Space Jam: Critic Reviews

This film was made very quickly by animation standards, and the haste shows.

The movie's undermining flaw is its lack of screen magic (and first-rate cartoon gags) that Who Framed Roger Rabbit had throughout.

Sufferin' succotash!

Jordan has immense likability, and his extraordinary talents need no further adulation.

In basketball terms, Space Jam is more akin to the 'garbage time' that concludes lopsided games, when reckless playing is no substitute for the real thing.

It's an inspired way to use, and kid, Jordan's image while at the same time updating Bugs Bunny & Company to doing battle in the multizillion-dollar animation sweepstakes.

Simpler and cruder than Who Framed Roger Rabbit in terms of story and technique, this is still a great deal of fun, confirming that Jordan is every bit as mythological a creature as Daffy Duck or Yosemite Sam.

Cute, rambunctious, generally amusing rather than outright funny, this clever mix of live action, highlighted by the unequaled skills of basketball superstar Michael Jordan, and animated Looney Tunes antics will be a must-see for kids.

The climactic game in Space Jam goes slack repeatedly.

This movie, which could just as easily be called The Michael Jordan Worship Show, plays like a 90-minute homage to His Airness, selling his every virtue.

Space Jam is no Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it works well enough.

Live-action/animation mix is good fun for kids.

A cynical attempt to cash in on the popularity of Warner Bros. cartoon characters and basketball player Michael Jordan, inspired by a Nike commercial.

Attempts to inject some hipness into the classic cartoon characters, not to mention some potty-mouthed dialogue, will enrage purists, but otherwise this pretty much scores a slam dunk with its under-five target audience.

Visually, it's a mess: the attempts to blend 2- and 3-D animation with live-action and computer-generated images produce scenes that are fuzzier than the storyline.

What I miss most of all is the absence of the late, great Mel Blanc.

Space Jam isn't exactly a slam dunk. It's more of a graceful tip-in by Michael Jordan, with a snazzy assist by Bugs Bunny.

Succeeds in reintroducing the Looney Tunes name, but fails to capture the imagination and sharpness that defined them originally.

Space Jam is harmless kiddie fare, but it may not be every adult's idea of a good time.

It's a good effort, but not up to the level of the best Disney cartoon feature.