A funny, wacky family friendly film, but comes up short..

Rating: 6/10 (24 February 2009)

Since the release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, animators and producers have been trying to emulate the blockbuster success. Some were good, many were mediocre or worse. Space Jam happens to fall into the category of okay, but with many flaws.
This wacky film stars basketball legend Michael Jordan, who is more or less, a so-so actor. At the height of his career, Michael wanted to retire from basketball to play baseball. To promote sales and products, Hollywood producers gave him a chance to act in front of the camera. He agreed, but only playing as himself.
The real strong point of this film is that it stars the Looney Tunes, some of the world's most recognized and beloved cartoon characters. Despite their grand entrance, the movie received lukewarm reviews in it's first few weeks. It was also criticized for having a somewhat ridiculous story, in which a tyrant named Mr. Swackhammer (Danny Devito) wants to build a new attraction by kidnapping Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes at a distant theme park known as Moron Mountain. Throughout the movie, Michael and his buddies work hard to challenge the tyrant's helpers to a basketball game. If they lose, they will be forced to entertain the hard-pleased natives of Moron Mountain for all eternity.
Space Jam is one of the few films where the Looney Tunes characters get their chance to express themselves on the big screen. Whereas most of their movies had basically added segments and poor animation, Space Jam was an original concept that gave the cartoon characters more depth. The animation looks beautiful and the live action blends in well with the cartoon environment.
Unfortunately that doesn't make up for the fact that the jokes and gags that are famous in numerous Looney Tune cartoons didn't make it into the movie. Weak dialog and somewhat poor plots revealed in Space Jam doesn't compare to the humor of the old cartoons or the better writing seen in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Some of the actors come up short, including the NBA players who simply play themselves. Wayne Knight was a goofy addition to the cast, but he was simply more annoying than tolerable. Bill Murray (Saturday Night Live, GhostBusters, Groundhog Day) was a disappointment, coming across as irritated and unlikeable by playing himself.
Still the good outnumbers the bad, and personally I think the critics were being too harsh on this film. The addition of Lola Bunny was a nice touch, and there were a few hilarious moments worth mentioning. It also has a good soundtrack, which fits in with the theme of Space Jam.
The film had a lot of merchandise going for it, and sadly it didn't hold up to it's full potential. If you get past the so-so acting of the live actors and the somewhat clichÃ©d plot, Space Jam is a funny film that will entertain kids and Looney Tune fans alike. It wasn't merely aiming at an adult demographic, but it is still enjoyable by those who have watched the cartoon shorts. Not the best live action/animated film, but certainly not the worst either.
Six out of Ten.