Space Jam: A New Legacy

 Let's agree on something. 

Is Space Jam the best Basketball movie ever made? I don't know. But I'm sure it's the best cartoon basketball movie ever made. It's been twenty-five years since Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes teamed up. We now have a sequel, Space Jam: A New Legacy, which sees LeBron James team up with the Looney Tunes.

What's the set up? LeBron wants his (fictional) sons Darius (Ceyair J. Wright) and Dom (Cedric Joe) to follow his footsteps on the court. Dom wants to make video games. He even made one, a literal free-for-all ball game called "Dom Ball." One day, Warner Bros. comes calling. They have a new server, Al-G Rhythm, that can put LeBron into any movie. LeBron says no but Dom's interested. So the self-aware Al-G (Don Cheadle) takes the two into the "Warner Server-verse." LeBron has to beat Al-G at basketball to get Dom back.

LeBron gets sent to Tune World, where he meets Bugs Bunny. They assemble the dream team, namely the other Looney Tunes, across the Server-verse. Meanwhile, Al-G tricks Dom into creating his dream team, the Goon Squad. It all comes ahead on the digital basketball court. There's not much at stake except the Tunes' existences and the freedom of Al-G's "captive audience." So there's a lot.

Director Malcom D. Lee and his six screenwriters create a sufficiently looney tale. There's a good story between LeBron and his fictional family. I'm sure you've seen the basics before. But it ended rather well. Still, you won't believe a certain someone's sacrifice for an instant. Its metafictional jokes are entertaining. Wile E. Coyote on the Fury Road, Granny and Speedy in The Matrix, and the countless cameo spectators. You'll see those and more.

Now for the technicals. The 2D and CGI animation, and their blending with live-action, is spectacular. It's especially so when LeBron and the Tunes are inserted into old films. Their time in DC World perfectly recreates the art style of the DCAU. It's so seamless. The Goon Squad's designs are perfectly creepy. The main event's quirky effects were cool too. It's all set to a good score from Kris Bowers.

Space Jam: A New Legacy is ready to watch in theaters or HBOMax. I don't think it's better than the original. But it's still an entertaining matinee on any screen. It's a good showcase for LeBron and the Looney Tunes. Here's hoping they both get more movie roles. You might have to watch it again and again to pick out the cameo characters. You've got a bit of time left.