For a film whose central message is \u201cBe yourself,\u201d it can\u2019t help but copy its predecessor in numerous ways. Space Jam: A New Legacy<\/em> initially follows the blueprint of the 1996 Space Jam <\/em>(at least according to Wikipedia<\/a>, because the original is not exactly the most memorable of films itself). It begins in 1998 in Akron, Ohio, where a young LeBron (Stephen Kankole) is chided by his youth basketball coach (Wood Harris) for being distracted by a Game Boy, which he then throws in the trash<\/em>. The opening credits give us a quick tour through LeBron\u2019s career, both on the court and off, even devoting a moment to his \u201cI will not just shut up and dribble\u201d speech. It hints that this dumb, pointless movie might have something more on its mind, a pump fake that would make the real LeBron James proud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fast-forward to present-day Los Angeles, where history repeats itself with grown-up LeBron lecturing his video-game-loving kid Dom (Cedric Joe) about the importance of focus. His dialogue is full of platitudes that will be familiar to anyone that played high school sports or has taken a particularly intense fitness class as an adult. But while Dom doesn\u2019t love playing basketball, he has designed a video game called \u201cDom Ball\u201d (which sounds like a title that should not be in a kids movie, but nothing here has been given that much thought). The game is inspired by the real sport but with an emphasis on fun over fundamentals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, LeBron is invited to the Warner Bros. lot to learn about a new business opportunity pitched by an A.I. named Al G. Rhythm (Don Cheadle). When LeBron shoots down the idea, Al goes HAL and sucks LeBron and Dom into the digital Warner Bros. Serververse. (Sure.) He kidnaps Dom and challenges LeBron to a basketball game for the fate of his family, which is where the Looney Tunes characters enter the story. Bugs Bunny (voice of Jeff Bergman) helps recruit all the classic \u2018toons to the team for a now-animated LeBron. They\u2019ll have to match up with monsterized versions of NBA and WNBA stars like Anthony Davis and Diana Taurasi if they want LeBron and Dom to go back to the real world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If it sounds like a lot, it is. Space Jam: A New Legacy<\/em> is at once too much and so, so boring, packing frames with familiar characters (and Hanna-Barbera randos) to make the audience play the worst game of Where\u2019s Waldo?<\/em> ever. At least searching through scenes for familiar characters kept me awake. Sequels and spinoffs to Space Jam<\/em> have been in the works<\/a> since the original\u2019s successful run, which almost explains how dated many of its references are. Kids won\u2019t get the nods to Austin Powers <\/em>(1997), and their parents won\u2019t care. It\u2019s unclear who this movie was for, other than the people who profit from licensing deals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story is an overcomplicated jumble, credited to six people, including the wildly creative Terence Nance, who was replaced as director on the project by Malcolm D. Lee. A single laugh-out-loud moment acknowledges Michael Jordan and the original 1996 movie, with most of the other jokes meriting a groan at best and an audible blink at worst. You can endlessly debate whether Jordan or James is the better basketball player, but the latter is definitely the better actor. James is fine as his on-screen alter ego, better at the would-be comedic moments and voice work than at the more serious scenes. Meanwhile, Cheadle goes big as the film\u2019s villain, having fun even if the audience isn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Warner Bros. Studio Store in movie form \u2014 and equally as bankrupt \u2014Space Jam: A New Legacy <\/em>doesn\u2019t so much celebrate the historic brand\u2019s legacy as it exploits it. It takes money to make movies, but business\u2019s triumph over art has rarely been as clear (and uninteresting) as it is here. “Space Jam: A New Legacy” is out Friday in theaters and on HBO Max.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/space-jam2-1024x576.jpg\")
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