Description

Jay Trotter has waited a lifetime for this day. He's got a hot tip on a horse everyone thinks is ready for the glue factory. But, as track aficionados say, "Even when you know, you never know." One thing you can be certain be sure of is that with Richard Dreyfuss, David Johansen, Teri Garr and more, this is a winning comedy. So put it in your VCR and Let It Ride. Its characters give new meaning to "the odds." And its heart will touch everyone who's wondered: "If every dog has his day, why can't every person have one?" ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Not in this lifetime........PERFECT!
Those were the words that Jay Trotter(Dreyfus)read aloud from the Daily Racing Form about the winning chances of a horse named Charity. This is a been-there-and-you'll-laugh-yourself-silly movie if there ever was one. Go to the racetrack for a day, and you'll see every one of the characters portrayed in this movie, from Cheeseburger, the Hawaiian shirted gambler who knows nothing about handicapping and bets inside tips, to the bookie Lufkin, there collecting money from deadbeats and doctors alike. Based on the book "Good Vibes", this is a non-stop, always entertaining comedy that gives every track goer the incentive to try it one more time. Dreyfus portrays Jay Trotter, a down on his luck cab driver that has given up gambling in order to keep his perilous relationship with his wife (Terri Garr) together. His buddy Looney, also a cab driver played by David Johanssen, is prominent in this film as a born loser who records a conversation taking place in the back seat of his cab stating "The only way Charity can lose is if she's struck by lightning in the starting gate." Jennifer Tilly shows up in all her splendor and beauty as ditzy arm candy for a gambling, middle-aged, business owner who raises the price on the envelopes he sells according to the success he's had at the track that particular week. Tilly's character describes him best, "Herbie is rich." Add to the cast Michelle Phillips as a man-chasing soon to be widow, and run of luck that Trotter can't explain and you have the ingredients of a comedy that you won't soon forget. Get the video, already!

When a Loser can't stop Winning
I'd heard there were problems with the making of this comedy and it slipped in and out of theatres without much notice. I remember seeing the trailer and thinking that the movie looked terrible.
Then I saw it was based on a Jay Cronley novel.

If you've never read a Jay Cronley novel, find one: he has a hilarious writing style that can't be transferred to a movie screen. He wrote FUNNY FARM (made into the Chevy Chase movie) and QUICK CHANGE (with Bill Murray). The perfect John Candy role can be found in WALKING PAPERS but, sadly, John's gone. And then there's GOOD VIBES, which became LET IT RIDE.

This is a funny, funny movie. It takes the seedy setting of a horse track and fills it with hilarious characters all trying to make that winning bet. Richard Dreyfus gives an energetic performance as Jay Trotter, a loser who, for one day, just can't stop winning.

Give this underrated gem a shot. If you connect with it, then it's a winning bet.

We love the longshots
Is it possible that no one rated this film less than five stars? If you watch this movie, you'll see why. LET IT RIDE is one of those quiet sleepers that, at first, attracted a very narrow audience. When it premiered, and when it was released on video, no one I had asked had known of the film's existence. Now, more and more people are asking me if I have. I smugly say, "You bet!" (Bad pun intended.) This is one of those tightly-scripted, perfectly-acted, beautifully paced comedies that make you wish more like this were made. Put your money on the right pony and pick this one up. Sorry, Smarty Jones.

Let It Ride
If you like a punt- this is a must see. It has been surpassed by no other punting video ever made.

Wonderful !!
An amusing, funny film about a guy who is "having a very good day" ! You will not regret picking this DVD up, it's a great Sunday afternoon, laying on the couch film. It will put a few smiles on your face...:+) ... Read more

Description

Songs: Black or White, Heal The World (Super Bowl version), Remeber the Time, Will You Be There, In the Closet, Gone Too Soon, Jam, Heal the World, Give In to Me, Who Is It, Dangerous. 112 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

