And it's awesome for it.
Actually, for all my questioning, I do know why this exists. The success of the Nike commercials with Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny. And with the Looney Tunes still as important as ever in the mindset of mid-90's America, and his Airness still considered a god on the basketball court, it was only a matter of time until this would lead to 1996's Space Jam.
The movie tells the tale of Michael Jordan's return to basketball after a failed attempt at baseball. Turns out that it all had to do with aliens trying to capture the Looney Tunes and make them the star attractions of space zoo named Moron Mountain, owned by the evil Swackhammer (voiced by Danny DeVito). To ensure their freedom, the Looney Tunes challenge the aliens to a basketball game, believing their wimpiness will be easy to defeat.
Unfortunately for the toons, the aliens steal the talents of some of the 90's biggest basketball stars, and become the hulking Mon-Stars. Now completely screwed, Bugs Bunny and the gang have only one last hope, and that's to try and convince Michael Jordan to team up with them in order to win their freedom. Also, a new character named Lola Bunny and Bill Murray end up on the Tune Squad team as well.
Right off the bat, my biggest issue with this film is that Michael Jordan is not an actor, nor does he really pull off any attempt at acting. He sounds monotone for the most part, and considering that he's being paired with the Looney Tunes, some of the most entertaining characters of all time, it just feels strange. Yet, for the lack of charisma from Jordan, it still strangely works.
The animation and live action blends together nicely. It's perhaps the best blending of both since Roger Rabbit. Yet while Roger Rabbit comes real close to feeling like it could almost be real, for some reason it never feels that close to realism here. It just feels like Michael Jordan in front of a green screen for over an hour. The voice acting is top notch, with all your favorite toons getting a line or two.
Space Jam is corny, and dumb, but endearing. For most, it's a childhood favorite that hasn't suffered from not holding up, and that's how I feel about it. Is it perfect? Not really. But I highly doubt those making this film were attempting a film to rival Citizen Kane. If you haven't watched it in a while, it's definitely worth another watch.