Space Jam combines a bunch of things that shouldn’t work together. Not only shouldn’t they work, they should put Space Jam in the running for worst ideas of all time. And yet, in spite of Michael Jordan’s lack of acting talent, making him act against animated characters, 4 credited screenwriters, and a music video director, Space Jam flies like an eagle above it all, just like Michael Jordan did in his NBA career over all the nay sayers.
For those who don’t know, Michael Jordan is maybe the best player in the NBA. Space Jam covers the strange 2 year period where he suddenly retired from basketball to play baseball for a couple of years. At the same time, in Looney Tunes’s Land, the greedy amusement park owner Swackhammer (Danny Devito) is looking for new attractions, and stumbles upon Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, et all. He sends down 5 of his minions to collect the toons, who challenge them to a basketball game for their freedom. The minions smartly steal the “talent” from other NBA players, and become Monstars, forcing Bugs to seek out Jordan to help them win the game.
The success of Space Jam is probably thanks to director Joe Pytka and the 4 writers, who work the movie like a great basketball coach. Great coaches completely understand the strengths and weaknesses of their players, and put them in positions where they can succeed. Michael Jordan can’t really act (weakness); however, he’s quite a charming individual himself, and he can really ball (strengths). No problem! Pytka has a music video background. He’ll put together several montages where Jordan doesn’t really have to do anything other than ball or answer everything like it’s really happening around him. Those montages will have killer music, which now includes at least 3 songs that are still sung today. Finally, start the movie by getting MJ to agree to poke fun at himself and his lack of baseball success, immediately endearing himself to kids and getting a joke or two in at the same time, plus giving him an easy story that mimics his own life.
While the montages are fine and dandy, that probably about 30-40 minutes of screentime, including the big game. So how do the filmmakers best make Michael Jordan look good the rest of the time? Enter the sheer amount of funny people in this movie. We get early signs Charles Barkley has the comic chops, giving him a great scene where he never speaks and gets schooled on the basketball court by a tiny teenager. Don’t worry, Barkley’s just the tip of the comedic iceberg. Wayne Knight is a perfect foil for Jordan; a short pudgy dude who can fall off things while Jordan looks on incredulously or shakes his head at. Bill Murray had probably known MJ for years at this point, so giving him a subplot about wanting to be in the NBA, begging for Michael’s approval could go on for at least 20 minutes. And as your story/glue, the Looney Tunes are reliable as ever, especially Daffy Duck, who gets a laugh almost everytime he says something, with Danny Devito lending his charming voice to a perfectly cartoony villain, keeping the story light and fun. Space Jam was never aiming for high art, but clearly nails the “solid family film” mark it is going for.
I would argue Space Jam is probably critic proof. This movie is not meant to be dissected and reviewed by adults analyzing its technical proficiency. It is meant to be enjoyed and experienced with friends and family. Just sit back, relax, and let MJ, Bill Murray, Charles Barkley, Bugs Bunny, and Daffy Duck do their thing, and you’ll be singing I Believe I Can Fly for months after the movie.