The combination of classic cartoon characters and professional basketball stars doesn't seem like an obvious recipe for success, but there are plenty of fans of Space Jam. The 1996 family-friendly movie featured the iconic talents of both Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan which resulted in a silly yet pretty entertaining movie that is still filled with plenty of nostalgia even after all these years.
After years of rumors, a long-awaited sequel is coming this summer starring Lebron James and reuniting the Looney Tunes for some more basketball fun. However, the first trailer was met with some considerable controversy from fans as it appeared to be trying to cram in every Warner Bros. property that was available. While this could result in a bloated and shallow mess, there might actually be a much deeper and more interesting story at work here.
The first Space Jam was a comedy about Michael Jordan being sucked into the world of the Looney Tunes so he can help the famous cartoon characters win a basketball game against a bunch of angry aliens looking to enslave them. The trailer for Space Jam: A New Legacy sets up a similar story with Lebron James forced to participate in a basketball game by the mysterious villain Al-G Rhythm where he is also paired with the Looney Tunes squad. However, the sequel also shows that James is entering the world of Warner Bros. content library with a bizarre combination of familiar I.P. being featured. There's The Flintstones, Game of Thrones, King Kong, and A Clockwork Orange popping up in the footage, among a whole lot more.
This was not what fans were expecting from a new Space Jam movie and the reaction was definitely mixed. While some fans enjoyed searching through the endless Easter eggs in the trailer, others felt that it was a strange direction to take this franchise. Certainly, it is strange seeing some of these characters from more adult Warner Bros. content show up in a Space Jam movie.
There is also the sense that the movie is following the same mistake Ready Player One made which is relying on the cheap fan service of familiar characters rather than telling a worthwhile story. While it certainly does seem like a transparent way of cramming recognizable I.P. into the movie, that could actually be the point and the movie could be making a worthwhile comment on the world of endless content that is out there.
Early in the trailer, a more grounded conflict is established as James tries to encourage his son to play basketball while his son insists he has other interests. The young boy complains to his father, "You never let me just do me." This seems to be setting up a theme of a parent allowing his son to make his own path in life. It's a story that has been told many times before, but it could directly tie into the "content library" aspect of the story as well.
The villain of the movie is named Al-G Rhythm which is an obvious play on "algorithm". In the world of streaming content, the algorithm helps decipher the tastes of the viewers and choose what content to show them. In other words, it chooses our path for us. It seems very telling that this is a concept that the movie would link to its main villain. Along with James learning the lesson to allow his son to follow his own interests and not just do what his father did, the movie could be making a comment on the downfall of allowing an algorithm to make content choices for you.
This also relates to the Looney Tunes and their role in the movie as well. After telling James about the basketball challenge, he says that he is sending him to the "rejects" meaning the Looney Tunes. This seems to suggest that the Looney Tunes are far past their prime in the new movie and faded into unpopularity which is not a huge stretch from reality. While Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck will always be iconic figures, the Looney Tunes have not exactly been a hot property in recent years.
That becomes even more noticeable when their own movie features trending properties like Game of Thrones. These cartoon characters that were once the face of Warner Bros. media have been pushed aside for modern hits. Even Lebron James seems to be ignoring them when building his team, listing the likes of Superman and Iron Giant as potential teammates. This could be another comment on the overflow of algorithm-ruled content that would push the newest and hottest content while maybe making those classics harder to find.
Assuming a Space Jam movie would be the one to take a critical stand on the current world of streaming content is perhaps giving the movie too much credit. The overload of I.P. in the trailer could be the blatant cash grab that many assumed it would be. It would also be surprising if Warner Bros. would want one of their biggest summer blockbusters to spout such ideas just as their own streaming service is revving up. However, with the storyline hinted at, there is the outside possibility that Space Jam: A New Legacy could be a bolder movie than people are giving it credit for.
Space Jam: A New Legacy will hit theaters and HBO Max on July 16, 2021.