie, as his trademark ad-libbed, wink at the audience, "What the hell am I doing in this movie?" schtick plays well in a movie this self-aware.The live-action portions of the movie are its weakest element. Which is a shame as there's some good acting by Jordan, Knight, Murray, and cameos by other NBA players (Charles Barkley and Larry Bird), as well as Patricia Heaton and Dan Castellaneta. But they are blandly- directed and feel like a collection of sketches with lame jokes, basically what you would expect from a director of commercials working with a cast of mostly athletes with little acting experience. And get ready to see tons of basketball-playing footage and shot-after- fetishistic-shot of baskets being dunked and Jordan making every jumpshot in slow-motion with graceful precision; in other words, what you've seen in countless athletic commercials before.The animated portions of the movie are much stronger, featuring more colorful visuals, fun cutaway gags, and the usual mayhem and slapstick we've come to expect from these characters. Bugs Bunny is voiced by Billy West, and while he can never measure up to the legendary Mel Blanc, he does a great job giving us more or less what we expect this iconic prankster to be. Daffy, Porky, Tweety, Sylvester, Taz and Elmer are all there as well and each one manages to get in a few of their classic quips and gags. None of it ever lives up to the humor of the classic shorts of Chuck Jones and his contemporaries, but it generally works.It's hard to explain what a sensation this movie was at the time. To any kid growing up in the early '90's, Michael Jordan was a God. He was the biggest athlete in the world who appeared in countless commercials and, while maybe not a professional actor, definitely had charisma and screen presence that matched his family-friendly persona. Even if you were a kid who didn't follow sports (like me), you heard about Michael Jordan on a daily basis: I still remember the entire school talking when this mythic figure announced he was leaving basketball to attempt a career in baseball, and his eventual return to basketball. I would argue there hasn't been a professional athlete since who has had the global popularity Jordan had in his prime. If you were a studio exec in 1996 and had to greenlight a film to serve as a starring vehicle for Jordan, having him act opposite a bunch of cartoon characters was probably the best option.And on that note, everything about SPACE JAM is very mid-'90's: the hip hop soundtrack, the aggressive sense of humor, the attempts to give the cartoon characters edgy dialog and a "hip" attitude, the emphasis on athleticism and cast consisting mostly of NBA all-stars, and the pop culture references, right down to PULP FICTION.SPACE JAM is junk food, filled with corporate logos, created for the sake of making money. But as a piece of nostalgia intended for kids, it's harmless fun. What else can I say but: that's all, folks!
ironhorse_iv There's been a lot of variations of the classic Looney Tunes characters over the years, but the 1990s reincarnation has caused the most controversy, due to its bloated use of commercialism marketing. There is no bigger example of that, than 1996's 'Space Jam' directed by Joe Pytka; a giant glorified marketing ploy to sell Looney Tunes toys and Air Jordans. It was no surprise that the feature-length movie was like that, seeing how a series of Nike commercials starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny in the early 1990s, was the source that spark the idea for this movie. Despite that, I still kinda like this movie. I didn't mind the commercialism style as much as others, maybe, because this obviously produce placement film did had somewhat of interesting story. Don't get me wrong, on the surface level, Michael Jordan teaming up with the Looney Tunes to face cartoony aliens in a basketball game, in order to save them from slavery in an intergalactic amusement park is indeed ridiculous & somewhat stupid. However, there seem to be, some thought provoking, undercurrents themes, running through this fictional film that could had been great. Let's start with father & son dramatics that the beginning of the film established! It was very heartfelt. