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Revision as of 15:57, 20 March 2013 by ESkog (talk | contribs) (Reverted edits by 173.167.144.198 (talk) to last revision by Denisarona (HG))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) This article is about the motion picture. For other uses, see Space Jam (disambiguation). 1996 American film
Space Jam
Directed byJoe Pytka
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMichael Chapman
Edited bySheldon Kahn
Music byJames Newton Howard
Production
companies		Northern Lights Entertainment
Courtside Seats Entertainment
Distributed byWarner Bros. Family Entertainment
Release date
  • November 15, 1996 (1996-11-15)
Running time88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$80 million
Box office$230,418,342

Space Jam is a 1996 family live-action/animated sports comedy film starring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters. 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 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 others. Space Jam was a box office success, opening at #1 in the US, and grossing over $230 million worldwide.

Plot

In 1995, after professional basketball player Michael Jordan announces his retirement from the game, he follows in his father's footsteps and turns to a career in baseball. Meanwhile, a group of criminal aliens called 'The Nerdlucks', led by their boss Mister Swackhammer (voiced by Danny DeVito), plot to capture the Looney Tunes characters, who really exist in a secret animated world called Tune Land (hidden under planet 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, seeing how short the aliens are, the Tunes, aided by a new arrival named Lola Bunny, bargain for their freedom by challenging the Nerdlucks to a basketball game. Preparing to cheat in the game, the Nerdlucks return to Earth and steal the Talent of Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, and Shawn Bradley, who are rendered incapable of playing basketball as a result. The Nerdlucks use the stolen Talent to transform into gigantic creatures that the Looney Tunes are unable to defeat, re-naming themselves the Monstars in the process. To help them win, the Tunes choose and recruit Michael, and he reluctantly agrees after the Monstars squash him into the shape of a basketball and bounce him around like one. Daffy and Bugs go to his house to collect Michael's lucky stuff, barely dodging his family dog Charles.

Throughout the game between the TuneSquad and the Monstars, the Looney Tunes are injured, one by one, until only Michael, Bugs, Lola and Daffy are left in the game, leaving them short one player. 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 Swackhammer incorrectly identifies as Dan Aykroyd, his Ghostbusters co-star) appears in the stadium and joins the team, narrowly averting forfeiture. Michael reluctantly makes a deal with Mister Swackhammer to spare the Looney Tunes in exchange for his own freedom as Swackhammer's newest amusement park attraction if the TuneSquad loses. 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.

At the game's climax, The TuneSquad are down by one, and it is up to Michael to score the winning point. Extending his arm to superhuman lengths with the power of toon physics, Michael makes the basket and wins the game. He helps the Monstars realize that they're bigger than Mister Swackhammer, who confronts them for losing. Fed up with their abusive boss, the Monstars tie him up and send him to the moon. At Michael's request, they return the stolen Talent to the other players by transferring them to a basketball. This reverts the Monstars back to the tiny Nerdlucks. Refusing to return to Moron Mountain to endure humiliation from their former boss, 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. Afterwards, Michael returns to Earth in the Nerdlucks' spaceship, where he makes a dramatic appearance at a baseball game to the cheers of the audience, despite being late. The next day, Michael gives 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.

Cast

Live-action actors

Voice cast

File:Nerdlucks.jpg
The Nerdlucks as they appear in the film
File:We-challenge-you-to-a-basketball-game.png
The Looney Tunes challenge the Nerdlucks to a basketball game

Because the movie was made after the death of Mel Blanc, the character voices he originated were performed by other actors:

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

Main article: Space Jam (soundtrack)

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" became a hit after it was featured on the film's soundtrack. Other tracks included a cover of "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 theme song was performed by the Quad City DJ's. "My Girl" by the Temptations.

Distribution

Video games

There was also a licensed pinball game by Sega based on the film and a video game for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Windows PC by Acclaim.

Home media

The film was released as a 2-disc special edition DVD on October 28, 2003, and as a feature in a 4-film Favorites: Family Comedies 4-movie collection in November 6, 2007, and was released as a single disc DVD on February 8, 2011, and for the first time in widescreen HD on Blu-ray on October 4, 2011.

Reception

Critical response

Space Jam received mixed reviews from film critics. 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," which Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune also gave the film, 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 past."

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 $140,000,000 internationally.

Accolades

  • 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 World Animation Celebration
    • Won: Best Use of Animation in a Motion Picture Trailer

In other media

The Monstars make a cameo in the Pinky and the Brain / Animaniacs episode "Star Warners" (a parody of Star Wars).

References

  1. ^ Maslin, Janet (1995-11-15). "Icons Meet: Bugs, Daffy And Jordan". NYTimes.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  2. "RIAA Gold and Platinum Searchable Database". Retrieved 2009-01-23.
  3. "Space Jam". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  4. McCarthy, Todd (1996-11-17). "Space Jam". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  5. "Space Jam (1996)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2011-12-02.

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