Space Jam is a 1996 American family live-action/animated sports comedy film starring Michael Jordan and featuring the Looney Tunes. The film was produced by Ivan Reitman, and directed by Joe Pytka, with Tony Cervone and Bruce W. Smith directing the animation.
A fictional account of Jordan's first retirement from the NBA, the film was released theatrically by Warner Bros. under the Family Entertainment brand label on November 15, 1996. It plays out as an alternate story of Jordan's initial return to basketball, this time with him being inspired by Bugs Bunny and friends. Space Jam opened at #1 in the US and grossed over $230 million worldwide. It serves as a prequel to the Hoopz Barkley Saga alongside Barkley Shut Up and Jam!.
Plot[]
In 1993, professional basketball player Michael Jordan announces his retirement from the NBA to follow in his father's footsteps and turns to a career in baseball. Despite his popularity, Michael's talent for baseball is nowhere near his talent for basketball. Meanwhile, the Nerdlucks, a group of small criminal aliens led by their boss Mr. Swackhammer (voiced by Danny DeVito), plot to capture the Looney Tunes, who exist in a secret animated world called Looney Tune Land hidden at the center of the earth, and make them their newest attractions at Moron Mountain, a failing amusement park. Swackhammer believes enslaving the Tunes in this way will bring in more customers and save Moron Mountain from foreclosure.
They arrive in Tune Land, and since the aliens aren't very intelligent or tall, the Tunes bargain for their freedom by challenging the Nerdlucks to a basketball game. To ensure their victory, the Nerdlucks return to earth and steal the talents of Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Muggsy Bogues and Shawn Bradley storing it within a basketball who are rendered incapable of playing basketball as a result. Through their basketball, the Nerdlucks absorbed the stolen talent and transform into gigantic creatures, now called the Monstars, that the Looney Tunes are unable to defeat.
To help them win, the Tunes choose, abduct, and recruit Michael to help them play, and Michael reluctantly agrees to help after the Monstars squash him into the shape of a basketball and bounce him around like one. A new contender named Lola Bunny, on whom Bugs develops a crush, is added to the team thanks to her talent. Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny go to Michael's house to collect what he needs to play, barely dodging his family dog Charles. Michael's publicist Stan (Wayne Knight) sees Bugs and Daffy return to Tune Land, follows them, and stays to support Michael, whose team will be called the Tune Squad.
Back on earth, the sudden inability of five top NBA players to play basketball captures the attention of the media, and the rest of the NBA, as more and more NBA teams refuse to take the court, fearing the same phenomenon will attack them. The five NBA players themselves go through a series of physical, medical, psychological and spiritual tests to figure out why they have no talent anymore, to no avail. Eventually all NBA stadiums are quarantined and the season is declared officially over until further notice.
Back in Looney Tune Land, the two teams take the court. Despite Michael's leadership, the Monstars dominate the first half of the game. Stan sneaks into the Monstars' locker room and overhears them talking about how they stole the talent from the NBA players, but he is detected despite hiding in a locker and scorched as a result. Stan then informs Michael and the Tune Squad that the Monstars stole the talent from the NBA players. Bugs then motivates the team with a special drink and the Monstars' commanding lead is reduced to a significantly smaller margin. Seeing Swackhammer grumpy that the Monstars did not steal Michael's talent, Michael takes the chance to raise the stakes. If the Tune Squad wins, the Monstars must give the NBA players their talent back, but if they lose, then Swackhammer is to spare the Looney Tunes in exchange for Michael. He readily accepts it and Bugs tries to talk him out of it, all the while being aware of what it means if Michael is subjected to humiliation on Moron Mountain for all time.
As the game resumes, the Monstars, under orders from Swackhammer, begin playing even dirtier than before. As a result, the Looney Tunes are injured, one by one, until only Michael, Bugs, Lola, and Daffy are left, leaving them short one player. In the process, Bugs saves Lola from being squashed by one of the Monstars, which fills Lola with gratitude, and she kisses him. Reluctantly, Michael puts Stan in the game, and though he is quickly taken out of action, he manages to bring the Monstar's lead down to one. Marvin the Martian, who is the referee, tells them that if there is no fifth player, the team will forfeit the game. At the last second, Bill Murray, who had played golf with Michael earlier in the film, appears in the stadium and joins the team, breaking the fourth wall along the way.