The best, baby!!!
As we all know, Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP! This number-one film was in the Guiness book of World Records as the highest selling music video on '94!! Containing never-before-seen footage, behind the scenes action, unreleased videos, and all are full-length. This price is also a bargain. Pick it up even if you're not a die-hard. It is so worth it!! Dangerous is one of MJ's greatest albums with some record-breaking fantastic music videos! "The Short Films" contains: The Teaser (you have to see it!!), the controversial full lentgh Black or White (complete with The Simpsons ending and the face morphing and dance sequence), The Superbowl Heal The World performance (excellent), Remember The Time (starring Iman, Eddie Murphy, and Magic Johnson), also has behind the scenes (great dancing!!), Will You Be There, In The Closet (with Naiomi Campbell- the best MJ video ever!!)(with behind the scenes action also,) Gone too Soon, (A tragic remembrance of AIDS victim Ryan White), Jam (a awesome video with Michael Jordan, Kris Kross, and Heavy D.), Heal The World (donate to the foundation! It's a worthy cause!!), Give In To Me (featuring Slash from Guns n' Roses), Who Is It (such a great beat!!) and last but not least, concert footage to the Dangerous Tour. This movie is something. You have got to see it. The album is legendary, the beats are ear-piercing and jammin'!! All of these perfect music videos have such a story to tell. Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP!!!!

A Dangerous DVD
Michael has so much talent. Good album and good VHS. I just descovered this page on amazon and I hope that a DVD version will be avaliable. I am writing the first review so hopefully I can get a certificate so I can get it as soon as possible. The DVD should contain the same stuff that the VHS one contains (maybe the publishers may put in more features) The video (and assumingly the DVD as well) contains all but 3 songs from the DANGEROUS album (I Can't Let Her Get Away, She Drives Me Wild, & Keep The Faith).

The Video and most likely the DVD contains the full videos of:

-Black or White (controversy, plus making of)

-Remember The Time (behind scenes)

-Jam (behind scenes Michael Jordan comentary)

-In The Closet (an awesome MJ song and video, plus behind scenes)

-Heal the World (two times, super bowl performance and the video)

-Will You Be There (the complete and non-Free Willy version)

-Gone Too Soon (about that kid with AIDS that everyone forgot about)

-Dangerous (played while showing us snip shots from ihs concert world tour)

-Why You Wanna Trip On Me (played durring the credits)

-Give Into Me (Michael knows good rock with Slash)

-Who Is It (done by the director of FIGHT CLUB, excellent beat)

-(Bonus stuff) of 2 awards and a pretty deep speech from Michael and a little Michael singing with Michael "I'll Be There"

Lets hope this wish of having avaliable this long awaited DVD comes true and we may get it. Michael still has fans in the USA, so let them have their DVD!

The best, baby!!!
As we all know, Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP! This number-one film was in the Guiness book of World Records as the highest selling music video on '94!! Containing never-before-seen footage, behind the scenes action, unreleased videos, and all are full-length. This price is also a bargain. Pick it up even if you're not a die-hard. It is so worth it!! Dangerous is one of MJ's greatest albums with some record-breaking fantastic music videos! "The Short Films" contains: The Teaser (you have to see it!!), the controversial full lentgh Black or White (complete with The Simpsons ending and the face morphing and dance sequence), The Superbowl Heal The World performance (excellent), Remember The Time (starring Iman, Eddie Murphy, and Magic Johnson), also has behind the scenes (great dancing!!), Will You Be There, In The Closet (with Naiomi Campbell- the best MJ video ever!!)(with behind the scenes action also,) Gone too Soon, (A tragic remembrance of AIDS victim Ryan White), Jam (a awesome video with Michael Jordan, Kris Kross, and Heavy D.), Heal The World (donate to the foundation! It's a worthy cause!!), Give In To Me (featuring Slash from Guns n' Roses), Who Is It (such a great beat!!) and last but not least, concert footage to the Dangerous Tour. This movie is something. You have got to see it. The album is legendary, the beats are ear-piercing and jammin'!! All of these perfect music videos have such a story to tell. Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP!!!!

