Space Jam

Space Jam
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Joe Pytka
Produced by
Written by
Starring
Music by James Newton Howard
Cinematography Michael Chapman
Edited by Sheldon Kahn
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • November 15, 1996 (1996-11-15)[1]
Running time
 88 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $80 million
Box office $230.4 million[2]

Space Jam is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film starring basketball player Michael Jordan and featuring the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. The film was produced by Ivan Reitman, and directed by Joe Pytka. Nigel Miguel was a basketball technical advisor.[3] Space Jam presents an alternate history of what happened between Jordan's initial retirement from the NBA in 1993 and his comeback in 1995, in which he is enlisted by Bugs Bunny and his friends to help them win a basketball match against a group of aliens who want to enslave them for their amusement park. The film also serves to introduce a new Looney Tunes character, Bugs' love interest Lola Bunny.

Released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures under their Family Entertainment label on November 15, 1996,[1] Space Jam opened at No. 1 in the US and grossed over $230 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing basketball film of all-time. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who were divided on the merits of combining Jordan and his profession with the Looney Tunes characters, and was particularly criticized by veteran animator and Looney Tunes director Chuck Jones.

Plot

In 1973, Michael Jordan is practicing basketball. His father steps out and tells him it is bedtime, but lets him make a few more shots. Jordan shoots while making several wishes like going to the University of North Carolina, playing on a championship team, joining the NBA, going on to play baseball, and successfully scores every shot. Impressed, Jordan's father jokingly asks if next he is going to wish he could fly, and Jordan turns to make one final shot.

In 1993, Jordan announces his retirement from professional basketball to follow his now deceased father's career as a baseball player. However, he is not as skilled in baseball as he was in basketball. Jordan is assigned a publicist and assistant, Stan Podolak, to make his new career less bumpy.

Elsewhere, in outer space, an intergalactic amusement park called Moron Mountain faces dwindling popularity, so its owner, Mr. Swackhammer, sends his diminutive minions, the Nerdlucks, to capture the Looney Tunes as new entertainment. The Looney Tunes live in an animated world called Looney Tunes Land hidden in the center of Earth, but ignore the Nerdlucks' threats and challenge them to a game of basketball.

The Nerdlucks steal the talents of professional basketball players Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues, leaving them incapable of playing. The Nerdlucks absorb the talent, transforming into the gigantic "Monstars" who easily intimidate and terrorize the Looney Tunes.

While playing golf with Bill Murray, Larry Bird and Stan, Jordan is sucked down a hole and is recruited by Bugs Bunny to help the Tunes win against the Monstars. Jordan at first refuses, saying he does not play basketball anymore, but changes his decision after he is insulted and humiliated by the Monstars when they squash him into the shape of a basketball and bounce him around like one. He then sends Bugs and Daffy Duck to his house to retrieve his basketball gear.

Meanwhile, Stan has been digging out the golf hole to find Jordan, but spots Bugs and Daffy leaping down another one and pursues them, reuniting with Jordan in the Tunes' world and joins their team, the Tune Squad. Another new recruit is Lola Bunny, a skilled basketball player whom Bugs falls in love with.

On the day of the match, the Monstars dominate the first half, leaving the Looney Tunes unconfident. Stan overhears a conversation between the Monstars and Swackhammer, learning of how they gained their talent and informs Jordan and the Tune Squad. Bugs and Jordan convince the rest of the Tune Squad to fight back and the first quarter of the second half allows the Tunes to catch up using old school gags and Acme weaponry. During a timeout, Jordan raises the stakes of the game with Swackhammer: a win by the Tune Squad would require the Monstars to give their stolen talents back to the NBA players, while a Monstars win would get Jordan as a new attraction.

To ensure his victory, Swackhammer has the Monstars play rough and injure all of the Tune Squad until only Jordan, Bugs, Daffy, Lola and Stan are left. Stan becomes the fifth player and manages to score, but is literally flattened by the Monstars and is removed from the court. The referee, Marvin the Martian, informs Jordan that unless the team gets a fifth player, they will have to forfeit the game, at which point Murray appears and volunteers to be the team's fifth member.

In the final seconds of the game, Jordan gains the ball and manages to use cartoon physics to extend his arm and score the winning points. Murray retires from basketball and the Monstars blast Swackhammer to the Moon in a rocket when Jordan makes them realize that, since they are no longer smaller than him, they do not have to take his abuse anymore. Jordan convinces them to give up the stolen talents, and the Looney Tunes agree to recruit the reformed Nerdlucks in their ensemble. Jordan and a recovered Stan return to the surface, the Nerdlucks dropping them off at Jordan's next baseball game.