With only seconds left, Bill pulls some clever maneuvering and gets the ball to Michael. Extending his arm to superhuman lengths (since the laws of physics work differently in Tune Land), Michael makes the basket and wins the game. Although Bill has always dreamed of being an NBA player, and Michael is impressed with his skills, Bill decides to retire from basketball forever. Michael then helps the Monstars realize that they're bigger than Mr. Swackhammer, who confronts them for losing. Fed up with their abusive boss, the Monstars tie him up to a rocket and send him to the moon. At Michael's request, they reluctantly return the stolen talent to the other players by transferring them back into the basketball. This reverts the Monstars back to the tiny Nerdlucks. Refusing to return to Moron Mountain, the Nerdlucks decide to stay with the Looney Tunes, who only agree if the Nerdlucks can prove themselves to be 'Looney', which they arguably complete on the spot. As Michael leaves, he tells Bugs to stay out of trouble. Bugs assures him he will and shares a kiss with Lola.
After Michael and Stan return to earth in the Nerdlucks' spaceship, Michael makes a dramatic appearance with Stan at a baseball game to the cheers of the audience, despite being late. The next morning, Michael and Stan give the stolen talent back to the NBA players, who immediately regain their lost skills. Michael is later prompted by his rivals to return to the NBA, mirroring his real-life comeback with the Chicago Bulls.
Cast[]
Live-action cast[]
- Michael Jordan as himself, a professional basketball player who retires from the NBA to pursue a career in baseball, which is what his father wanted him to do, but returns to basketball in the end.
- Brandon Hammond as young Michael Jordan.
- Wayne Knight as Stanley "Stan" Podolak, a publicist who makes sure nobody bothers Michael Jordan.
- Theresa Randle as Juanita Jordan, Michael Jordan's supportive wife. The character is based on Jordan's real life wife at the time.
- Bill Murray as himself, one of Michael Jordan's friends and an aspiring basketball player, though Jordan doubts his abilities. Following his play with the Tune Squad, Murray impresses Jordan but decides to retire.
- Larry Bird as himself, one of Michael Jordan's friends and golfing partners. He crushes Bill Murray's dream of playing in the NBA.
- Thom Barry as James R. Jordan, Sr., Michael Jordan's father.
- Manner Washington as Jeffrey Jordan, Michael Jordan's older son.
- Eric Gordon as Marcus Jordan, Michael Jordan's younger son.
- Penny Bae Bridges as Jasmine Jordan, Michael Jordan's daughter.
- Del Harris, NBA coach, as himself
- Charles Barkley as himself, of the Phoenix Suns, who gets his talent stolen by Pound.
- Patrick Ewing as himself, of the New York Knicks, who gets his talent stolen by Bang.
- Shawn Bradley as himself, of the Philadelphia 76ers, who gets his talent stolen by Blanko.
- Larry Johnson as himself, of the Charlotte Hornets, who gets his talent stolen by Bupkus.
- Muggsy Bogues as himself, of the Charlotte Hornets, who gets his talent stolen by Nawt.
Animated cast[]
- Billy West provides the voices of:
- Bugs Bunny
- Elmer Fudd
- Dee Bradley Baker provides the voices of:
- Daffy Duck
- The Tasmanian Devil
- Toro, a bull that attacks Pound during the game after Daffy paints his shorts red.
- Bob Bergen provides the voices of:
- Porky Pig
- Tweety Bird
- Marvin the Martian
- Hubie and Bertie, a pair of mice who act as the commentators of the game.
- Steve Kehela provides the voice of Announcer.
- Bill Farmer provides the voices of:
- Yosemite Sam
- Foghorn Leghorn
- Sylvester
- June Foray provides the voice of:
- Granny
- Maurice LaMarche provides the voice of Pepé Le Pew.
- Colleen Wainwright provides the voice of Sniffles.
- Kath Soucie provides the voice of Lola Bunny, a female rabbit who plays for the Tune Squad. Lola is a new character introduced in this film.