Awesome collection!
The audio counterpart of this package was on hit parade from its release in the fall of 1991 to early 1993. HEAL THE WORLD is very similar to WE ARE THE WORLD,recorded in 1985 by MJ and about 40 other American artists as USA FOR AFRICA. In fact MJ penned WATW with ex-Commodore Lionel Richie(Richie was another participant). WILL YOU BE THERE features clips from the 1993 Warner Bros. film FREE WILLY. That song was the film's theme. BLACK OR WHITE features MJ's actor pal MacCaulay Culkin. JAM is an ode to basketball players. REMEMBER THE TIME is awesome. Hollywood great Eddie Murphy plays a pharoah in a castle. All the other videos are 100% awesome!

Excellent
The Super Bowl performance is worth getting this DVD. This one is a keeper. Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Slam Dunk
Space Jam teams up His Airness, Michael Jordan, with His Hareness, Bugs Bunny, for a fun, and funny, family film.

Michael Jordan has retired from basketball, and currently playing baseball, when Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals ask for his help in playing a b-ball game against diminuative aliens from Moron Mountain. These aliens have stolen the talent of 5 NBA players, including Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, and are now larger than life. Since this is Looney Tunes Land, this game is NOT your average basketball game. If it was, it wouldn't be any fun.

Though not an actor of any kind in anyone's book, Michael Jordan does a very good job of interacting with his cartoon co-stars. Most of the jokes are well done and the basketball game itself is a lot of fun. In addition, it is quite funny to watch the 5 NBA players that had their "games" stolen trying to cope with their newfound ordinaryness.

This movie is not groundbreaking by any means and most all of the original Looney Tunes cartoons are better. But this movie never tries to be more than it is: a good time. And at that, it succeeds very well.

Jordan and the Tunes score a slam dunk
Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and the rest of the Looney Tunes call on Michael Jordan to help them win a basketball contest after they're kidnapped by a group of aliens. Jordan agrees and if they lose the basketball game, he agrees to be the aliens' star attraction.

"Space Jam" isn't like you might expect it to be. It's not just a movie showcasing Jordan's talents as a basketball player. It is more of a great comedy movie, particularly with the Looney Tunes. Some of the funniest parts are when Sylvester gets shot and Tweety flies through him and says "Holey Putty Tat." Another good one is when one of the men from "Seinfeld" gets blown up like a hot air balloon and then deflates, stinking up the basketball court. Bill Murray also makes an appearance to give Jordan and the Tunes some extra help.

If you're a fan of Michael Jordan or if you used to like watching Looney Tunes, this is one movie you've got to see. It'll keep you entertained and laughing throughout the whole movie.

Warner Bros. has finally flipped
Three stars is high praise for a show like this, it DID have it's great parts, but on the whole, it shows little indication that the directors or the voice artists even WATCHED payed attention to the characters they were basing it off of!
The characters are unlike the originals. Case in point:

DAFFY DUCK -- One of the worst voices for Daffy I've ever heard! He has his funny lines, but when making a movie with Daffy Duck in it how CAN you even AVOID funny lines? This classic character (created by Fred Avery) is my favorite cartoon character. Why did they have to spoil him like this?

BUGS BUNNY-- Bugs Bunny's voice is bad, too. But aside from that, Bugs is OK (one of the few characters who is).

ELMER FUDD-- Yeechh! I could do a better Elmer voice than THAT! And the scene where Elmer Fudd makes a slam dunk is about as uncharacteristic as it gets.

PORKY PIG-- His voice is bad too. His lines aren't funny. He doesn't act like Porky...but besides that...

LOLA BUNNY-- Where in the heck did SHE come from? She isn't in any of the Looney Tune cartoons, so why is she in Looney Tune Land? Her voice is fine (just because she isn't in anything else, so I have nothing to go by), but if she had any personality to start with, she lost it halfway through the film. And when the giant alien is about to jump on Lola, she just stands there. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HER??? At least Wile E. Coyote TRIES to run (he doesn't ever get anywhere, but his legs move). Did she WANT Bugs to get crushed (as in flattened.) Bugs loves himself too much to do that, anyway.

THE TASMANIAN DEVIL-- After you watch the picture, you forget he was even in it. His voice is OK, though.

