For the sake of completeness I finally capitulated and sat through Space Jam: A New Legacy, the sequel to Space Jam (1996), a film I saw once, and once was enough.  Now I can say the same for this unnecessary follow-up.

Malcolm D. Lee’s film has basketball star LeBron James (playing himself) sucked into cyberspace, intended to be humiliated by a lineup of superstar cartoon characters (and led by his own son Dom (Cedric Joe)) in a kooky basketball contest broadcast around the world.  If LeBron and the cartoon team he recruits can somehow win, he will be set free.  Otherwise, he will be in cyberspace forever.

There is some charm to this family tale in which LeBron undergoes a hellish experience to reconnect with his wayward son, reunite with his family and return to reality.  However, the irony is difficult to ignore now that LeBron and his real son Bronny are sharing the same court in the NBA; neither Dom nor his wife Kamiyah (Sonequa Martin-Green) or other kids in the movie are real.  It’s just a really strange vibe.  Adding to that are the references to virtually every property or major character that Warner Bros. has ever presented to audiences, from Batman and Wonder Woman to the Droogs from A Clockwork Orange and The Iron Giant.  One could watch this movie a half-dozen times and probably spot different characters, from Rick and Morty to Mad Max and the dragon from Game of Thrones.  But is that entertainment?

This film is far too long, is barely amusing, and undoubtedly will cause headaches for some viewers, as it did me.  Yes, there are homages (in brief little moments) to sports stars and coaches of the past, tiny little in-jokes for those in the know about comic culture and such, but I didn’t care.  LeBron is no Michael Jordan — sorry, but I’m from Chicago and know better — and this cyberspace adventure is just too far out to enjoy.  The basketball game itself is simply insane.  ☆ ☆.  10 November 2024.