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LeBron James is a terrible actor. This cannot be overstated. Outside of a few happy accidents here and there, the man is Wooden with a capital 'W'. Thankfully the filmmakers seem to realize this so they quickly surround him with a hammy Don Cheadle (how did they get him to agree to this?), a menagerie of wacky cartoon characters, lots of flashing lights, and a booming Hip Hop soundtrack.
Much like the original Space Jam, SJ:ANL exists as some kind of unholy mixture between a legitimate movie and a 2 hour PR Glamour Shot for it's hero-worshipped star and the studio that created it. It's an odd beast to watch, and I never stopped cringing every time a character gushes about how awesome and legendary LeBron is as basketball player to his face. It just reeks of ego fulfillment. Granted, Michael Jordan got the same treatment the first time around, so it seems pretty much par for the course here.
Thankfully the Looney Tunes take over once they are introduced, and while none are really given much opportunity to stick out, their absolutely bat s**t crazy antics inject a lot of energy into the movie.
Visually it is quite striking, with a lot of color and movement. The CGI is very well done across the board with the exception of a digital Don Cheadle near the end, which looks plastic and fake. The sound mix is solid but not overly spectacular, outside of one or two slo-mo sequences that rip off Matrix-like bullet time.
Speaking of the Matrix, it feels like SJ:ANL is purposely trying to reintroduce the movie to the masses in anticipation of The Matrix 4, as it gets conspicuously referenced A LOT, especially for a 22 year old R rated movie. Mad Max: Fury Road is treated the same way (keep an eye out for "Furiosa" coming soon to an HBO Max equipped TV near you!).
All this cross commercialization... It's exhausting to watch. And the real shame is that it isn't all that funny, outside of a few clever sight gags and a surprise cameo from someone with a familiar name. The Looney Tunes are frantic and bounce all around the frame, but their antics are, by and large, more amusing than anything else.
Much like the original Space Jam, SJ:ANL exists as some kind of unholy mixture between a legitimate movie and a 2 hour PR Glamour Shot for it's hero-worshipped star and the studio that created it. It's an odd beast to watch, and I never stopped cringing every time a character gushes about how awesome and legendary LeBron is as basketball player to his face. It just reeks of ego fulfillment. Granted, Michael Jordan got the same treatment the first time around, so it seems pretty much par for the course here.
Thankfully the Looney Tunes take over once they are introduced, and while none are really given much opportunity to stick out, their absolutely bat s**t crazy antics inject a lot of energy into the movie.
Visually it is quite striking, with a lot of color and movement. The CGI is very well done across the board with the exception of a digital Don Cheadle near the end, which looks plastic and fake. The sound mix is solid but not overly spectacular, outside of one or two slo-mo sequences that rip off Matrix-like bullet time.
Speaking of the Matrix, it feels like SJ:ANL is purposely trying to reintroduce the movie to the masses in anticipation of The Matrix 4, as it gets conspicuously referenced A LOT, especially for a 22 year old R rated movie. Mad Max: Fury Road is treated the same way (keep an eye out for "Furiosa" coming soon to an HBO Max equipped TV near you!).
All this cross commercialization... It's exhausting to watch. And the real shame is that it isn't all that funny, outside of a few clever sight gags and a surprise cameo from someone with a familiar name. The Looney Tunes are frantic and bounce all around the frame, but their antics are, by and large, more amusing than anything else.
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