LeBron’s Space Jam Opens To Tough Reviews
Jul 16, 2021, 3:28 PM
Don Cheadle, Cedric Joe, and LeBron James attends the Space Jam: A New Legacy Party (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – It might not be the blockbuster summer LeBron James had hoped for. After his Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs, James’ move Space Jam: A New Legacy opened to poor reviews.
The film, starring James as a follow-up to the 1996 original featuring Michael Jordan has been several years in the making and was released in theaters and on HBOMax on Friday.
So far, the reception has not been great.
The sequel has a rotten score of 35 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and an IMDB rating of just 3.6 out of 10 among more than 3.6 viewers that have reviewed the film.
Space Jam: A New Legacy just dropped a shiny new trailer! #SpaceJamMovie pic.twitter.com/7uBy38H0Oh
— Space Jam: A New Legacy (@spacejammovie) April 1, 2021
For comparison, the original Space Jam has a rotten score of 44 percent, but a favorable 6.5-star rating on IMDB.
“This mashup of corporate product placement is less a slam dunk than an overcaffeinated exercise in excess,” Peter Travers of ABC News wrote.
Like the original, the movie involves James getting sucked into a basketball game alongside classic Looney Tunes characters. Instead of facing off against the Monstars as Jordan did, James and his cartoon teammates face off against the Goon Squad.
While the New York Post admitted that the original is far from a cinematic masterpiece, the paper pulled no punches in its review of the sequel.
“This film […] is nothing more than forgettable nostalgia bait,” the Post wrote.
Not all reviews of the film were so critical, however.
SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY is an improvement over the original 1996 film (via @nminow) https://t.co/kVtGNNkZNH
— RogerEbert.com (@ebertvoices) July 16, 2021
Nell Minow had a favorable three-star review of the film recognizing it was geared towards younger viewers.
“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,” Minow wrote.
Space Jam: A New Legacy is rated PG and has a runtime of 115 minutes.