Later on, the two visit the incapacitated basketball players and return their talent. The players invite Jordan to a three-on-three match, but when he declines, they question his loss of talent. Jordan later returns to the Chicago Bulls to resume his basketball career.

Cast

Additionally, Dan Castellaneta and Patricia Heaton appear as basketball fans.

Voices

Music

The soundtrack sold enough albums to be certified as 6x Platinum.[5] It also served as a high point for musical artist R. Kelly, whose song "I Believe I Can Fly" not only was a hit, but earned him two Grammy Awards.[6] Other tracks included a cover of Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle" (by Seal), "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" (by B-Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man), "Basketball Jones" (by Barry White & Chris Rock), "Pump up the Jam"[7] (by Technotronic[8]), "I Turn to You" (by All-4-One) and "For You I Will" (by Monica). The film's title song was performed by the Quad City DJ's.

Merchandise

Space Jam expanded into a media franchise including comics, video games and merchandise. The Space James franchise is estimated to have generated $6 billion in total revenue.[9]

Comics

The film was adapted into a graphic novel, drawn by Leonardo Batic.[10]

Video games

There was a licensed pinball game by Sega based on the film, a video game for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and MS-DOS by Acclaim, and a handheld LCD game by Tiger Electronics.[11]

Home media

Warner Home Video released the film on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD on March 11, 1997. The VHS tape was re-printed and re-released through Warner Home Video's catalog promotions: the Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary Celebration (1998), Century Collection (1999), Century 2000 (2000) and Warner Spotlight (2001). The film was re-released on DVD on July 25, 2000. On October 28, 2003, the film was released as a 2-disc special edition DVD including newly made extras such as a commentary track and a featurette. On November 6, 2007, the movie was featured as one of four films in Warner Home Video's 4-Film Favorites: Family Comedies collection DVD (the other three being Looney Tunes: Back in Action (released seven years after Space Jam), Osmosis Jones and Funky Monkey). On February 8, 2011, the first disc of the previous 2-disc edition was released by itself in a movie only edition DVD and on October 4, the film was released for the first time in widescreen HD on Blu-ray which, save for an hour of classic Looney Tunes shorts, ported over all the extras from the 2003 2-disc edition DVD. A double DVD and Blu-ray release, paired with Looney Tunes: Back in Action, was released on June 7, 2016.[12] On November 15, 2016, Warner Bros. released another Blu-ray for Space Jam, to commemorate the film's 20th anniversary.

Toys

Toys were released coinciding with the film, including various action figures released by Playmates under the short lived banner "WB Toy". The toys had limited articulation and paired Michael Jordan or another characters of the movie (Charles Barkley and the Monstars with a Looney Tunes character and accessories). Some figures depicted Michael Jordan as a basketball player, a baseball player and a golf player. The line included stuffed toys, decorated basketballs, as well as a McDonald's Happy Meal promotion.

Reception

Looney Tunes director Chuck Jones heavily criticized Space Jam.[13]

Critical response

On the critical response aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 38%, based on 53 reviews, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The site's consensus reads, "A harmless mishmash of basketball and animation that'll entertain kids but leave adults less than thrilled."[14] On Metacritic, it has a score of 59 out of 100, based on reviews from 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[15]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave Space Jam a thumbs up,[16] as did Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, although his zeal was more subdued.[17] In his print review, Ebert gave the film 3 1/2 stars, noting, "Space Jam is a happy marriage of good ideas—three films for the price of one, giving us a comic treatment of the career adventures of Michael Jordan, crossed with a Looney Tunes cartoon and some showbiz warfare. ... the result is delightful, a family movie in the best sense (which means the adults will enjoy it, too)."[16] Siskel focused much of his praise on Jordan's performance, saying, "He wisely accepted as a first movie a script that builds nicely on his genial personality in an assortment of TV ads. The sound bites are just a little longer."[17] Leonard Maltin also gave the film a positive review (three stars), stating, "Jordan is very engaging, the vintage characters perform admirably ... and the computer-generated special effects are a collective knockout."[18] Todd McCarthy of Variety praised the film for its humor. He also praised the Looney Tunes' antics and Jordan's acting.[19]

Although Janet Maslin of The New York Times criticized the film's animation, she later went on to say that the film is a "fond tribute to [the Looney Tunes characters'] past."[4] Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune complained about some aspects of the movie, stating, "...we don't get the co-stars' best stuff. Michael doesn't soar enough. The Looney Tunes don't pulverize us the way they did when Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng or Bob Clampett were in charge." Yet overall, he also liked the film, giving it 3 stars and saying: "Is it cute? Yes. Is it a crowd-pleaser? Yup. Is it classic? Nope. (Though it could have been.)"[20] TV Guide gave the movie only two stars, calling it a "cynical attempt to cash in on the popularity of Warner Bros. cartoon characters and basketball player Michael Jordan, inspired by a Nike commercial."[21] Margaret A. McGurk of The Cincinnati Enquirer gave the film 2 1/2 stars, saying, "Technical spectacle amounts do nothing without a good story."[22]

