The director of the original Space Jam film is not happy with the outcome of the sequel
The first Space Jam movie is one of those movies that a generation of young people, for whatever reason, really loved. She is fondly remembered by many, a compelling reason that the idea of making a sequel has been around for a long time, and it was something fans wanted to see for years. Now with the new Looney Tunes basketball movie starring LeBron James, fans seem to have embraced it well enough with rather divided reviews, albeit leaning more on the negative side. One of those people who did not like this new adventure is Joe Pytka, director of the Space jam original.
Joe Pytka’s critique is multifaceted and extensive. TMZ quotes the director, who mainly directed music videos and has only one other feature film on his resume beyond Space jam, saying that Lebron James is simply not the star that Michael Jordan was in the 1990s. While they are both great basketball players, Jordan’s celebrity spread beyond basketball in a way that Lebron James’s does not. .
The director also has some structural problems with the film. He feels that the original’s NBA supporting cast, including Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and even Bill Murray, had more to do with the original Space Jam and than the equivalent supporting players in New legends they are largely afterthoughts. He also feels that the original movie’s plot was better because it was tied to the real life of Michael Jordan and his return to basketball after an attempt to find success in the major leagues, where the sequel does not have the same connection to LeBron.
Joe Pytka even criticizes the use of Bugs Bunny. In fact, he says that what the new movie does with the character is “piercing”. Pytka says that Bugs in the new movie has no connection to the classic version of the character, which is something he says was very important when making the original movie.
He also found the soundtrack “insignificant” And there is certainly no doubt that the soundtrack to the first movie became an absolute classic.
But if that wasn’t enough, he compared the sequel to “One of those fluffy dolls you buy at an airport gift shop to take your child when your business trip has taken too long.”
The original Space Jam was not enthusiastically received upon its release, and is now seen by many as a classic. And so time will tell if Space Jam: A New Legacy it really lives up to its predecessor.