Space Jam

Space Jam is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka and written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel Weingrod. The film stars basketball player Michael Jordan as a fictional version of himself; the live-action cast also includes Wayne Knight and Theresa Randle, as well as cameos by Bill Murray and several NBA players, while Billy West, Dee Bradley Baker, Kath Soucie and Danny DeVito headline the voice cast. The film follows Jordan as he is brought out of retirement by the Looney Tunes characters to help them win a basketball match against invading aliens intent on enslaving them as amusement park attractions.

Space Jam was the first film to be produced by Warner Bros. Feature Animation and was released theatrically in the United States on November 15, 1996, by Warner Bros. under its Family Entertainment label.

## **Plot**

In 1973, a young Michael Jordan tells his father, James, about his dreams of playing in the NBA. Twenty years later, following James's death, Jordan retires from basketball to pursue a career in baseball.

In outer space, the amusement park Moron Mountain is in decline. The proprietor, Mr. Swackhammer, learns of the Looney Tunes from the Nerdlucks, his quintet of minions, and orders them to abduct the Looney Tunes to serve as attractions. The Nerdlucks enter the Looney Tunes' universe underground and hold them hostage before Bugs Bunny convinces them to allow the Looney Tunes to defend themselves. The Looney Tunes challenge the Nerdlucks to a basketball game, noting the latter's small stature. The Nerdlucks research the sport and infiltrate various games, stealing the talents of Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues. The Nerdlucks use these talents to transform into gigantic, muscular creatures known as the Monstars, and the Looney Tunes realize that they need professional help.

The Looney Tunes pull Jordan into their universe as he golfs with Bill Murray, Larry Bird, and Jordan's assistant, Stan Podolak. Bugs explains their situation to Jordan, who is initially reluctant to help. However, Jordan agrees after a confrontation with the Monstars, and forms the Tune Squad with the Looney Tunes; they are joined by Lola Bunny, with whom Bugs is enamored. Jordan is initially unprepared, and sends Bugs and Daffy Duck to his house to obtain his basketball gear. Jordan's children aid them and agree to keep the game a secret, while Stan, searching for Jordan, notices Bugs and Daffy, follows them to their world, and joins the team. Meanwhile, the incapacity of the five NBA players results in a national panic that culminates in the season's suspension. The players try to restore their skills through various methods, with no success.

The game between the Tune Squad and the Monstars commences, with Swackhammer arriving to observe. The Monstars dominate the first half, lowering the Tune Squad's morale. During halftime, Stan surreptitiously learns how the Monstars obtained their talent and informs the Tune Squad. Disguising a bottle of water as "secret stuff", Bugs and Jordan motivate the Tune Squad, who improve in the second half using their cartoon physics. During a timeout, Jordan raises the stakes with Swackhammer: if the Tune Squad wins, the Monstars must relinquish their stolen talent, and if the Monstars win, Jordan will become a new Moron Mountain attraction. On Swackhammer's orders, the Monstars become increasingly violent, injuring most of the Tune Squad.

With ten seconds left in the game, the Tune Squad is down by one point and one player, with only Jordan, Bugs, Lola, and Daffy still able to play. Murray unexpectedly arrives and joins the team. In the final seconds, Jordan gains the ball with Murray's assistance but is pulled back by the Monstars. On Bugs' advice, Jordan uses cartoon physics to extend his arm and achieve a slam dunk, winning the match with a buzzer beater. After Swackhammer scolds the Monstars for their failure, Jordan helps them realize that they only served him because they were once smaller. They insert Swackhammer inside a missile that sends him to the moon. After relinquishing their stolen talent, the Nerdlucks decide to join the Looney Tunes. Jordan and Stan return to Earth and return the talent to the five players, whose remarks convince Jordan to return to the NBA.

