Come On and Space Jam to a New Legacy! - Renegade Animation #29
Tonight, on a SLAMMING episode of Renegade Animation, Captain Kaye, Cameron, and Eric Muller discuss the most hyped sequel to a Looney Tunes film EVER... Space Jam, and it's sequel: A New Legacy!
Hey fellow Renegades! THE DIRECTOR is back to bring you the hottest episode fresh off the presses for the Renegade Animation podcast! Our Animation Amigos talk the entire Space Jam franchise this time around (holy crap, I can’t believe we’re actually calling it a franchise now — wow…).
Let’s not waste any time, I’ll go ahead and pass the ball over to Captain Kaye to give his thoughts on the latest installment!
SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY (2021)
“Much like the original Space Jam, A New Legacy is not a good movie, even though I enjoyed both for similar reasons. However, the reasons this movie doesn't work are the same reasons most bad movies don't work, and that's in the execution. I can't fault this movie for existing, even for the most cynical reasons. The smorgasbord of crossovers from other WB properties is nothing new, and as far as the Looney Tunes are concerned, that's almost baked into their DNA. For example, some of the earliest shorts from the 1930's were nothing more than animated music videos WB's extensive music library, and some of the funniest shorts from the classic Termite Terrace era included caricatures of Hollywood's biggest stars at the time. But the reason it doesn't always work here is because there are just too many damn cooks in the kitchen. There are 6 credited screenwriters, and it's now public knowledge that Malcolm D. Lee replaced former director Terence Nance a few weeks into production due to ‘creative differences.’ While not a 100% guarantee of quality, the film could have used a more singular vision. That being said, the film does have its merits. Don Cheadle is genuinely great as Al-G Rhythm, the film's main antagonist. He knows exactly what movie he's in, and is just there to chew scenery and have fun. The film is at its strongest when the Looney Tunes are right in their wheelhouse. I'm not just talking about all the 2D animated scenes, as great as they are. I'm talking about when these characters get to be themselves. Vocally, they're all terrific, with Jeff Bergman and Eric Bauza getting the most mileage. I'm not the biggest fan of Bergman's Bugs Bunny, but he's been doing this long enough that's he's earned the mantle passed onto him from the late great Mel Blanc. Zendaya is fine as Lola, but there was no reason other than "star power" that she needed to replace Kath Soucie. One noticeable difference between this movie and the original Space Jam is the runtime. Clocking in at 115 minutes, what might drag this movie down for some people is its attempts to take itself a little too seriously. In this movie, LeBron's family plays a more active role in the narrative than Jordan's, as he's the one who's coming to the Tunes for help. I can understand what the filmmakers were going for with its strong family themes and message, which might have been what attracted producer Ryan Coogler to the project. I just wish said themes didn't feel to dissonant, rubbing up against the zanier sensibilities of Bugs and the rest of the Tunes. I'll have more to say about this on the next Renegade Animation, but for now, consider me split down the middle. It's too competently made to be ‘the worst movie ever,’ too corporate to work as a standalone film, yet too genuine to be a true ‘cash grab.’ If you're excited to see this movie, do not let my review or anyone else's stop you.” - Captain Kaye
That’s another slam dunk of an episode in the can! Special thanks once again for Eric joining us, as well as Cameron for editing this episode! See y’all in the next one!
