Pros and Cons of "Space Jam"

Space Jam ... yeah, it goes both ways. As far as a Looney Tunes vehicle, it was fine. Aliens come to Earth to abduct the Looney Tunes to their abhorrent theme park. Bugs Bunny tricks them into an ultimate-stakes basketball game. But the aliens counter by stealing the talent of the NBA's A-roster. The premise is patently ridiculous, which is A-okay for a cartoon.

But there was Michael Jordan in it. Now, Jordan was this athlete-celebrity-phenomenon, with the Chicago Bulls' first trifecta under his belt. Warner Brothers signed Jordan to a movie to be written later. Which is like hiring the staff first, then deciding what business you'll conduct. But Warner Brothers were entirely concerned with waving the mighty Michael Jordan in Disney's face.

So they hired Joe Pytka as director, because he'd worked with Jordan on the sneaker commercials. Producer Ivan Reitman was the de facto director on the set. The studio even built a b-ball court and fitness center just for Jordan. Diva much?

Of course, Space Jam has grossed about a quarter billion worldwide, largely on the strength of Michael Jordan. Now, only half of Space Jam is MJ and the LT's; the rest is the world gone mad when MJ disappears and star NBA players suddenly go dorky.

Later, Warner Brothers would try another hybrid vehicle: Back In Action. This one put the 'toons front and center, and made the real people extras and support staff. And what happened? LT:BIA laid a box office egg, becoming one of the most expensive duds in Hollywood history.

So far, The Looney Tunes Show seems to be the strongest showing yet for these characters since 1996. That whole Space Jam thing can't possibly be canon with anything else. Call it instead The Michael Jordan Movie, with the Looney Tunes as so many Gumps.

Oh, and Lola Bunny? Yeah, a girl bunny character had been on the back burner for decades, but somehow Bugs Bunny was too rebel to have a steady. When the Mia Hamm zeitgeist struck during the planning stages of Space Jam, it was decided that this was the moment to unveil the "girl bunny." Unfortunately, Lola came with too much Grrl Power and not enough comic mechanisms, which got her decried as a canon sue. Thus, Warner Brothers stuffed her in the fridge for fourteen years.

Granted, I liked the positive role model of Space Jam Lola Bunny. However, I must admit that the Cervone bunny works gorgeously within The Looney Tunes Show's interplay dynamics. Let's count Space Jam Lola as something they found in the sofa cushions that needed 14 years to clean up.

^ It's Mister Cleveland's home town. Lebron James played for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the outset of his pro career, but he bunny-hopped to other teams, seeking a supporting cast for his two-trick pony show. Despite the wishful thinking, I maintain that Space Jam 2 will die quietly in development heck, as the dynamics that made the original Space Jam work aren't there any more.

Well, I've been proven wrong: Space Jam 2 A New Legacy is in production, and has a tentative debut date in July 2021. So I win the Lead Foot-In-Mouth Award, again.