TWEETY-- Awful! Terrible! Horrible! Embarrassing! Tweety's voice is the worst I've ever heard, Tweety isn't innocent like he is on the cartoons, he's MEAN (and he's not even FUNNY mean, like Clampett made him).

SYLVESTER-- Call me crazy, but he's the highlight of the movie. He doesn't do anything, but his voice is great, his lines are funny and his personality is "spot on". I don't like what he does with the fishing pole, but hey! I'm sure he was looking for fish!

WILE E. AND THE ROAD RUNNER -- Funny, but they don't do much.

For much (...) better results, watch Looney Tunes: Back in Action!

Big Macs for life
How any critic can call Looney Tunes: Back in Action an exercise in franchise promotion but not puke at the 80-minute commercial that is Space Jam is beyond me.

Our plot has Danny Devito play the voice of an evil, monster type businessman who's theme park is failing. In desperation he sends 5 little creatures to capture the Looney Tunes and bring them back as the new attraction.

So...where is Looney Tune land? Apparently it's underground. And digging up any golf ball hole will eventually lead to it. When the Looney Tunes challenge the would-be kidnappers to a basketball game they kidnap Michael Jordan to be on their team.

The quality of the film nosedives from here on. Jordan's acting is so wooden it's mahogany. He expresses no confusion, joy or surprise at being yanked into Looney Tune land and confronted by all the toons. 'Bugs Bunny you're a cartoon you're not real', he says in the most flat, boring and dullest way (missing commas intended as he doesn't use them).

And then the big game follows. Once it's over, and there's no reason left to continue watching, the film goes on for another 10 minutes (to beef the running time up 'feature length') with the basketball/Jordan story. It's rubbish.

It's no surprise that the film is directed by Joe Pytka (he's NOT Joe Dante that's for sure), a man who has never done any other features but over a 1000 TV ads, or something. Space Jam is nowt but 100% proof Warner like to whore out their most famous creation to make a few quick, and cheap, bucks. It's heartbreaking, heinous stuff.

Casting Michael Jordan alongside the Looney Tunes is not inspired and imaginative. It's crass and desperate. Now they can attract sports fans AND kiddies. And Michael Jordan of all people! He's not a good actor and his fame outside of the U.S. is minimal to say the least. Moreso today.

The only part of the film that comes (very, very remotely) close to the true spirit of the Looney Tunes is the score. James Newton Howard (a truly bizarre choice, how about Jerry Goldsmith, Bruce Broughton or even Danny Elfman) recognizes the classic Looney Tunes themes and uses them appropriately in certain moments but the rest of the score is generic and uninspired.

Back in Action was intelligent, witty and satirical. Space Jam is corny, cheap and classless. It's an absolute travesty. How can we honestly take seriously a movie that has every cast member awe at Michael Jordan, has not too subtle product placement for McDonalds and has the Looney Tunes (one of the most ingenious creations in history) exploited in the most shameless and guilt free manner. With Space Jam, Warner showed that they'd cash in the Looney Tunes at a pawn shop for $5 if they could. A total lack of respect for Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson.

And they don't even act Looney. The only laughs come from Bugs and Daffy. And it's sporadic and inconsistent. Producer Ivan Reitman (who has no experience and no business with this franchise) managed to convince Bill Murray to appear in this drek (for about 10 minutes) so the trailer could boast an ACTUAL star other than Jordan. Murray's performance is the bare minimum and has a let's-get-this-over-with feel (though Murray working below-par is still miles ahead of many other actors at the top of their game). His appearance in the film is massively oversold.

It's just not fair that THIS is a big hit while Back In Action flopped horribly. I consider it the biggest miscarriage in justice ever. I still blame the marketing for Back in Action. It was bad, REAL bad. But still has some sort of quiet dignity about it when compared to the McDonalds promoted, in your face junk that was Space Jam's marketing. Is it any wonder Joe Dante had Back In Action nicknamed 'The Anti-Space Jam movie'?

And just what the hell is a Space Jam anyway? It's not even set in Space!!!

