Space Gem...

Rating: 7/10 (23 January 2020)

To put it simply, "Space Jam" is the twice successful revival of Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny's career.
At 33, Jordan was past his prime and his controversial retirement following the death of his father, for a baseball reconversion, prompted Warner Bros studios to find a new vehicle to a necessary come-back. Meanwhile, the Looney Tunes were a milestone of TV and pop culture, but in the 90s, Bart and Homer Simpson had stolen a big chunk of their thunder, they had to deal with 3D competition, not to mention the eternal rivalry with Disney. Warner Bros studios never had their Renaissance and they never really mastered the world of animated feature to begin with.
It's interesting that we're comparing one real character, who was perhaps the greatest and most iconic Michael of the 90s, after Jackson, and animated characters, but who would reduce Bugs Bunny to ink and paint? (And Daffy too) The legendary stinker and wisecracker (who was drawn that way) was the animated embodiment of Groucho Marx with a cooler look, perhaps the animated hero with the most personality before Bart. As a matter of fact, he's so good that if the film had been about Bugs visiting the human world, it would have worked as well. But then we wouldn't have Porky, Daffy, Tweety and all the gang and that would have been a shame because say what you want about Disney, zaniness isn't its strongest suit.
And when you see how animation can ruin even the best animated characters, take the "Tom and Jerry" movies for instances, one should applaud the way the film respects the spirit of these old cartoons whose "Merrie Melodies" theme have been one of the most instantly identifiable music for all generations, a real hymn to the Golden Age of animation and beyond. Even as a kid who grew up with MGM and Disney, I found an odd little charm in the Looney Tunes and if I preferred Donald over Daffy, between Mickey and Bugs, there was no contest. Remember when the two titan rodents met in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", equal screen time but who got the best line? Bugs!
"Space Jam" is no "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" however, but not every animation and live action crossover film has this pretension. Directed officially by Joe Pytka (Ivan Reitman is credited as producer), "Space Jam" is pretty straightforward in its marketing and since it decided to have a basketball player for the main role, it's obvious it didn't mean to sweep acting awards. But if Jordan is an amateur, his work is far beyond amateurish and the way he plays himself in a role that floats between two universes is remarkable. Working in a green screen and pretending to have interactions with some of the most beloved characters is a feat and his choice to play it straightforward as if he was mildly surprised is the right one, acting surprised might have put him in the way of his "character" and be a total distraction.
Once Michael gets in Looney Tunes' land, he faces the deal and learns he must coach the Toons to win a game against the Monstars, previously known as the (far less intimidating) Nerdlocks, small creatures who took their height and talent from other basketball icons: Patrick Ewing, Shawn Bradley, Charles Parker and Muggsy Bogues. So, there's not just Jordan's freedom at stakes but the career of four players and the whole future of the NBA jeopardized by an animated crook named Swackhammer and voiced by Danny De Vito. The plot is spiced up by two other characters who'd have nothing to do: Wayne Knight as an obsessed (almost enamored) publicist and Bill Murray playing himself as a guy who wants to have a shot at the game. That these characters end up serving purpose is a joke, but there's nothing better than a comedy that doesn't take itself seriously, it's all a matter of pay-offs.
And that's the spirit of the cartoon. The animation looks like something borrowed from an ad for Sprite of Nike but the film has no pretension either to hide its marketing value, there's even a scene where Daffy reminds that they are property of Warner Bros and a few other comments involving copyrights and "take that" nods to Disney. The film makes money through sponsors with the same wit than "Wayne's World" product placement but that's because everything is a product placement when you have characters not with names but brand names. But Jordan brings life to what could have been a dull and average performance and instead of showing off as the player with skills, he only becomes the guy who has fun playing with toons, avenges Tweety, act like a coach or a toon. Anyway, he's having fun and so are we.
The film has an enthusiasm that is communicative and catching and reminds of these times when everything was simpler even in its corniness, Jordan may not be the best actor but he's a presence as valuable as the other giant and he doesn't even try to overdo it, and it works, everyone plays his part perfectly and that goes for Bill Murray too. There's no message, no patronizing statement, though the human story carries a few drama elements and one can't ignore how magic and transporting "I Believe I Can Fly" works. Another 90s gem at a time where R. Kelly was still popular.
Still, even if the film grossed a quarter billion dollar, it didn't have the same lasting success like a Disney blockbuster or its obvious counterpart "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", maybe that's the limit of the marketed silliness, at the end, it lacks the universal touch, the timeless value, the fairy dust. Even the character of Lola Bunny was an interesting addition but a Jessica Rabbit she wasn't. It's certainly a pure product of the 90s, an era I'll forever cherish, my teen years, but it's a product nonetheless.
That's all, folks!