## **Cast**

### **Live-action**

* Michael Jordan as himself
* Wayne Knight as Stan Podolak, a publicist and assistant who aids Jordan
* Theresa Randle as Juanita Jordan, Jordan's wife
* Charles Barkley as himself
* Muggsy Bogues as himself
* Shawn Bradley as himself
* Patrick Ewing as himself
* Larry Johnson as himself

Space Jam's cast includes Manner Washington, Eric Gordon, and Penny Bae Bridges as Jordan's children, Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine, respectively. Brandon Hammond plays the ten-year-old Michael Jordan. Larry Bird and Bill Murray appear as themselves, and Thom Barry portrays Jordan's father, James R. Jordan Sr. Several NBA players make cameo appearances in Space Jam, including Danny Ainge, Steve Kerr, Alonzo Mourning, Horace Grant, A. C. Green, Charles Oakley, Luc Longley, Cedric Ceballos, Derek Harper, Vlade Divac, Brian Shaw, Jeff Malone, Bill Wennington, Anthony Miller, and Sharone Wright, as do coaches Del Harris and Paul Westphal, and broadcasters Ahmad Rashad and Jim Rome. Dan Castellaneta and Patricia Heaton cameo as fans at a game between the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns.

### **Voice cast**

* Billy West as Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd
* Dee Bradley Baker as Daffy Duck, Tasmanian Devil, and Bull
* Danny DeVito as Swackhammer, the proprietor of Moron Mountain, an intergalactic amusement park
* Bob Bergen as Porky Pig, Tweety, Marvin the Martian, Barnyard Dawg, Hubie and Bertie
* Bill Farmer as Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, and Foghorn Leghorn
* Maurice LaMarche as Pepé Le Pew
* June Foray as Granny
* Paul Julian as the Road Runner (archive recordings) (uncredited)
* Kath Soucie as Lola Bunny

The Nerdluck voices include Jocelyn Blue as their orange leader, Pound, Charity James as the dim-witted blue Blanko, June Melby as the neurotic green second-in-command Bang, Colleen Wainwright as the diminutive red Nawt, and producer Ivan Reitman's daughter, Catherine, as the eccentric purple Bupkus. Their transformed "Monstar" versions are voiced by Darnell Suttles (Pound), Steve Kehela (Blanko), Joey Camen (Bang), Dorian Harewood (Bupkus), and T.K. Carter as Nawt. Wainwright also voices Sniffles, Kehela also voices Bertie's announcer voice, and Frank Welker voices the Jordan's bulldog, Charles.

## **Release**

Warner Bros. released Space Jam through its Family Entertainment division on November 15, 1996.

## **Post-release**

### **Home media**

Warner Home Video released the film on VHS, DVD, and LaserDisc on March 11, 1997.

## **Soundtrack**

Space Jam: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture is the soundtrack album of the 1996 film of the same name starring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes cast. An album featuring the film's score by James Newton Howard was also released. The soundtrack was released by Warner Sunset and Atlantic Records on November 12, 1996. The worldwide hit "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly was first released on the soundtrack.

### **Track listing**

1. "Fly Like an Eagle" (Seal) Steve Miller Seal 4:15
2. "The Winner" (Coolio) Artis Ivey Jr., Brian "The Wino" Dobbs & Curtis Mayfield Dobbs 4:03
3. "Space Jam" (Quad City DJ's) Jay McGowan, N. Orange & V. Bryant Jay "Ski" McGowan 5:07
4. "I Believe I Can Fly" (R. Kelly) Robert Kelly R. Kelly 5:22
5. "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" (B-Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J & Method Man) Louis Freese, Trevor Smith, Artis Ivey Jr., Todd Smith & Clifford Smith Poke and Tone 4:18
6. "I Found My Smile Again" (D'Angelo) Michael Archer D'Angelo 6:16
7. "For You I Will" (Monica) Diane Warren David Foster 4:56
8. "Upside Down ('Round-N-'Round)" (Salt-N-Pepa) Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers, Cheryl James & Sandra Denton Rashad Smith & Armando Colon 4:17
9. "Givin' U All That I've Got" (Robin S.) Robin Stone & Todd Terry Terry 4:04
10. "Basketball Jones" (Barry White & Chris Rock) Thomas Chong & Cheech Lou Adler & Jamey Jaz 5:40
11. "I Turn to You" (All-4-One) Diane Warren James Harris III & Terry Lewis 4:53
12. "All of My Days" (R. Kelly featuring Changing Faces & Jay-Z) Robert Kelly, Shawn Carter Robert Kelly 4:02
13. "That's the Way (I Like It)" (Spin Doctors featuring Biz Markie) Harry W. Casey & Richard Finch Danny Kortchmar & Peter Denenberg 3:50
14. "Buggin'" (Bugs Bunny) Lyrics by Carter & Music by James Newton Howard Dominique Trenier and Dominique Owen 4:15
15. Main Titles (00:36)
16. Moron Mountain (01:31)
17. Back to Earth (00:37)
18. We Seek Bugs Bunny (02:06)
19. Charles (01:33)
20. Tuneland Meeting (01:27)
21. General Bugs (01:23)
22. Alien Transformation (01:39)
23. Hole in One (00:39)
24. Michael in Tuneland (02:18)
25. Spit Shine (00:54)
26. The Monstars (02:06)
27. The Tunes Practice (02:25)
28. Stealing the Shorts (04:18)
29. The Ultimate Game (03:58)
30. Monstars Locker Room (01:06)
31. Secret Stuff (01:28)
32. The Second Half (02:21)
33. You Got Me (01:18)
34. Crush ‘Em (04:13)
35. You the Duck (01:25)
36. The Winning Shot (01:13)
37. Not Good at Cheatin’ (01:26)
38. Gimme the Ball (02:25)
39. Michael Jordan Returns (01:19)

