Space Jam - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Space Jam



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:

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Movie
Ahh, Space Jam. That brings back memories. I was a teenager when it came out 20 years ago, but I still remember watching it on VHS back when it hit home video at a friend’s birthday party. I was bored, I didn’t want to be there since it wasn’t a friend I hung out with very often, and this was playing in the background so what not. It was a bizarre film back in 1996, and it still is a bizarre film today. That still doesn’t make it less fun, but it is a very nostalgic fun to say the least. As a teenager it was an oddity, but I gained an affinity for the goofy little half animated, half live action film in my early 20s. I even bought the special edition 2 disc DVD when it came out. As time goes on I have become less forgiving of Space Jam and its oddities, especially considering the fact that it plays out as a giant fanfare to Michael Jordon more than actually being a quality film.

Right around 96 Michael Jordan has dropped out of basketball and picked up pro baseball as his next career movie and it was kind of a big thing. He was all over sports news and people were watching his mediocre baseball career with much criticism. Space Jam capitalized on that big hullabaloo and decided to make a movie about Michael Jordan and blend it in with the Looney Toons. Can’t go wrong, right? Popular cartoons and one of the biggest sports stars of all time? Well, things most certainly did go wrong, and go wrong quickly. That’s not to say there isn’t some fun aspects to the film. In fact there are quite a few moments where I was chuckling along quite pleasantly (although most of those moments are AT the people who created them in an “I can’t believe you guys did this” type of hilarity).

The Looney Toons are under attack from a race of intergalactic aliens. These aliens, headed by the evil Swackhammer (Danny DeVito) are here because they want to steal the looney toons for use in Swackhammers giant theme park, Moron Mountain. Things are getting a little dull at Moron Mountain and Swackhammer dreams up the idea to bring in fresh blood. Well, the Looney Toons aren’t going down without a fight so they whip up a “duel”, so to speak. Play a basketball game against the toons and the winner gets what they want. If the aliens win, the Toons have to come and perform at Moron Mountain, but if the Toons win, the aliens have to skedaddle right back to where they came from. Easy enough since the alien race are a bunch of pipsqueaks.

Well, this easy basketball game may not be as easy as it seems at first glance. Stealing the basketball power of 5 of the greatest NBA players alive, the aliens stack the deck, leaving the poor Looney Toons characters with a sick feeling in the pit of their stomach. Well, that means the Toons have to fight back by bringing in one of the greatest players to have ever played the sport. Michael Jordan. Jordan isn’t exactly enthused (or shocked) to be transported from the human world into a Looney Toons basketball game, and agrees to help them save their home turf in a winner take all game.

Space Jam is a bizarre movie from beginning to end. I’m not sure who OK’d this one, but films where animated characters and live action world blend together have usually not fared well. There have been a few films that got away with the concept, but by in large these ventures are usually doomed to failure. What could have been at least a decently entertaining flick turns out to be a bit more lackluster thanks to the brilliant decision to basically make this a Michael Jordan commercial. Every aspect and facet of the film revolves around cheering Michael on and pumping him up. After a while you realize that the film itself is a cheerleader in a Bulls game! This might have been palatable if Jordan could actually act. Something which he is devoid of in all forms, and really just hampers the movie even further.




Rating:

Rated PG for some mild cartoon language




4K Video: Video:

Space Jam is advertised as having a brand new 4K master with HDR tweaks done to it, and it’s a solid upgrade over the rather dated Blu-ray transfer. It’s pretty obvious from the lack of noise, DNR and speckles that this is a brand new mater, and while it doesn’t look PERFECT, it’s certainly a solid improvement over the Blu-ray. Colors are warmer and more vivid, and the general detail levels are most certainly improved. There are some built in source defects such as aliasing on the CGI backdrops, or the obvious lines around the live action characters in “Toon world”. The nighttime trip to Jordan’s house in the real world has some very rough edges (and funky blacks), but those are not overly annoying. Just a by product of the CGI and live action blended film that really can’t be fixed without redoing the CGI from scratch.

The upgrades are fairly standard, but still rather noticeable too. Colors are much nicer on the 4K UHD disc, and the black levels and white levels show definite improvement. Grain is also tighter and less prone to swarming (something that always annoying me on the Blu-ray), and skin tones tend to be great. The ONLY thing that really chaps my rear on this disc is the obvious pushing of contrast a bit too high. It almost bleaches out certain scenes, and when compared to the Blu-ray is shockingly obvious. Usually the 4K UHD disc gets a more dim and tightly held onto contrast level, but for some reason they made a distinct decision to boost said contrast levels almost to blooming.






Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track from the Blu-ray was a solid contender, but was always a budget mix for the studio. The new Dolby Atmos track is more of the same, just with a few small tweaks and enhancements that makes me raise the rating from a 4/5 to a 4.5/5. Dialog is still crystal clear and located up front in the center where it's supposed to be, and the bassy crunch of the Mon-Stars feets on the court still rumble with massive authority. The tweaks that really come into play are the surrounds. They feel more agile and deft in the responsiveness department, flitting across the basketball court with nimbleness and a sort of "airiness". The track is a bit hot, but so was the 5.1 mix, so I'm assuming that was an intentional decision by the mixers. It's loud, brash, in your face, and even has a few small discrete overhead sounds to round out the Atmos experience.





Extras:

• Audio Commentary from director Joe Pytka, Bugs Bunny (voiced by Billy West) and Daffy Duck (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker)
• Jammin with Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan
• Music videos including Seal's "Fly Like an Eagle" and Monstars' anthem "Hit 'Em High
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Score: ​

Space Jam is an odd film. It’s in no way a good film, but there’s some goofy, nostalgic charm to the flick that still gives me a chuckle even today. Maybe it’s the shameless plugging of Michael Jordona, or the inclusion of Wayne Knight and Bill Murray. But whatever it is the film somehow still gets a repeat viewing every now and again from yours truly. Space Jam was originally released on Blu-ray back in October of 2011, The disc was re-released a few years back in a steelbook edition with the same transfer, but the new 4K UHD shows a better transfer, and definitely better video and audio for fans. I'm not a wild fan of the movie except as a nostalgic bit of my past, and even less interested in the sequel coming out soon. I mean the whole concept of the movie was nothing but a Nike commercial which got taken to the studio heads and approved for a movie. But whatever decision you make, the 4K UHD disc is a very solid improvement and worth it for fans. Nostalgic rental is what I'd categorize this film as for my recommendation.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randall
Directed by: Joe Pytka
Written by: Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), French, Spanish, German, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: PG
Runtime: 88 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: July 6th 2021

Recommendation: Nostalgic Rental

 

[Epoxy1]

I just couldn't bring myself to request this one. Life's too short to watch a bad film more than once

 

[Michael Scott]

I just couldn't bring myself to request this one. Life's too short to watch a bad film more than once

I'm too much of a sucker for 4K not to at least give it a try. I know punishment

 

[Epoxy1]

LOL...I almost hit the request button for the same reason but then my rational side took over. Good thing this wasn't released 4 years ago or else I would have definitely requested it

 

[Michael Scott]

I can't imagine having to suffer through the sequel though. This at least brought back memories of 12 year old me having a pizza/swimming party with my friends and watching it. this one....not so much