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't do anything with that, as the relationship with his father is never brought up, again. I think the movie could be better, if the film explore their relationship more, because we know from real life, that Jordan retired from the NBA to pursue the dream of his late father who was murdered in 1993, who had always envisioned his son as a baseball player. Sadly, the film doesn't give that exposition, making the baseball subplot, more out of the blue. Just think if they did, there would be a great conflict for his character, as Jordan tries to honor his late father's wishes, despite, not being any good in the sport, while also trying to fight the urge to play basketball, again, so that he can make a living for his family due to financial problems. I guess, mentioning Jordan father's death was too dark for this 1990s kid movie, but just think, if this film had a little more 'balls'. It would give this film, a little more stakes. Also, I wish, the movie gave a better reason, why Jordan was helping the Tunes, besides the villains bullying the tunes and him. Honestly, the movie could had intermixed, Jordan's children, a lot better with the Looney Tunes basketball plot, by having them, be abducted by the aliens and taken to Moron Mountain after Bugs seek his help. It would add some really needed stakes. Yes, I know, the kidnapped plot would be clichés, but it's better than the pointless scene, that we got of them, helping Bugs Bunny (Voiced by Billy West) & Daffy Duck (Voiced by Dee Bradley Baker), search for basketball shorts. All of these ideas, would help make Jordan, feel less drywall than he is, in this movie. Without it, Jordan's bad acting is more noticeable, due to his limitedly. I would rather see him, attempt being dramatic, than seeing him, such a square in this film. Despite that, I have to say, the animation department at Warner Bros did a great job, making it seem like Jordan was really interacting with the Looney Tunes. In the field of animation, the film is almost in par, with 1988's 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'. Still, I wish the humor in this film could be, a little bit better. Don't get me wrong, the movie does have some funny moments, but there's some off-color humor, that didn't need to be there. Also, some of the slapstick jokes, during the game were a little too childish for Looney Tunes. In the end, I just wish, the movie could had play more on the satire part of the cartoon series, more. One miss opportunity was making fun of the concept of Moron Mountain. It would had been entertaining to see the Looney Tunes poke fun at the idea of selling their souls out for an amusement park. It could had a Six Flags/Marriot Park vibe to it. Regardless of the lack of satire humor, Looney Tunes characters were amusing. However, I wish the filmmaker gave new character, Lola Bunny (Voiced by Kath Soucie), a little more personality, than being a token objectified hot rabbit. She seem a bit one-dimensional. Anyways, I have to say, the voice acting for the tunes, is pretty damn accurate to the original voice actors. As for the live acting actors; Bill Murray's cameo was indeed a highlight. The deadpan, don't give an f*ck attitude to the animated madness going on around him provide some of the biggest laughs, toward the end. However, surprising, it was the other professional basketball players that takes the cake for best jokes. Seeing the players going through series of embarrassing moments was pretty hilarious. I can't say, the same with Wayne Knight as Stan Podolak, whom comes across, as too annoying for his own good. The numerous close shots with him, made me, want to turn off the movie. As for the number of NBA stock footage, quickly being flash during the credits. I didn't mind it, but I can understand, if somebody get really ill. That sequence was indeed, seizure epilepsy due to how photosensitive, it was. Still, that upbeat rap by Quad City DJ that came with it, was pretty awesome. The other songs in the soundtrack like 'I Believe I can Fly' by R. Kelly & "Fly like An Eagle' By Seal was equally as extraordinary. I hope the rumor sequel with LeBron James has songs, just as memorable as the original. Overall: Even with its flaws, Space Jam, for better or for worse, is just so outrageous, you can't help, being drawn to it. I just can't help, loving it. It's just one of those movies.
classicsoncall The film's twenty years old already, man, how time does fly by. I grew up watching the Looney Tunes characters back in the Fifties, so for me, that's what kids cartoons are all about. Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck were my favorites, and they have prominent roles here, so that was cool. Having been away so long from the shows I watched as a kid, the presence of Lola Bunny was a bit of a surprise, I had never seen her before, or at least the iteration of her here wasn't familiar to me. Because all of the original voice artists are gone, folks like Mel Blanc and Chuck Jones, the Warner Brothers characters sounded just the slightest bit off to me, but that's a minor nuisance. Teaming up the cartoon characters with professional basketball players was a uniquely creative concept, though I would have liked to see some of the other players like Barkley and Ewing in the Monstar game themselves. But no matter, this is a colorful flick with decent animation and humor, with cool appearances by Wayne Knight and Bill Murray. Murray was effective doing his type of character from "Groundhog Day", a slovenly but decent guy who can make you laugh just by looking at him.