Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

 

2/10

Starring

LeBron James

Don Cheadle

Khris Davis

Sonequa Martin-Green

 

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee

 

This movie is as good as a bad B-movie: boring and horrid. In summary, the film tries every possible way to produce warm family-love vibes in the hope of pulling at our heartstrings. But with bad acting, poor directing, and a useless script, what you end up with is a cringy movie that feels like a bad B-movie from start to finish.

Watching this made me change my perspective on the first Space Jam movie from 1996. I’ve found a new respect for Michael Jordan’s acting because, thanks to this mess, the old Space Jam is now a classic in comparison. I always thought Space Jam ’96 had a weak storyline, but wait until you see this one.

Twenty-one minutes in, there’s a scene where someone says, “Hey Siri! Can you let us out of here, please?”—and it’s so poorly acted, terribly written, and chaotically directed that I knew I was in for a disaster. My money had just gone up in smoke.

One thing this movie does have over Space Jam ’96 is the graphics, but that’s about it.

This new Space Jam movie is a standalone sequel to Space Jam ’96, but like its predecessor, the entire premise of a basketball game is pointless.

The story goes like this: LeBron James is shown as a kid into handheld games, but he grows up to become the basketball legend we know today. His son, Dom, shares his father’s interest in handheld games and even designs a game of his own to showcase at the upcoming E3 event. However, LeBron wants Dom to follow in his footsteps and become a basketball player, urging him to attend basketball camp instead. The problem? The E3 event and the camp are scheduled for the same weekend, creating a rift between father and son.

Meanwhile, at Warner Bros., the company’s operations seem to have been left in the hands of an AI named King Al G Rhythm (played by Don Cheadle). Al G has ambitions of fame, and based on his calculations, teaming up with LeBron could make that happen. He pitches an idea called Warner 3000, which would allow them to digitize LeBron into any movie or role. LeBron rejects the idea, hurting Al G’s feelings.

In retaliation, Al G captures LeBron and Dom, digitizing them into his "ServerVerse." He holds Dom hostage and challenges LeBron to a basketball game, threatening to keep them trapped unless LeBron wins. To make matters worse, Al G plans to broadcast the game to the world. LeBron is dumped into the Tunes' verse to recruit players for his team to face off against Al G’s team.

In summary: don’t watch this movie. It’s not worth your time or money.