Space Jam: A New Legacy
Might contain spoilers.
I can’t call it a disappointment, since I didn’t expect much from it, but it should have been so much better. As unnecessary sequels go, this may be one of the most egregious.
I rewatched a few minutes of Space Jam afterwards, and while neither Michael
Jordan nor LeBron James can be called an actor, Jordan is just charismatic enough to hold the
original together. The same can’t be said of LeBron. The original also feels quiet and understated
when comparing its straightforward storytelling to A New Legacy’s never-ending, exhausting
efforts to create anticipation for itself. The constant mutual admiration between King
James
and Warner Bros. is distasteful. The 3D Toons look awful. Some of their voices sound
strange too, particularly Bugs Bunny—why not reuse the stellar cast they had earlier, or at least
bring some of the voice actors back?
I don’t know what Don Cheadle is doing here. Granted, it’s a lucrative role as one of the leads in a major movie, but he could have done so much better for himself, in terms of both the choice of movie and his performance. Cedric Joe as the junior LeBron is just as unremarkable as LeBron himself, though that could be the movie’s fault more than his. Malik was a lot of fun to watch, so he was naturally a minor supporting character.
It’s telling that by far the best moment is when Michael Jordan is supposedly making an entrance. This is the only time the music, the tone, and the performances have something to anticipate: the memory of a better film. The revelation that it’s Michael B. Jordan is all the more hilarious for it.