It took Warner 3 tries but the finally released the movie in its original aspect ratio. The DVD presents the film is 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with pretty active Dolby 5.1 sound. There are loads of features but they are all fluff. Some 80's Looney Tunes shorts are included too.

A funny film
If you're a fan of the Warner Bros. cartoons,basketball,or golf,this film is for you. Basketball great Michael Jordan stars in this half-animated feature. At a basketball game,we see Bugs Bunny,Porky Pig,Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd in the audience. To the best of my recollection,Bill Murray and Danny DeVito have cameos in the golf scene(s). We also see Pepe Le Pew,Wile E. Coyote,Road Runner and Speedy Gonzales in this film. The featured song in this film is R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly",which was on hit parade in the fall of 1996 when this film was released. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Slam Dunk
Space Jam teams up His Airness, Michael Jordan, with His Hareness, Bugs Bunny, for a fun, and funny, family film.

Michael Jordan has retired from basketball, and currently playing baseball, when Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals ask for his help in playing a b-ball game against diminuative aliens from Moron Mountain. These aliens have stolen the talent of 5 NBA players, including Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, and are now larger than life. Since this is Looney Tunes Land, this game is NOT your average basketball game. If it was, it wouldn't be any fun.

Though not an actor of any kind in anyone's book, Michael Jordan does a very good job of interacting with his cartoon co-stars. Most of the jokes are well done and the basketball game itself is a lot of fun. In addition, it is quite funny to watch the 5 NBA players that had their "games" stolen trying to cope with their newfound ordinaryness.

This movie is not groundbreaking by any means and most all of the original Looney Tunes cartoons are better. But this movie never tries to be more than it is: a good time. And at that, it succeeds very well.

Jordan and the Tunes score a slam dunk
Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and the rest of the Looney Tunes call on Michael Jordan to help them win a basketball contest after they're kidnapped by a group of aliens. Jordan agrees and if they lose the basketball game, he agrees to be the aliens' star attraction.

"Space Jam" isn't like you might expect it to be. It's not just a movie showcasing Jordan's talents as a basketball player. It is more of a great comedy movie, particularly with the Looney Tunes. Some of the funniest parts are when Sylvester gets shot and Tweety flies through him and says "Holey Putty Tat." Another good one is when one of the men from "Seinfeld" gets blown up like a hot air balloon and then deflates, stinking up the basketball court. Bill Murray also makes an appearance to give Jordan and the Tunes some extra help.

If you're a fan of Michael Jordan or if you used to like watching Looney Tunes, this is one movie you've got to see. It'll keep you entertained and laughing throughout the whole movie.

Warner Bros. has finally flipped
Three stars is high praise for a show like this, it DID have it's great parts, but on the whole, it shows little indication that the directors or the voice artists even WATCHED payed attention to the characters they were basing it off of!
The characters are unlike the originals. Case in point:

DAFFY DUCK -- One of the worst voices for Daffy I've ever heard! He has his funny lines, but when making a movie with Daffy Duck in it how CAN you even AVOID funny lines? This classic character (created by Fred Avery) is my favorite cartoon character. Why did they have to spoil him like this?

BUGS BUNNY-- Bugs Bunny's voice is bad, too. But aside from that, Bugs is OK (one of the few characters who is).

ELMER FUDD-- Yeechh! I could do a better Elmer voice than THAT! And the scene where Elmer Fudd makes a slam dunk is about as uncharacteristic as it gets.

PORKY PIG-- His voice is bad too. His lines aren't funny. He doesn't act like Porky...but besides that...

LOLA BUNNY-- Where in the heck did SHE come from? She isn't in any of the Looney Tune cartoons, so why is she in Looney Tune Land? Her voice is fine (just because she isn't in anything else, so I have nothing to go by), but if she had any personality to start with, she lost it halfway through the film. And when the giant alien is about to jump on Lola, she just stands there. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HER??? At least Wile E. Coyote TRIES to run (he doesn't ever get anywhere, but his legs move). Did she WANT Bugs to get crushed (as in flattened.) Bugs loves himself too much to do that, anyway.

