Space Jam - The Warner Bros Advertisement

By Xander Townsend | Misfit Media Editor

Warner Bros Advertisement: Space Jam (1996) is known as one of the most iconic films of all time. Whether its current status is more dependent on the genuine impact it had on animation and the film industry, or if it will always be known as a particularly memeable film, Space Jam has always given people a reason to have it in the back of their mind.

When it was announced that a new instalment to the Space Jam legacy would be released, I was obviously extremely dubious and was insistent on waiting until its release before passing judgment.

Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), directed by Malcolm D. Lee, is described as a family film that also mixes live-action and animated sports comedy. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures., the film stars the iconic LeBron James as himself and attempts to take a very similar comedic rout to the first instalment.

To an extent, they succeed with this endeavour but unfortunately, the film faces a bigger problem. The entire film is very clearly a giant Warner Bros advertisement and I don’t know about you, but I spend most of my time skipping advertisements rather than watching them.

I can see the continuity and the attempt at a consistent comedic stance. I am impressed with many graphical elements of the film, there are several aspects that should be praised. Unfortunately, I just couldn't move past the constant Warner bros promotional content embedded throughout the entire movie. Every time I would settle into the film and start to enjoy a plotline, I was reminded of Warner Bros and one of their franchises that apparently couldn't be excluded from the film. Why a bunch of recycled Ready Player One assets, Harry potter imagery, and Matrix references needed to be littered throughout the movie, I will never know. It seemed completely out of place and honestly just seemed like a completely different franchise.

I understand films will need to change with time, and there are many amazing qualities that can be upgraded when it comes to reboots including graphical updates, editing, colour work, casting, and budget. I unfortunately really struggled with paying attention to the great qualities when I was so hyper-aware of Warner Bros and their involvement within the film. I love Warner Bros content and their legacy deserves to be showcased, I just don’t believe Space Jam 2 was the place for it.