![]() The nasty Goon Squad is made up of real-life basketball players who've become animated monsters (including a slithering snake) they may be scary to very young children. Everyone else suffers smacks in the head, but the worst consequence is seeing birds flying around their head. ![]() Coyote blows things up, Marvin the Martian shoots his ray gun, Yosemite Sam fires pistols. And there's plenty of cartoon/slapstick violence in keeping with what we've come to expect from Bugs Bunny and friends: Wile E. There's some peril/danger: A villain abducts a father and son and then separates them, holding the son for a sort of ransom. It brings back favorite Looney Tunes characters while offering a refresh by casting basketball legend LeBron James as the star. Like its predecessor, it's a mix of live action and animation ending in an epic game of basketball. Wright as LeBron 'Bronny' James Jr.Parents need to know that Space Jam: A New Legacy is the sequel to the 1990s favorite Space Jam. Gerald 'Slink' Johnson as Lamar the Security GuardĬeyair J. There may be a big, corporate, algorithm-like formula deciding that a quarter-century later it's time for another "Space Jam," but it's good to see that the insouciant anarchy of Termite Terrace is still pure, unrepentant id.Īvailable in theaters and on HBO Max on July 16.Įric Bauza as Daffy Duck / Marvin the Martian (voice) I'll just say that the more you know the Looney Tunes characters, the more you'll appreciate how they bring their special skills to the game. I won't spoil a surprise guest appearance or a funny "Casablanca" joke. This is an improvement over the original film, which was pretty much an elevator pitch with slam dunks. Still, director Malcolm Lee balances the action, the family dynamics, and the Looney Tunes silliness very well, recognizing that it's the longing of a father and son for a better way to connect (while appreciating their individuality) that's the heart of the storyline. But the cheekiness of making the bad guy a content-creating corporate algorithm-based on past content while advocating for individual creativity in a quasi-remake stuffed with infomercial-level self-promotion-is not as effective as they imagine. The list of credited screenwriters is long enough to field a basketball team of their own. And it was good to see the real-life basketball stars on Al's team include two players from the WNBA, Nneka Ogwumike and Diana Taurasi. Sonequa Martin-Green, so good earlier this year in " The Outside Story," makes the most of a small role as James' wife and Dom's mother. Zendaya provides the voice for returning cartoon basketball star Lola Bunny, and the commentators are real-life sportscaster Ernie Johnson and real-life utility comic relief Lil Rel Howery. Coyote, complete with an Acme arsenal of gadgets and his handy signs to hold up for his commentary. James has to round up a team, and this is where the Looney Tunes-verse shows up, including Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Sylvester, Granny, Road Runner and Wile E. What he doesn't know is that Al has told James he cannot get his son back unless he can beat Al's team in a basketball match based on Dom's game. Dom thinks they speak the same digital language. Al gives Dom the appreciation he wanted from his dad. about a content-creation algorithm that would insert him into various properties in the "Warner Server-verse." He turns them down, but he and Dom are then captured by that algorithm, personified by Don Cheadle as the power-mad Al G. James then brings his son to a pitch meeting at Warner Bros. He has almost finished one that incorporates some moves from the pros with some gamer upgrades like style points and power-ups. The younger one, Dom ( Cedric Joe) is struggling to tell his father that he's less interested in playing basketball than he is in creating computer games about basketball. In the present day, we zoom in on his lavish residence and see his two sons on the basketball court. This lesson about focus and total commitment will come up again later. There's also a flashback to him as the child (played by Stephen Kankole) of a single mom in 1998 Akron, being taught by his coach that if he wants to have the opportunities that basketball can make possible for him, he has to get his head in the game before he sets foot on the court. For the two or three people in the audience who might not fully appreciate who LeBron James is, there is an opening sequence showing some of the highlights of his basketball career. This time, it's LeBron James as a slightly fictionalized version of himself (that's not really his family, but the barbs about his switching teams are totally legit). As in the 1996 " Space Jam" starring Michael Jordan, "A New Legacy" is the story of a real-life basketball superstar transported into a cartoon world for a high-stakes game. And there is a lot going on in front of that Sgt.
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