Jam Session!!!!! LeBron and Tunes Score In Fun-Filled Hoops Romper!!!!!
Review By Brandon Porter
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| It's An All-New Jam |
NBA superstar LeBron James (Himself) has been the beacon of athletic excellence since he was a kid. With numerous accolades including 2 Olympic gold medals, 4 NBA championships, and several MVP awards, LeBron is the person everyone aspires to be…well almost everyone. James’ son Dom (Cedric Joe) seems to have no interest in following his father’s footsteps despite LeBron’s insistence he lives up to the legacy he has built. This persistent drive to have Dom be more like him causes a rift between the two but now they may need each other’s skills for a whole game that even LeBron hasn’t faced before. Now trapped in the Warner server verse, a digital world where all Warner Bros. properties reside, A highly egotistical AI known as Al G Rythme (Don Cheadle) is determined to steal LeBron’s social media followers to get more famous by doing the unthinkable…challenge one of the greatest basketball players of all time to a game of hoops. With his son’s freedom on the line and not many allies to turn to in this new world, LeBron must scour the server verse and assemble a team consisting of the unlikeliest of hoopsters…..Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes!!! Can LeBron and the tune squad triumph over the menacing goon squad or will this be one ball game King James can’t dominate?
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LeBron and The Looney Tunes Face The
Task In Front of Them. |
A spiritual sequel to the 1996 live-action/animated classic, LeBron James follows in the footsteps of Michael Jordan in teaming up with the Looney Tunes in a high-stakes hardwood battle for the ages. Brimming with both potential and skepticism, James aims to have his latest cinematic endeavor be a Slam Dunk. After being courtside for this, I can honestly say that this movie was so much fun. Like many, I too have fond memories of the 1996 classic movie. But as I've gotten older, I do see that the nostalgia goggles shielded a lot of the flaws but I still enjoy it for what it was. That said, Space Jam A New Legacy succeeds, and even times transcends the original in areas more times than not. For starters, let's give some credit to the leading man. LeBron James is a definite highlight of this movie. Not surprising given his breakout performance in Trainwreck six years prior. The guy has some raw talent when it comes to comedic performances and he showcases it here in the starring role. One of the biggest things that make Space Jam: A New Legacy work is LeBron's investment in the material. You can clearly tell he's putting effort into his performance and he is not afraid to have some fun and be goofy. This also shows in his vocal performances as well when he is animated. When you have an actor who is enjoying himself on screen, it allows the audience to do the same.
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Al G Rhythm appeals to his captive audience inside the central
hub of the Serververse |
I give him a ton of credit for not phoning it in and just having a good time in the role. In fact, LeBron's performance in this Space Jam really shows how much Michael Jordan was just phoning it in in the original. Clearly, LeBron is the MVP when it comes to this movie and credit goes to him for embracing the ridiculousness of all that was around him. James wasn't the only one who shined on the court. The sixth man award goes to Cedric Joe as Dom. Joe plays an incredibly sympathetic character that you root for and his chemistry with James makes for some fun and genuinely heartfelt moments. He has a promising future and I'm looking forward to seeing him grow as an actor. Don Cheadle is fun hamming it up as Al G Rythme in a villain role that is cartoonishly over the top but given the subject matter, you should expect nothing less. As for the Looney Tunes themselves, it was such a treat seeing these characters on the big screen again. Whether it was in 2D or CG, all the characters were beautifully animated and authentically represented their characters. Credit to Jeff Bergman, Eric Bauza, Zendaya Coleman, and others for bringing these characters to life and playing well off of the leading man.
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| Power UP!!!! |
Now of course the movie does have some flaws but the flaws are not as severe as all the detractors and critics say. Yes, there are some obvious nods to the Warner Streaming Service that feel hamfisted in but a quarter of the way in I was over it and it didn't bother me. Seeing cameos from other Warner properties just allowed for the filmmakers to have fun with the Looney Tunes. Some of them do kinda fall flat while others actually are pretty fun. The cynical mindset around this film really makes the criticisms overblown and quite frankly overly dramatic. It's LeBron and the Looney Tunes playing a basketball game against superpowered mutant monsters. Have some fun and get the stick out of your butts. Overall, I really had a fun time with this movie. More so than I thought I originally would. I think it just comes down to wanting to have a good time and not letting the uptight mindsets of others influence how I walk into films like this one. While I'll always have a soft spot for the 1996 film, there are times where this one surpasses it due to LeBron's investment and embrace of the silliness of it all. It may not be a game-winner, but it's worth the price of admission.
Rating and Final Thoughts
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A big, looney, and goofy good time with James and the gang. Plenty of fun to be had for those
not too stuck up about cynical viewpoints and perspectives. |
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| Not a bad team to ball out with I might say. |
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