Rewind Back to 1996: A Nostalgic Childhood Favorite of the 90s - “Space Jam”

Last week, I officially started up my Rewind Series with “The Silence of the Lambs” (35th anniversary; showing at the Dietrich Theater April 26 and 29) and one of my childhood favorites “Short Circuit” (40th anniversary). And for those who don’t know, my Rewind review series will consist of reviews for movies that I will be checking out that are celebrating anniversary milestones throughout the year.

For this week, I will be checking out two movies that will be celebrating the big 3-0! This review will be for a movie that was extremely popular in the latter half of the 1990s and just got a belated sequel a few years ago - “Space Jam.”

Swackhammer, an evil alien theme park owner, needs a new attraction at Moron Mountain. When his gang, the Nerdlucks, head to Earth to kidnap Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes, Bugs challenges them to a basketball game to determine their fate.

The aliens agree, but they steal the powers of NBA basketball players, including Larry Bird and Charles Barkley - so Bugs gets some help from a superstar - Michael Jordan.

Audiences, particularly children who grew up throughout the 90s (like myself) have generally remembered “Space Jam” as a nostalgic, fun and really iconic blend of Looney Tunes and basketball culture. Now, while the movie can be predictable for first time viewers and some of the acting isn’t really the best (except for the Bill Murray cameo), it’s still fondly remembered for its still great soundtrack, the animation and its status as a 90s pop culture staple.

At the time of this movie’s release, the animation in “Space Jam” was considered to be quite groundbreaking and its also known for its seamless integration of traditional 2D Looney Tunes characters with live-action footage. Compared to the 2021 sequel, the animation in this movie looks a lot better than the CGI usage in the not so great sequel.

The movie’s soundtrack is widely known for its nostalgic, high energy mix of 90s hip-

hop, R&B, and pop that perfectly captured the movie’s really energetic atmosphere. In fact, this 1996 movie pretty much acts as an introduction to hip-hop and R&B for a whole generation. The soundtrack’s legacy remains strong today, with many fans considering it one of the rare instances where the music was just as impactful as - or even better than - the movie itself.

This was actually the first time I revisited this childhood favorite in quite some time. And, after revisiting it, I can actually say that “Space Jam” can hit a little differently now as an adult. While I thoroughly enjoyed this movie when I was a kid, now watching it as an adult, it can really feel like a commercial for Michael Jordan products, Warner Brothers merchandise and much more. There’s even a few jokes that go over the kids' heads - like a blink and you miss it “Pulp Fiction” reference.

“Space Jam” is widely regarded as a nostalgic, culturally iconic 90s staple that did a great job mixing live-action and animation, though critics often cite the poor acting and the thin plot. It was a massive commercial success that effectively marketed the NBA and Looney Tunes, featuring a memorable soundtrack and is still enjoyed by a beloved fanbase.

Now, three decades later, “Space Jam” is still remembered as just some pure 90s fun that still holds up better than “A New Legacy.”

MPA: Rated PG for some mild cartoon language   (runtime 88 minutes)

Make sure to keep on checking my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook to see what other movies I will be checking out for either my Rewind Series or recent/new releases and some fun trivia bits about most of the movies that I check out!

Initial release date: November 15, 1996

Streaming service: Peacock/various PVOD services   (as of this review)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKNy-MWjkcU

• Towards the end of the basketball game, Daffy asks Bill Murray, "Exactly how did you get here?" Murray responds, "The producer is a friend of mine," referring to producer Ivan Reitman, who worked with Murray on Meatballs (1979), Stripes (1981), and the Ghostbusters movies.

• The concept for this movie originated from a series of highly popular live-action/animated sci-fi sports comedy Nike commercial ads for Air Jordan shoes titled: "Hare Jordan" and "Aerospace Jordan" where Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan faced off against Marvin the Martian and his alien henchmen in basketball to stop him from stealing Nike shoes.

• Back in the late 1980s, Disney studios asked Warner Brothers if they could use some of the Looney Tunes characters for the Disney film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Warner Brothers obliged and were in the belief there was a reciprocal gentleman's agreement, which there was but under the old Disney management who were long gone by the time this film started production. However when Warner started work on this film, they asked Disney to return the favor and let them use a few Disney cartoon characters (Mickey Mouse was originally intended to be the match referee). Disney reneged on the agreement, a move which annoyed but didn't entirely surprise Warner Brothers. This explains some of the not so subtle digs at Disney within this film.

• After Daffy suggests naming the team "the Ducks", Bugs asks "What kind of Mickey Mouse organization would name their team the Ducks?" This was a dig at the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League, which were established by The Walt Disney Company. Ironically, Disney-owned ABC was the first broadcast television network to air "Space Jam", in the fall of 1999.

• To keep Michael Jordan happy while filming, Warner Bros. built him an actual basketball court on the set, so he could use it whenever he could on breaks.

• Bill Murray accepted a role in this movie after expressing regret at missing out on the chance to star in another animated live-action film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

• Although Bill Murray initially came in to only work on the golf course scene, he then wanted to be in the climactic basketball game after Joe Pytka showed him the process of how he directed the live-action/animation scenes.