According to blogger Trevor Thompson, Veteran Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies director Chuck Jones was highly critical of the film. In a 1998 interview with Thompson, he expressed his views that the film was "terrible" and said, as a man who worked with the characters for almost thirty years, the story was deeply flawed. "I can tell you, with the utmost confidence," he said, "Porky Pig would never say 'I think I wet myself.'" Jones added that, had the film been more true to the source material, Bugs Bunny would not have enlisted the help of Jordan or the other Looney Tunes characters to defeat the Monstars "and moreover, it wouldn't have taken him an hour and a half. Those aliens, whether they were tiny or colossal, would've been dealt with in short order come the seven minute mark."[13] Finally, according to Thompson, Jones recounted that after the film's release he was invited to a dinner on the Warner Bros. Studio Lot with the executives that produced Space Jam, and was asked to give a speech regarding his thoughts on the film. At the dinner, Jones tried to give his honest opinion in a polite and respectful manner, but before he could finish Warner Bros. security proceeded to "escort" him off the lot.[13][23]

Box office

Space Jam was a box office success. At the end of its run, it grossed approximately $90.4 million domestically and an estimated $230–$250 million internationally.[24][25] As of October 2018, Box Office Mojo ranks it as the highest grossing basketball film of all time.[26]

The film made its cable television premiere on TNT on March 14, 1999.

The film made its network television premiere on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney on November 14, 1999.[27]

Accolades

In other media

The Monstars make a cameo in the Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain episode "Star Warners" (a parody of Star Wars). Jordan himself, who was a spokesman for MCI Communications before the film was made, would appear with the Looney Tunes characters (as his "Space Jam buddies") in several MCI commercials for several years after the film was released before MCI merged with WorldCom and subsequently Verizon Communications.[28] Bugs had previously appeared with Jordan as "Hare Jordan" in Nike ads for the Air Jordan VII and Air Jordan VIII.[29][30] In 2013, Yahoo! Screen released a parody of ESPN's 30 for 30 about the game shown in the film. The short dates the game as taking place on November 17, 1995, although Jordan's real-life return to basketball occurred on March 18.[31]

Sequel

In a November 2016 interview with Mr. Wavvy, Space Jam director Joe Pytka revealed that following the first film's success, he had been pitched a "really weird" idea for a sequel that would have starred pro golfer Tiger Woods, with Jordan in a smaller role. Pytka explained how the idea came from an out of studio script conference, with people who worked on the original film allegedly involved. Ultimately, nothing materialized from the idea.[32][33] Producer Ivan Reitman participated in a similar interview with Mr. Wavvy, also in November 2016, in which he also revealed an idea he had for a sequel, though his sequel would have starred Jordan.[34]

In February 2014, Warner Bros. announced a potential sequel set to star LeBron James. Charlie Ebersol was set to produce, with a script by his brother, Willie.[35] Representatives of James denied the claim that he would be involved.[36] In May 2014, James was quoted as saying, "I've always loved Space Jam. It was one of my favorite movies growing up. If I have the opportunity, it will be great."[37] In July 2015, James and his production company, SpringHill Entertainment, signed a deal with Warner Bros. for television, film and digital content after receiving positive reviews for his acting role in Trainwreck.[38][39][40] On May 2, 2016, Justin Lin was said to be in talks to direct the sequel; co-writing the screenplay with Andrew Dodge and Alfredo Botello.[41] In August 2016, the Sneaker Bar Detroit company said that the project was still in the works.[42] On November 15, 2016, the film's anniversary, a teaser trailer, in the form of a Nike advertisement, was released on Twitter under #MonstarsBack.[43] On December 1, 2016, Bugs Bunny and the Monstars returned in a Foot Locker commercial starring Blake Griffin and Jimmy Butler.[44][45]

In August 2018, Lin left the project. Terence Nance entered early negotiations to direct the film.[46]

In September 2018, Ryan Coogler was announced to produce the film and SpringHill Entertainment posted a teaser image officially announcing the film,[47] with production set to begin in summer 2019 during the NBA off-season.[48]