- Danny DeVito provides the voice of Mr. Swackhammer, the proprietor of the theme park "Moron Mountain", for which he seeks new attractions to save his failing business. He's also the film's main antagonist. The voices of the Nerdlucks are provided by Jocelyn Blue (Pound), Charity James (Blanko), June Melby (Bang), Catherine Reitman (Bupkus), and Colleen Wainwright (Nawt), the voices of the Monstars are provided by Darnell Suttles (Pound), Steve Kehela (Blanko), Joey Camen (Bang), Dorian Harewood (Bupkus), and T.K. Carter (Nawt).
Music[]
The soundtrack sold enough albums to be certified as 6x Platinum. 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. 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 Chris Rock & Barry White), and "For You I Will" (by Monica). The movie's title song was performed by the Quad City DJ's.
Merchandise[]
Video games[]
There was a licensed pinball game by Sega based on the film and a video game for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Windows PC by Acclaim. Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden serves as an unofficial sequel.
Home media[]
The film was released on VHS, DVD and Laserdisc on March 11, 1997. 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 the films in Warner Brothers's 4-Film Favorites: Family Comedies collection DVD (The other 3 films being Looney Tunes: Back in Action, 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 later that same year on October 4, 2011 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.
Toys[]
Toys were released coinciding with the film. such as Happy Meal Promotion, Action Figures, Stuffed Toys.
Reception[]
Critical response[]
As of December 2011, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 35% based on 49 reviews.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave Space Jam a "thumbs up," as did Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, although his zeal was more subdued. Todd McCarthy of Variety praised the film for its humor. He also praised the Looney Tunes' antics and Jordan's acting. 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."
Veteran Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies director Chuck Jones was highly critical of the film. In a 1998 interview, 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'". He also added that, were the film more true to the source material, Bugs Bunny would not have incorporated the help of Jordan or the other Looney Tunes characters to defeat the Nerdlucks. "Bugs wouldn't have needed anyone's help," he said "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."
Box office[]
Space Jam was a box office success. At the end of its run, it grossed $90,418,342 in the United States and over $230,000,000 internationally. It is the highest grossing basketball movie of all time.
Accolades[]
- 1997 and 1998 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
- Won: Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures (Diane Warren for the song "For You I Will")
- Won: Top Box Office Films (James Newton Howard)
- 1997 Annie Awards
- Won: Best Individual Achievement: Technical Achievement
- Nomination: Best Animated Feature
- Nomination: Best Individual Achievement: Directing in a Feature Production (Bruce W. Smith and Tony Cervone)
- Nomination: Best Individual Achievement: Producing in a Feature Production (Ron Tippe)
- 1998 Grammy Awards
- Won: Best Song Written Specifically for Motion Picture or for Television (R. Kelly for the song "I Believe I Can Fly")
- 1997 MTV Movie Awards
- Nomination: Best Movie Song (R. Kelly for the song "I Believe I Can Fly")
- 1997 Satellite Awards
- Nomination: Best Motion Picture- Animated or Mixed Media (Daniel Goldberg, Joe Medjuck, Ivan Reitman)
- 1998 World Animation Celebration
- Won: Best Use of Animation in a Motion Picture Trailer
- 1997 Young Artist Awards
- Nomination: Best Family Feature- Animation or Special Effects
In other media[]
The Monstars make a cameo in the Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain episode "Star Warners". 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 merging with WorldCom and subsequently Verizon Communications.
Sequel[]
In February 2014, Warner Bros. announced a sequel, set to star professional basketball player star LeBron James. Charlie Ebersol will produce through his production company, The Company, with a script by his brother, Willie Ebersol. Jon Berg will executive produce. Representatives of James denied the claim that he would be involved, but rumor has it that it may still be in development. In May 2014, LeBron 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." Further rumors are that James may also star as new Monstars. A New Movie Sequel Space Jam A New Legacy is release date July 16, 2021.
Trivia[]
- Of the five players whose talents were stolen, three of them were playing for different teams in real life by the time the film was released: Barkley was playing for the Houston Rockets, Bradley for the New Jersey Nets, and Johnson now a teammate of Ewing's on the Knicks.