THE TASMANIAN DEVIL-- After you watch the picture, you forget he was even in it. His voice is OK, though.

TWEETY-- Awful! Terrible! Horrible! Embarrassing! Tweety's voice is the worst I've ever heard, Tweety isn't innocent like he is on the cartoons, he's MEAN (and he's not even FUNNY mean, like Clampett made him).

SYLVESTER-- Call me crazy, but he's the highlight of the movie. He doesn't do anything, but his voice is great, his lines are funny and his personality is "spot on". I don't like what he does with the fishing pole, but hey! I'm sure he was looking for fish!

WILE E. AND THE ROAD RUNNER -- Funny, but they don't do much.

For much (...) better results, watch Looney Tunes: Back in Action!

Big Macs for life
How any critic can call Looney Tunes: Back in Action an exercise in franchise promotion but not puke at the 80-minute commercial that is Space Jam is beyond me.

Our plot has Danny Devito play the voice of an evil, monster type businessman who's theme park is failing. In desperation he sends 5 little creatures to capture the Looney Tunes and bring them back as the new attraction.

So...where is Looney Tune land? Apparently it's underground. And digging up any golf ball hole will eventually lead to it. When the Looney Tunes challenge the would-be kidnappers to a basketball game they kidnap Michael Jordan to be on their team.

The quality of the film nosedives from here on. Jordan's acting is so wooden it's mahogany. He expresses no confusion, joy or surprise at being yanked into Looney Tune land and confronted by all the toons. 'Bugs Bunny you're a cartoon you're not real', he says in the most flat, boring and dullest way (missing commas intended as he doesn't use them).

And then the big game follows. Once it's over, and there's no reason left to continue watching, the film goes on for another 10 minutes (to beef the running time up 'feature length') with the basketball/Jordan story. It's rubbish.

It's no surprise that the film is directed by Joe Pytka (he's NOT Joe Dante that's for sure), a man who has never done any other features but over a 1000 TV ads, or something. Space Jam is nowt but 100% proof Warner like to whore out their most famous creation to make a few quick, and cheap, bucks. It's heartbreaking, heinous stuff.

Casting Michael Jordan alongside the Looney Tunes is not inspired and imaginative. It's crass and desperate. Now they can attract sports fans AND kiddies. And Michael Jordan of all people! He's not a good actor and his fame outside of the U.S. is minimal to say the least. Moreso today.

The only part of the film that comes (very, very remotely) close to the true spirit of the Looney Tunes is the score. James Newton Howard (a truly bizarre choice, how about Jerry Goldsmith, Bruce Broughton or even Danny Elfman) recognizes the classic Looney Tunes themes and uses them appropriately in certain moments but the rest of the score is generic and uninspired.

Back in Action was intelligent, witty and satirical. Space Jam is corny, cheap and classless. It's an absolute travesty. How can we honestly take seriously a movie that has every cast member awe at Michael Jordan, has not too subtle product placement for McDonalds and has the Looney Tunes (one of the most ingenious creations in history) exploited in the most shameless and guilt free manner. With Space Jam, Warner showed that they'd cash in the Looney Tunes at a pawn shop for $5 if they could. A total lack of respect for Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson.

And they don't even act Looney. The only laughs come from Bugs and Daffy. And it's sporadic and inconsistent. Producer Ivan Reitman (who has no experience and no business with this franchise) managed to convince Bill Murray to appear in this drek (for about 10 minutes) so the trailer could boast an ACTUAL star other than Jordan. Murray's performance is the bare minimum and has a let's-get-this-over-with feel (though Murray working below-par is still miles ahead of many other actors at the top of their game). His appearance in the film is massively oversold.

It's just not fair that THIS is a big hit while Back In Action flopped horribly. I consider it the biggest miscarriage in justice ever. I still blame the marketing for Back in Action. It was bad, REAL bad. But still has some sort of quiet dignity about it when compared to the McDonalds promoted, in your face junk that was Space Jam's marketing. Is it any wonder Joe Dante had Back In Action nicknamed 'The Anti-Space Jam movie'?