References

  1. 1 2 "Detail view of Movies Page". Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Space Jam (1996) - Box Office Mojo".
  3. ↑ "Belize has new Films Commissioner". channel5belize.com. February 11, 2009. Archived from the original on October 4, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Maslin, Janet (November 15, 1996). "Icons Meet: Bugs, Daffy And Jordan". The New York Times. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  5. ↑ "RIAA Gold and Platinum Searchable Database". Retrieved January 23, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Grammy- Past Winners Search". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Pump Up the Jam". Wikipedia. 2017-03-19.
  8. ↑ "Technotronic". Wikipedia. 2017-01-30.
  9. ↑ "Let's Be Honest, 'Space Jam' Actually Sucked". Highsnobiety. September 29, 2018.
  10. ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/b/batic_leonardo.htm
  11. ↑ "Celebrity Sightings". GamePro. No. 92. IDG. May 1996. p. 21.
  12. ↑ "Space Jam/Looney Tunes: Back in Action" product information
    Amazon.com
    Retrieved 17 December 2016
  13. 1 2 3 Thompson, Trevor. "My Conversation with Chuck Jones". The Booo Tooons Blooog. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Space Jam". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Space Jam". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  16. 1 2 Ebert, Roger (November 15, 1996). "Space Jam Movie Review & Film Summary (1996)". Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  17. 1 2 Siskel, Gene (November 15, 1996). "Mj Delivers On The Screen In `Space Jam'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  18. ↑ Maltin, Leonard (August 4, 2009). Leonard Maltin's 2010 Movie Guide. Penguin Group. ISBN 9781101108765. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  19. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (November 17, 1996). "Space Jam". Variety. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  20. ↑ Wilmington, Michael (November 15, 1996). "Hare, Jordan". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Space Jam Review". TV Guide. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  22. ↑ McGurk, Margaret A. "Dazzle of 'Space Jam' can't hide its lame story". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  23. ↑ Thompson, Trevor. "Space Jam Stinks! (pt. 2): WB vs. Chuck Jones". YouTube. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Space Jam (1996)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Space Jam (1996) - Financial Information". Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Sports — Basketball Movies at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  27. ↑ Company, Johnson Publishing (November 15, 1999). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company. Retrieved December 12, 2016 – via Google Books.
  28. ↑ Porter, David L. Michael Jordan: A Biography, Greenwood Publishing Group 2007. ISBN 0-313-33767-5
  29. ↑ Hare Jordan & Air Jordan - Air Jordan VII YouTube (created by Nike and Warner Bros.)
  30. ↑ Hare Jordan & Air Jordan - Air Jordan VIII YouTube (created by Nike and Warner Bros.)
  31. ↑ ESPN 30 for 30 Short - Tune Squad vs. Monstars (the Space Jam Game) YouTube (created by Yahoo! Screen and Warner Bros.)
  32. ↑ ""Space Jam" Director Reveals Spike Lee Almost Wrote the Film, Scrapped Tiger Woods Sequel". Mr. Wavvy. November 15, 2016.
  33. ↑ "The Space Jam 2 You Never Saw Almost Featured Tiger Woods". Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Ivan Reitman confirms Twins sequel still in the works with Eddie Murphy". consequenceofsound.net. November 23, 2016.
  35. ↑ Busch, Anita (February 21, 2014). "Ebersols Aboard To Produce And Script Warner Bros' 'Space Jam 2′ As A Starring Vehicle For LeBron James". Deadline. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  36. ↑ Moore, Matt (February 21, 2014). "Report: No 'Space Jam 2' planned for LeBron James". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Space Jam 2 Rumors: NBA MVPs Rumored To Clash As LeBron James And Kevin Durant To Star In Sequel! KD To Tune Squad And LBJ To Monstars?". KDrama Stars. May 16, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  38. ↑ "LeBron James signs with Warner Bros., stokes rumors of 'Space Jam' sequel". Los Angeles Times. July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  39. ↑ "LeBron James: I'll help pay for hundreds of kids to go to college". TODAY.com.
  40. ↑ Trumbore, Dave (August 14, 2015). "LeBron James Hopeful for 'Great Things' in 'Space Jam 2′". Collider.
  41. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (May 2, 2016). "Justin Lin Circling 'Space Jam' Sequel Starring LeBron James (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  42. ↑ "Air Jordan 7 "Hare" Promo Space Jam Movie Prop Up for Grabs". SneakerBarDetroit. August 11, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  43. ↑ "And you thought this was over... #MonstarsBack -The Monstars". Twitter. November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Space Jam Commercial". ComingSoon.Net. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Foot Locker ad brings back Bugs Bunny". Cartoon Brew. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  46. ↑ Gonzalez, Umberto (August 3, 2018). "'Space Jam 2': Terence Nance in Advanced Talks to Direct Lebron James (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  47. ↑ "SpringHill Ent. on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  48. ↑ Marisa Guthrie (September 19, 2018). "LeBron James Sets 'Black Panther's' Ryan Coogler to Produce 'Space Jam' Sequel (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
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