If you have played Candy Crush in the last few days, you will have noticed some particular presence in King's game. This is the champion of basketball LeBron James, accompanied by Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny and the other most famous Looney Tunes characters, who are the protagonists of Space Jam: New Legends, sequel to the unforgettable film with Michael Jordan. Space Jam: New Legends is available from July 16 on HBO Max and in American theaters, while to see it at the cinema in Italy we will have to wait until September 23. The characters of the film will accompany our games with the game for a few days, thus preparing us for the vision of one of the most anticipated Blockbusters of the year. But where does the expectation for this film come from? Let's take a step back, until 1996.
Space Jam: the film with Michael Jordan
In the mid-90s, Michael Jordan is without a doubt one of the most famous people in the world. A star player in basketball, with three consecutive titles won with his Chicago Bulls, a planetary image man for Nike and a sports model for all the kids who have held a basketball in their hands at least once. What better opportunity to make a movie and use its fame to combine it with that of the famous animated characters of Warner Bros.? Thus was born Space Jam, a mixed media film that unites real people on the screen (like Michael Jordan, Bill Murray and NBA stars Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing e Larry Bird) and animated characters, with a more than discreet visual result for the time. The occasion is an interplanetary basketball challenge between the henchmen of the evil Mr. Swackhammer and the characters of Looney Tunes.
Space Jam, however, comes at a particular moment in Jordan's career, that of his temporary retirement from basketball following the murder of his father. In an original fusion of fantasy and real life, Jordan is taken from the baseball fields where he was actually playing (with mediocre results) to reinforce Bugs Bunny's team, in need of talent on the playing field. Also thanks to the newfound relationship with basketball stemming from Space Jam, Michael Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls in 1995, kicking off a new series of hits, culminating in his epic sixth NBA title, told in the Netflix miniseries The Last Dance. A wonderful opportunity for the Space Jam itself, which in the closing bars can afford to show the champion back on the pitch with the legendary Bulls jersey.
Space Jam: New Legends, the reactions of the public
After 25 years, the baton from Michael Jordan passes to LeBron James, the man who, together with the late Kobe Bryant, became the face of the NBA following the final withdrawal of the 23rd of the Bulls. Different eras, different stories but the same potentially winning formula: James and Looney Tunes together on the basketball court, with a multitude of cameos of Warner Bros. characters, which populate the so-called Server-Verso of the evil Al-G Rhythm, created precisely to hold them hostage.
As happened to its predecessor, the criticism has not been soft on Space Jam: New Legends. IMDb for the moment gives the film a score of 4.3 out of 10, topped off by a very bad 36 of metascore. Similar results on Rotten Tomatoes (31%) and Metacritic (36). The authoritative newspaper The Hollywood Reporter clearly states that "Space Jam: A New Legacy (original title of the film, ed) does not live up to its grandiose and overly optimistic title". As often happens, however, the public seems to go in the opposite direction to criticism. At the American box office, Space Jam: New Legends has already grossed over $ 31 million, thus surpassing Black Widow, which has nevertheless achieved excellent results, considering the difficult period we are going through.
Space Jam: New Legends, i cameo del film con LeBron James
The final response on Space Jam: New Legends will therefore be that of each of us, based on their taste and personal experience. While waiting to be able to see the film directed by Malcolm D. Lee on large or small screen, however, we can anticipate some of the numerous cameos that we will see, many of which are already anticipated by the trailer. In more or less small roles there will be some of the most famous Warner Bros icons, such as King Kong, Willy Wonka, Beetlejuice, Austin Powers, Pennywise, Harley Quinn and two different Jokers. We will also see tributes to Harry Potter, The Matrix, Game of Thrones, Mad Max: Fury Road, A Clockwork Orange and even The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca. A triumph of fantasy therefore, which celebrates the return to life and the stories that will continue to inspire us.
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