Top Notch Acting or Basketball?

Rating: 9/10 (28 November 2011)

The 1996 smash hit, Space Jam, received as much adoration from its young fans as it did receive criticism from its adult viewers. Directed by Joe Pytka, it stars NBA legend Michael Jordan, as he teams up with the Looney Tunes, to play in the "Ultimate Game" that decides the fate of these cartoon characters. It (the film) also features other NBA stars like Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and so on. This was a Live- Action/Animated film, unique among its kind, following the other famous Live-Action/Animated film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.
Although it received widespread acclaim from its younger viewers, people ultimately came to see Michael Jordan play basketball with the Looney Tunes, not to see him act. The real live athletes/actors, especially Jordan, were at best good, if not decent. These guys make their living playing sports, not reading scripts. To say, when it came to acting, they wouldn't win an Oscar. However, there is no doubt in anyone one's mind that the only person meant to play the hero in this movie would be none other than Michael Jordan. He doesn't possess the proper acting skills that a hero should have but his personality and the fact that he is who he is suits him best to the action of the film. Some critics claimed that MJ would eventually be featured in a full length film, this being "the one." Michael Jordan, at the time, possessed a certain aura, deeming him to be the best basketball player at the time, if not in history.
In the same way people wanted to see MJ play basketball with the Looney Tunes, people wanted to see how the Looney Tunes would fare in a full feature length film. Scenes involving them spared no detail, as the personalities that we have come to know and love like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are marvelously created and adapted to this movie. At certain points of the movie, the acting of the characters, especially the dialogue that went on with, was whimsical and clever at the same time. The personality and the acting of the Looney Tunes were best suited for the film, being that these characters would easily adapt to the plot of the film better than those of the Disney Brand. In one scene, there was a reference to Pulp Fiction and another scene where they made jest of Disney. In comparison to their famous short length cartoons, the Looney Tunes characters had to stretch out a bit more of their talent. New jokes and references were made, as they had a lot more screen time than they are accustomed to. The Looney Tunes had rougher acting than the real live actors because there was the demand the children put on them. Though there were references that were only understood by older audiences, the cartoon characters were put there to capture the attention and hearts of the children. Although they've included some of the classic acts of the characters, more had to be done because of the longer screen time they had.
Overall, the film was great for younger audiences and, at the time, a technological marvel, as it combined the use of live action and animation to act as one. As a result, when it came to acting, it wasn't Oscar-winning material, but it sure captured the love of many children. I'd say that the athletes and characters gave the movie a bit more hype than it should have. I rate the film an 8.5 out of 10. Sorry, Mike, You couldn't get the perfect score like in the dunk contest!