MJ vs. LeBron is already the most annoying and ubiquitous debate in sports, and now, thanks to “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” their never-ending battle for supremacy has officially moved into the realm of cinema. A full 25 years after the original was released, the long-gestating sequel starring King James is in theaters and on HBO Max. Bridget and Rob caught it over the weekend and are here to offer up their thoughts on a film that’s been met with a harsh critical reaction thus far.
Before we start, what are your feelings on the original “Space Jam,” and does it still hold sentimental and/or nostalgic value for you?
Bridget: I admit that I haven’t seen the original in decades, but I do have a fondness for it looking back. I can’t quite remember why we got to do this, but when it was released on VHS, we watched it repeatedly in band class. We also pumped up the soundtrack whenever possible. I vaguely remember that we even sang “I Believe I Can Fly” (from the soundtrack) in chorus the next year. I purposely did not rewatch the original before viewing “A New Legacy,” but I would say that 12 year old me was a fan of the ‘96 film!
Rob: To put it quite simply, I was obsessed. As a kid growing up in eastern Iowa, I desperately wanted to play for the Bulls someday and idolized Michael Jordan, like pretty much everyone else who loved basketball in the ‘90s. I mentioned it in a previous column, but I saw “Space Jam” at the Highway 61 drive-in theater and rewatched it probably hundreds of times afterward. Of course, I was five years old and couldn’t have cared less that only 44 percent of Rotten Tomatoes approved critics liked the movie. They didn’t know what they were talking about, and they still don’t!
Alright, so what’s the deal with “A New Legacy,” and why is it so polarizing?
Rob: The film opens with what can best be described as an extended promotional video for LeBron James: the superstar is shown as a 13-year-old (portrayed by Steven Kankole) who tosses aside a GameBoy when his coach, played by Wood Harris of “Remember the Titans” and “The Wire” fame, urges him to keep his focus on basketball. From there, viewers are treated to a highlight reel of his dunks, blocks, passes and buzzer beaters through high school and a professional career that has included stints with the Cavaliers, the Heat, the Cavs again and his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fast forward to the present, and LeBron is raising a happy and incredibly wealthy family. One of his sons, however, would rather design a basketball video game (it’s basically just a modern update of “NBA Jam,” but I digress) than actually play basketball, and you can imagine how this makes dad feel. Bridget, how do we eventually meet Al G. Rhythm (Don Cheadle), the main antagonist of the movie?
Bridget: Cheadle’s character is literally a logarithm within the servers of the Warner Brothers movie studio who is basically a sentient being. When Al G. comes up with a pitch to include LeBron in some Warner Bros. projects, the studio suits (a few of whom are played by Sarah Silverman and Steven Yeun) float the idea to the King. He hates it, which in turn infuriates Al G., who then swears to get revenge. He lures LeBron and his son, Dom, into the bowels of the studio and traps them in the computer server. Al G. kidnaps Dom and tells LeBron that the only way he can get his son back is if he wins in a game of basketball. The catch is that the team has to be made up of Warner Bros. characters, just like the original.
At this point, we finally meet the Looney Tunes. Bron isn’t exactly thrilled that they will be making up his team, but he tries to coach up the likes of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Foghorn Leghorn. On the other side of the court, Al G’s team is made up of a bunch of hybrid baddies based on real-life NBA and WNBA players (LeBron’s Lakers teammate Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, Diana Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike) who are more video game characters than actual humans. When the fateful contest commences, let’s just say it isn’t your typical basketball game.
Rob: Well, old school NBA fans are always complaining that there’s no defense in the modern game, and the ultimate final score certainly reflects that trend. The other major feature of “A New Legacy” is that for some reason (shameless self-promotion of the studio that released the film), LeBron and the Tunes are constantly bouncing in and out of the worlds of other movies and TV shows even if they have absolutely no connection to any strand of the plot.
I tried to keep a running list, so here are a few of them: “Casablanca,” “The Matrix,” “Harry Potter,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Rick and Morty,” “Wonder Woman,” “Batman” and “Superman.” And that doesn’t include the random characters who show up as spectators during the showdown between the Tune Squad and the Goon Squad. I’m particularly curious to know if LeBron is a Humphrey Bogart fan and what they would’ve discussed had they ever had the chance to meet. Bridget, is “A New Legacy” a refreshing update on the “Space Jam” franchise, or does it just leave a bad taste in your mouth?
Bridget: I’m afraid it’s the latter. I just can’t deny the fact that I very much did not like this movie. Considering what most other critics are saying about it, it feels like piling on at this point, but I simply can’t sugarcoat it. I really don’t have strong feelings about LeBron James either way. I actually liked his small role in the Amy Schumer comedy “Trainwreck” a few years ago. I don’t think his acting was really the problem here. It was the story for me. Getting sucked into the Warner Bros. server by an evil logarithm was not that compelling even though it looked flashy. I also wished the Looney Tunes characters had come into the picture earlier.
When the actual basketball game FINALLY started, it wasn’t that great. Even if I forget for a minute the major distraction of every Warner Bros. character ever in the background, the game was dull. This is probably because they embraced the video game angle so much with things like style points and power-ups. It didn’t have any stakes or basis in reality that I could care about. It was tough for me to be invested when the game score was in the thousands. I’m pretty sure this wasn’t the case in the original film.
I guess I could say, “Well, it’s not for me. It’s for the kids.” But I’m not sure which kids out there appreciate references to “A Clockwork Orange” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” that much (this coming from someone who LOVES “Mad Max.”) In the end, I’m not as infuriated by “A New Legacy” as many critics seem to be, but it was far from a slam dunk for me. Rob, what did you think?
Rob: To this point, we’ve never really had a full-blown disagreement on a movie we’ve reviewed, but I have to admit that I’m less hostile to “A New Legacy” than almost everyone else who’s written about it in any sort of professional capacity. LeBron James is not the next Jim Brown: he’ll probably never be a great actor, and his social activism will always make him unpopular with about half of the population regardless of what he does when his playing days are over.
As I was watching this movie, however, I couldn’t help but feeling that his heart was in the right place. His obsession with fatherhood and his status as a family man can come across as downright corny at times, but they’re the clear results of his own experience as a kid who grew up without a dad and has taken great pains to avoid making the same mistakes.
When the movie settles in and lets LeBron have fun with his Tune buddies, it’s a perfectly enjoyable ride (yes, despite the references, this is aimed squarely at kids), and it’s fun to see new professional players step into the roles that guys like Larry Bird and Charles Barkley once inhabited. Cheadle does his best with a patently ludicrous villain character (I’m sure he was paid well), and most of the other stars who make brief cameos (including one in particular that gave me a chuckle) seem to be having a great time.
I know my opinion is unpopular, but I just can’t hate “A New Legacy” as much as I’m supposed to. Bridget, any final thoughts?
Bridget: I think that there are plenty of kids out there who will enjoy this movie. I have seen friends on social media say that very thing about their children in the last few days. For me, I would rather take my kiddo to something else or see how they feel about the original Jam, because the remix wasn’t for me. Anything you’d add, Rob?
Rob: Not much, other than it seems that audiences are ignoring the critics. “A New Legacy” surpassed “Black Widow” at the box office this weekend, so if nothing else, director Malcolm D. Lee and the six credited screenwriters can hang their hats on that, at least.
Stay tuned for the latest edition of the column next week, and as always, send your feedback and/or topic suggestions to Bridget (news@wrightcountymonitor.com) or Rob (publisher@grundyregister.com). Thanks for reading!
