Space Jam

( 7 )

Overview

Warner Bros. attempted to revitalize its animation division with this family adventure that blended live action and animation in the style of Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1988, reportedly coming in with a price tag of $100 million. Basketball legend Michael Jordan stars as himself, a retired sports hero trying his hand at baseball and failing miserably. Meanwhile, the Looney Tunes gang, led by Bugs Bunny, are kidnapped by aliens called the Nerdlucks. It seems that the Nerdlucks' theme park, Moron Mountain a ...
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Overview

Warner Bros. attempted to revitalize its animation division with this family adventure that blended live action and animation in the style of Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1988, reportedly coming in with a price tag of $100 million. Basketball legend Michael Jordan stars as himself, a retired sports hero trying his hand at baseball and failing miserably. Meanwhile, the Looney Tunes gang, led by Bugs Bunny, are kidnapped by aliens called the Nerdlucks. It seems that the Nerdlucks' theme park, Moron Mountain a barely-veiled dig at Disney is failing to attract customers. The space invaders are convinced that the appearance of Bugs and his pals Porky Pig and Speedy Gonzalez will beef up business. Bugs makes his captors a deal -- they'll play a game of basketball for their freedom. When the Nerdlucks stack the deck by pilfering the talent of NBA superstars Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, the Warner Bros. heroes enlist the aid of Jordan, who returns to the court to help the classic characters. While he prepares to play, Jordan is aided by fellow celebrity Bill Murray. Director Joe Pytka previously created many of the television commercials that featured Jordan as a paid endorser.
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Greg Fagan
Fans eager to hear Michael Jordan's inside story of the making of his motion picture debut, the 1996 Loony Tune-fest Space Jam, will have to wait. But for animation aficionados who feel that the classic Warner Bros. characters are the movie's main lures, this new DVD edition will be welcome indeed. Voice actors Billy West II (Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd) and Dee Bradley Baker (Daffy Duck, Tasmanian Devil) provide commentary throughout the movie, sometimes as themselves, and occasionally in character. Director Joe Pytka pops in every so often to make an observation or drop the occasional name (costar Patrick Ewing is evidently much more fun than his press suggests, says Pytka), but it's really West and Baker's show. Among the pair's more fascinating Space Jam revelations is that the very real sounding barks and growls of Jordan's live-action pooch -- a nasty looking bulldog -- actually come from the talented voice of Frank Welker ("the best known dog voice in Hollywood"). The DVD's features also allow you to isolate the musical track, eliminating all the voices save those of the singers. It turns the entire affair into an extended music video that, given the soundtrack's chart-topping popularity several years back, will no doubt appeal to fans of Seal ("Fly Like an Eagle") and R. Kelly ("I Believe I Can Fly").
All Movie Guide
Many lesser basketball stars have graced the big screen, so it was almost a surprise that it took Michael Jordan this long. But it should be no surprise that Space Jam isn't half the fun of simply watching one of Jordan's highlight reels. For all his choreographed jams in dunk contests, Michael Jordan found his greatest glory during moments of in-game improvisation, when his stunning talent manifested itself as pure instinct. In a semi-animated movie, the necessarily careful staging removes the wonder from Jordan's repertoire, leaving only generic feats of above-average athleticism that have no real-world reference point. Of course, Space Jam is not meant as a highlight reel, rather, an opportunity to promote the persona of Michael Jordan and revive a cast of beloved Warner Brothers cartoons that haven't been dusted off in years. On these scores it's also weak, even with R. Kelly singing "I Believe I Can Fly" as urgently as anyone could want. Trying to insinuate themselves into a sophisticated world of animation that has passed them by, the characters seem like relics, their old-fashioned quips as tired as the hand joints of the animators who draw them. Where Space Jam does find a few laughs is in the cameos of other NBA players, notably Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, who struggle humorously with methods to recoup their stolen basketball skills. It's while spoofing himself that Jordan is also most effective, including some good-sport jabs at his brief and comical foray into professional baseball.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 3/11/1997
  • UPC: 012569653139
  • Original Release: 1996

    • Rating:

  • Source: Warner Home Video
  • Format: VHS

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Michael Jordan Himself
Charles Barkley Himself
Wayne Knight Stan Podolak
Patrick Ewing Himself
Theresa Randle Juanita
Muggsy Bogues
Billy West Voice Only, Voice Only
D. Bradley Baker Voice Only, Voice Only, Voice Only
Bill Murray
Larry Bird
Danny DeVito Swackhammer
Bill Farmer Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam
Kath Soucie Lola Bunny
Danny Ainge
Bob Bergen Herbie, Marvin the Martian, Voice Only, Voice Only, Voice Only
Shawn Bradley
Cedric Ceballos
Vlade Divac
June Foray Granny
Del Harris
Cheryl James
Larry Johnson Himself
Maurice LaMarche Pepe Le Pew
Ahmad Rashad
Jim Rome
Paul Westphal
Technical Credits
Joe Pytka Director
Leo Benvenuti Screenwriter
Michael Chapman Cinematographer
Cinesite Special Effects
David Falk Executive Producer
Daniel Goldberg Producer
Timothy Harris Screenwriter
Janet Hirshenson Casting
James Newton Howard Score Composer
Jane Jenkins Casting
Ed Jones Special Effects
Sheldon Kahn Co-producer, Editor
Geoffrey Kirkland Production Designer
David F. Klassen Art Director
James Larue Sound/Sound Designer
Austin McCann Asst. Director
Joe Medjuck Producer
Curtis Polk Co-producer
Jerry Rees Producer
Ivan Reitman Producer
Ken Ross Executive Producer
Marco Rubeo Set Decoration/Design
Steve Rudnick Screenwriter
Marlene Stewart Costumes/Costume Designer
Gordon A. Webb Co-producer
Herschel Weingrod Screenwriter
Jennifer Williams Set Decoration/Design
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 7 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(4)

4 Star

(2)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

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Sort by: Showing all of 7 Customer Reviews

  • Posted June 3, 2011

    LOVE this movie!

    I have just bought this DVD and I am a very satisfied customer. I first watched this movie when I was a 6 year old child and I still love it today! I love the theme of basketball, the story, comedy, the awesome music, EVERYTHING. Watching this movie is very enjoyable to me and the animation is brilliant! I love all of the characters! Old and new!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted November 11, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
    Underdog
    Firehouse Dog
    Dudley Do-Right
    Looney Tunes: Back in Action

    this movie rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    this movie rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 1, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 24, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 17, 2008

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 13, 2009

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 20, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 7 Customer Reviews