Space Jam 2: Is It Better Than The First One?

After 25 years we got the Space Jam sequel, but is it better than the first one? – Well, whilst subtitling the movie and naming it “A New Legacy” shows confidence behind their work, and the truth is, they are not far from the truth with the finished result.

We have LeBron James as the main character, and he needs to top the performance of Michael Jordan from the first movie. It seems like the bar is set really high, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the “King” right?

The movie is directed by Malcolm D. Lee and he already claims that the LeBron James sequel is better than the first movie. In Rotten Tomatoes, opinions are divided having a score of 50% right now. However, the first Space Jam, although the cult following that it had in recent years, also has a very weak score (44%).

“Space Jam – A New Legacy is a better movie than Space Jam,” he said”. If you say theatrical movie, Space Jam is it. Lebron’s got that going for him”

He didn’t discredit Jordan’s talent, however. He said that Jordan is an incredible player and that there wouldn’t be LeBron without him, but LeBron is a once-in-a-generation player.

Thanks to technological advancements, it is no wonder that the combination of animated characters and real people would be achieved better in the new movie. Space Jam 2 is praised for its visual quality and fresh depiction of Looney tunes characters.

There is a lot of buzz, however, about the less sexualized Lola Bunny, which didn’t go well for fans. 

Reviews are already comparing this movie to Ready Player One, with endless pop culture references, which didn’t achieve what they hoped to. Critics also didn’t like the lack of humor that adults would enjoy. It seems like the production didn’t know their real target audience, which is not teenagers no matter if the movie has animated elements.

With that said, there are tons of positive comments about the movie. It is obviously more entertaining than the first one, and that has a lot to do with the breathtaking visuals.

At some points, there are even too many animated colorful elements, that take you away from the story. Many critics say that Space Jam 2 doesn’t feel like a movie, not with that storyline. It looks like a video game and a theme park that you cannot explore.

The truth is Space Jam: A New Legacy is a family-type movie that is extremely child-friendly and without a proper story. It seems like the production really wanted to focus on the visual elements of this movie, and not too much on actual content, story, and basketball.

In all fairness, Space Jam 2 should be a more entertaining movie to watch but will it continue the legacy of Michael Jordan’s movie? – We don’t think so. 

With that said, it is safe to say that Space Jam 2 is all about basketball. They even decided to include other NBA stars including Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul, Kyle Kuzma, Diana Taurasi, and many more.

James said that many NBA athletes sent him a text to say that they are available for the movie. “People want to be a part of it because it’s timeless,” he said.

So, is it better than the original?

Well, it is a tough question that cannot be answered with “yes” or “no”. It all depends on what type of movies you prefer, and whether or not you like basketball. 

Obviously, the movie doesn’t have a punchy storyline that will take your breath away, which means that it must rely on the actors, visual effects, and basketball. 

Space Jam: A New Legacy will be released in just a couple of days on July 16 in the United States, and July 23 in the United Kingdom.

Now it is all down to fans, and how they will accept the slightly twisted Space Jam. Is it among the top 10 basketball movies of all time? Probably not, but it’s still an enjoyable film to watch with your family or friends.

There is no question about the amount of talent included in this movie, but was it enough? – Well, we just have to wait and see if it becomes timeless just like the first one.