"Air and hare - What a Concept"

Rating: 6/10 (24 September 2003)

During the year 1994, Michael Jordan was set to retire from the game of basketball, when he got the idea of going on to play professional baseball. One year later, he was given the opportunity to act in front of the camera (as himself, of course) and retain his marksmanship of playing the game of B-Ball. The 1996 animated/live-action release of "Space Jam" shows a bit of both.
Who would of thought that his supporting actors would be the most recognizable, brilliant and crazy co-stars Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes themselves? Ivan Reitman can, since the director of "Ghost Busters" produced the family feature at a cost of $100 million dollars plus, almost three times the amount it cost to create the walt Disney masterpiece, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," which "Space Jam" tried to compare to, but received lukewarm results.
It's really interesting to see for the first time that the entire Looney Tunes bunch come to the big screen in a while, especially now when the use of digital effects for the film by Kodak's Cinesite Studios (U.S. and U.K.) make it fun to see. But few of the cartoon gags, jokes and pranks (perfectionized by Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson and others during the heyday of Warner Bros. cartoons in the 40's and 50's) are rarely seen in the film. Plus the weak dialogue the Mon-Stars talk out with (the script penned by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Tim Harris and Herschel Weingrod) can't compare well to thew wit and humor exemplified by Jeffery S. Price and Peter Seaman in "Roger Rabbit" in 1988, which makes the outcome seem disappointing. But the addition to the cute, sexy and dazzling Lola Bunny to the Looney Tunes roster, who can now be seen on almost every detail of merchandise you see in stores with Bugs and company, and hopefully in feature cartoons, still makes it all the more fun to look at.
The fact that `Space Jam' was based on the successful 1991 Nike commercial pairing Air Jordan and the wabbit together, somehow make up the reason that the movie only earned $90 million nationwide out of its $100 milion budget, (it did, however, exceed $225 million worldwide altogether, so that helps.) Nonetheless, Space Jam is worth seeing, if you don't mind that it's an attempt to score the winning basket, be it a winning franchise, that is.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
NOTE: The Two-Disc Special Edition DVD of the 1996 release of Warner Bros. Entertainment's `Space Jam' is coming everwhere to stores late October 2003. This brand-new edition of `Space Jam' is sure to be THE definitive collector's series that both Looney Tunes and Michael Jordan fans have been waiting to get their hands on, like me for instance (a die-hard fan of the Looney Tunes.)
ON DISC ONE: -- For the first time ever, `Space Jam' will be finally shown in a special, digitally mastered, 1.85:1 widescreen format and released in Dolby® Digital 5.1 Surround for clear, optimal audio performance. -- The film includes feature-length audio commentary from director Joe Pytka and the voices of the Looney Tunes (Billy West as Bugs Bunny; Dee Bradley Baker as Daffy Duck.)
ON DISC TWO: -- A special behind-the-scenes documentary of the film with `Jammin' with Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan.' -- An hour of special Warner Bros.' animated Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons. -- `Space Jam' Music Videos: The hit song `Fly Like an Eagle' by Seal and `Hit 'em High' (The MonStars Anthem) from B. Real, Coolio, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and Method Man. -- Trailer, and more.