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Space Jam
Directed by	Joe Pytka
Produced by	Ivan Reitman
Written by	Leo Benvenuti Steve Rudnick Timothy Harris Herschel Weingrod
Starring	Billy West Michael Jordan Dee Bradley Baker
Music by	James Newton Howard
Cinematography	Michael Chapman
Editing by	Sheldon Kahn
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
Release date(s)	November 15, 1996 (USA)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$80,000,000 US (est.)
Gross revenue	$230,418,342
Followed by	Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)

Space Jam is a 1996 American live-action/animated film starring Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny (voiced by Billy West), Daffy Duck (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) and the rest of the Looney Tunes characters. It also features the debut of newcommer Lola Bunny (voiced by Kath Soucie). It was produced by Ivan Reitman, and directed by Joe Pytka (live-action), Tony Cervone, and Bruce W. Smith (animation). The film was released theatrically by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment on November 15, 1996. The film was also converted into a pinball game by Sega and a video game by Acclaim Entertainment.

[edit] Plot

As National Basketball Association superstar Michael Jordan retires from basketball to pursue a career in baseball, Mister Swackhammer, the proprietor of the extraterrestrial theme park "Moron Mountain", is seeking new attractions for his failing park. He sends his minions, the "Nerdlucks", to capture the Looney Tunes, who reside deep below the surface of the Earth. The Looney Tunes retaliate by challenging the Nerdlucks to a basketball game (seeing as that they aren't very tall). To prepare for the game, the Nerdlucks return to Earth and steal the talent of Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson and Shawn Bradley. The Nerdlucks use the stolen talent to become the "Monstars" (a portmanteau of the words "monsters" and "superstars"), gigantic creatures that the Looney Tunes are unable to defeat by themselves. To aid them, the Looney Tunes summon a reluctant Michael Jordan and his wormy assistant Stan Podolak. Soon after, the game between the Looney Tunes and the Monstars begins, but the Looney Tunes are roughed up by the brutal playing style of the Monstars until only Jordan, Bugs, Lola and Daffy are left standing leaving them short one player. Bill Murray, being friends with the producer of the film, is able to enter the Looney Tunes' world and join their team, averting forfeiture. By the climax of the game, the Tunes are down by one and it is up to Michael Jordan to score the final point for his team. Using his infamously extendable arm, Michael Jordan manages to make the basket and win the game. Afterwards, the Looney Tunes return Michael Jordan back to Earth, where he returns the stolen talent back to their respective owners and returns to the National Basketball Association.

[edit] Cast

• Michael Jordan plays himself as the protagonist of the film. He is a professional basketball player who retires from the National Basketball Association to pursue a career in baseball. He is pulled into the world of the Looney Tunes and is persuaded into playing basketball with them, despite his insistence that he only plays baseball.
  • Brandon Hammond portrays Michael Jordan as a ten-year-old.
• Wayne Knight as Stan Podolak, the publicist of Michael Jordan and his family. He later joins Michael Jordan and his team to play against the Monstars.
• Billy West provides the voices of:
  • Bugs Bunny, a Flatbush-accented rabbit who acts as the de facto leader of the Looney Tunes and plays on their basketball team.
  • Elmer Fudd, a big-game hunter who seeks Bugs Bunny's demise. He plays for the Looney Tunes' team
• Dee Bradley Baker provides the voices of:
  • Daffy Duck, a greedy glory-hound duck and best friend of Bugs Bunny who plays for the Looney Tunes' team.
  • The Tasmanian Devil, a ravenous and crazed marsupial who plays on the Looney Tunes' team.
  • A bull that attacks the Monstar Pound during the game.
• Theresa Randle as Juanita Jordan, Michael Jordan's wife.
• Danny DeVito provides the voice of Mister Swackhammer, the main antagonist of the film. He is the proprietor of the theme park "Moron Mountain", for which he seeks new attractions. He acts as the coach of the Monstars, who double as his minions. Later after the game his own Monstars team turns on him, conpacts him into a rocket and sends him flying out of the basketball stadium and straight into the moon.
• Manner Washington as Jeffrey Jordan, Michael Jordan's oldest son.
• Bob Bergen provides the voices of:
  • Hubie and Bertie, a pair of mice who act as the commentators of the game.
  • Marvin the Martian, an extraterrestrial who acts as the game's referee.
  • Porky Pig, a stuttering pig who plays for the Looney Tunes' team.
  • Tweety, a small Yellow Canary who plays for the Looney Tunes' team.
• Eric Gordon as Marcus Jordan, Michael Jordan's youngest son.
• Penny Bae Bridges as Jasmine Jordan, Michael Jordan's daughter.
• Bill Farmer provides the voices of:
  • Sylvester, a tuxedo cat who seeks to devour Tweety. He plays for the Looney Tunes' team.
  • Yosemite Sam, a short-tempered and extremely grouchy Western outlaw who plays for the Looney Tunes' team.
  • Foghorn Leghorn, a large Kentucky-accented rooster who plays for the Looney Tunes' team.
• June Foray provides the voice of Granny, an elderly woman who acts as the cheerleader for the Looney Tunes' team.
• Kath Soucie provides the voice of Lola Bunny, a female rabbit who plays for the Looney Tunes' team. She is Bugs Bunny's love interest and later becomes his girlfriend.
• Maurice LaMarche provides the voice of Pepé Le Pew, a French-accented skunk who plays for the Looney Tunes' team.
• Larry Bird plays himself as a friend of Michael Jordan who joins him for a game of golf.
• Bill Murray plays himself as a self-proclaimed friend of the producer of the film, which allows him to join the Looney Tunes' team when they are short one player. The aforementioned Mister Swackhammer mistakens him for Dan Aykroyd.
• Thom Barry as James Jordan, Michael Jordan's father.

Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson, Shawn Bradley, Ahmad Rashad, Del Harris, Vlade Divac, Cedric Ceballos, Jim Rome, Paul Westphal and Danny Ainge appear as themselves in the film. Bebe Drake appears as a housekeeper for Michael Jordan. The voices of the Nerdlucks are provided by Jocelyn Blue (Pound), Charity James (Blanko), June Melby (Bang), Catherine Reitman (Bupkus) and Colleen Wainwright (Nawt); the voices of the Monstars are provided by Darnell Suttles (Pound), Steve Kehela (Blanko), Joey Camen (Bang), Dorian Harewood (Bupkus) and T.K. Carter (Nawt). Dan Castellaneta and Patricia Heaton make cameo appearances as a couple that the Nerdlucks (in disguise) sit next to at a basketball game.

[edit] Soundtrack

[edit] Reception

Space Jam received mixed reviews. According to Rotten Tomatoes, only 37% of critics, and 46% of their selected "Top Critics", gave the film a positive review. Roger Ebert gave Space Jam an enthusiastic "thumbs up," which Gene Siskel also gave the film, although his zeal was more subdued (both are Chicago natives). Leonard Maltin also gave the film a positive review. Some critics compared it unfavorably to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a popular film in which cartoon characters and live-action humans coexisted.^[1]

The soundtrack sold enough albums to be certified as 6x Platinum.^[2] It also served as a high point for musical artist R. Kelly, whose song "I Believe I Can Fly" became a hit after it was featured on the film's soundtrack. Other tracks included a cover of "Fly Like an Eagle" (by Seal), "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" (by B-Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man), "Basketball Jones" (by Chris Rock & Barry White), and "For You I Will" (by Monica). The movie's theme song was performed by the Quad City DJ's.

[edit] Box office

Despite the mixed reviews, Space Jam was a major box office success. In its opening weekend, it grossed $27,528,529 in the United States. At the end of its running, it grossed $90,418,342 in the United States and $230,418,342 worldwide.^[3]

According to Jerry Beck's The Animated Movie Guide Space Jam's tremendous box office success was not enough to cover the major financial loss of Mars Attacks!. As a result, many cutbacks were ordered by Ted Turner throughout the studio, including the animation department which led to the end of the new cartoon shorts being produced and directed by Chuck Jones.

[edit] Awards and nominations

• 1997 and 1998 ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
  • Winner: Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures (Diane Warren for the song For You I Will)
  • Winner: Top Box Office Films (James Newton Howard)

• 1997 Annie Awards
  • Winner: Best Individual Achievement: Technical Achievement
  • Nomination: Best Animated Feature
  • Nomination: Best Individual Achievement: Directing in a Feature Production (Bruce W. Smith and Tony Cervone)
  • Nomination: Best Individual Achievement: Producing in a Feature Production (Ron Tippe)

• 1998 Grammy Awards
  • Winner: Best Song Written Specifically for Motion Picture or for Television (R. Kelly) (For the Song I Believe I Can Fly)

• 1997 MTV Movie Awards
  • Nomination: Best Movie Song (R. Kelly) (For the Song I Believe I Can Fly)

• 1997 Satellite Awards
  • Nomination: Best Motion Picture- Animated or Mixed Media (Danial Goldberg, Joe Medjuck, Ivan Reitman)

• 1998 World Animation Celebration
  • Winner: Best Use of Animation in a Motion Picture Trailer

• 1997 Young Artist Awards
  • Nomination: Best Family Feature- Animation or Special Effects

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Space Jam at Rotten Tomatoes
• Space Jam at the Internet Movie Database
• Space Jam at Allmovie
• Space Jam at Box Office Mojo