## **Complete Score**

Space Jam: Complete Motion Picture Score is the soundtrack album. The soundtrack was released by Warner Sunset and Atlantic Records on March 16, 1997. The worldwide hit "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly was first released on the soundtrack. watch the entire film without the dialogue, without the sound effects. DVDs with Score & Songs Only tracks of Space Jam (1996).

### **Tracklist**

1. Warner Logo (0:12)
2. Summer 1973 (I Believe I Can Fly) Feat. R. Kelly (1:12)
3. Space Jam (Main Titles) Feat. Quad City DJ's (3:40)
4. Moron Mountain (1:32)
5. We Need Something…Looney (0:32)
6. Get the Looney Tunes! (0:44)
7. Baseball Time (0:11)
8. Stam Podolak (0:50)
9. Spacecraft Down to Looney Town (2:38)
10. Charles the Dog (2:02)
11. TV’s Bad Jordan (0:50)
12. Road Runner (0:20)
13. Toons Reunion (0:34)
14. Basketball It Is! (2:46)
15. Hacking Power (2:58)
16. Basketball Monstars (2:06)
17. Golf Ball (0:43)
18. The Abduction of Michael (0:09)
19. Michael In Looney Town (2:29)
20. Spit Shine (0:54)
21. Here Comes the Monstars (1:05)
22. Scared (1:03)
23. Tests for Players (Basketball Jones) Feat. Barry White and Chris Rock (2:47)
24. Schlesinger Gym (1:57)
25. Michael’s House (2:00)
26. Into the House (1:09)
27. Daffy, Bugs &…Charles! (1:21)
28. Back to the Hole / Training (Fly Like an Eagle) Feat. Seal (1:33)
29. Scat Here (0:51)
30. The Ultimate Game (Pump up the Jam) Feat. Technotronic (1:18)
31. Buuuugs Buuuuny!!! (0:14)
32. The Game Begins (3:29)
33. Half Time (2:35)
34. The Secret Stuff (2:04)
35. Second Half (1:51)
36. New Deal (1:20)
37. Crush Them (3:11)
38. Bill Murray is Here (1:30)
39. Flying an Score! (3:34)
40. Back to Baseball (I Believe I Can Fly) Feat. R. Kelly (2:45)
41. Power are Back (2:15)
42. End Credits (Songs Medley) (8:53)

## **Sequels**

A sequel to Space Jam was planned as early as 1996, shortly after the original film was released in theaters worldwide. As development began, Space Jam 2 was going to involve a new basketball competition with Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes and Berserk-O!, a new alien villain who was planned to be voiced by Mel Brooks. Artist Bob Camp was tasked with designing Berserk-O! and his henchmen, and with the proposed casting in mind, Camp designed Berserk-O! to resemble Brooks. Joe Pytka have returned to direct and Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone signed on as the animation directors. Space Jam 2 with Michael Jordan, Space Jam 3: Spy Jam with Jackie Chan, Space Jam 4: Race Jam with Jeff Gordon, Space Jam 5: Golf Jam with Tiger Woods, and Space Jam 6: Skate Jam with Tony Hawk is Never Canceled by Warner Bros. Feature Animation.