And just what the hell is a Space Jam anyway? It's not even set in Space!!!

It took Warner 3 tries but the finally released the movie in its original aspect ratio. The DVD presents the film is 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with pretty active Dolby 5.1 sound. There are loads of features but they are all fluff. Some 80's Looney Tunes shorts are included too.

A funny film
If you're a fan of the Warner Bros. cartoons,basketball,or golf,this film is for you. Basketball great Michael Jordan stars in this half-animated feature. At a basketball game,we see Bugs Bunny,Porky Pig,Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd in the audience. To the best of my recollection,Bill Murray and Danny DeVito have cameos in the golf scene(s). We also see Pepe Le Pew,Wile E. Coyote,Road Runner and Speedy Gonzales in this film. The featured song in this film is R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly",which was on hit parade in the fall of 1996 when this film was released. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although at first glance it looks like a movie dreamed up by a marketing committee (and in some respects it probably was), Space Jam actually defies the odds against it to become a dazzling display of family entertainment. There's a kind of demented genius to the idea of casting NBA superstar Michael Jordan in a live-action and animated movie costarring the beloved characters from Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes cartoons. They play off each other like seasoned veterans of vaudeville, and Jordan never falls into the kind of awkward, amateurish showmanship that you might expect from a sports idol. He's comfortable in the cartoon land of his costars, who include Bugs Bunny and sexy newcomer Lola Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester & Tweety, Speedy Gonzalez, the Tazmanian Devil, Foghorn Leghorn, and Yosemite Sam. They've all been hijacked to an outer-space amusement park run by the Nerdlucks, who strike a Faustian bargain with the Looney heroes: if Bugs and Co. can defeat the Nerdluck "Monstars" in a basketball game, they'll win back their freedom; if they lose, they'll be doomed to stay there forever as enslaved entertainers. So they kidnap Jordan as their coach and "secret weapon" while the nefarious Nerdlucks suck out the basketball skills from such stellar victims as Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing. It all leads to reckless abandon on the basketball court, and Bill Murray pops in for some hilarious support. Combining traditional animation and computer-generated Nerdlucks with its live-action cast, Space Jam was made in the anarchic spirit of the Looney Tunes cartoons, where anything goes as long as it's funny and off-the-wall (or the ceiling, or the door, or the floor...). Technically astounding, it's also witty enough to entertain adults and kids alike. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Slam Dunk
Space Jam teams up His Airness, Michael Jordan, with His Hareness, Bugs Bunny, for a fun, and funny, family film.

Michael Jordan has retired from basketball, and currently playing baseball, when Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals ask for his help in playing a b-ball game against diminuative aliens from Moron Mountain. These aliens have stolen the talent of 5 NBA players, including Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, and are now larger than life. Since this is Looney Tunes Land, this game is NOT your average basketball game. If it was, it wouldn't be any fun.

Though not an actor of any kind in anyone's book, Michael Jordan does a very good job of interacting with his cartoon co-stars. Most of the jokes are well done and the basketball game itself is a lot of fun. In addition, it is quite funny to watch the 5 NBA players that had their "games" stolen trying to cope with their newfound ordinaryness.

This movie is not groundbreaking by any means and most all of the original Looney Tunes cartoons are better. But this movie never tries to be more than it is: a good time. And at that, it succeeds very well.

Jordan and the Tunes score a slam dunk
Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, and the rest of the Looney Tunes call on Michael Jordan to help them win a basketball contest after they're kidnapped by a group of aliens. Jordan agrees and if they lose the basketball game, he agrees to be the aliens' star attraction.

"Space Jam" isn't like you might expect it to be. It's not just a movie showcasing Jordan's talents as a basketball player. It is more of a great comedy movie, particularly with the Looney Tunes. Some of the funniest parts are when Sylvester gets shot and Tweety flies through him and says "Holey Putty Tat." Another good one is when one of the men from "Seinfeld" gets blown up like a hot air balloon and then deflates, stinking up the basketball court. Bill Murray also makes an appearance to give Jordan and the Tunes some extra help.

If you're a fan of Michael Jordan or if you used to like watching Looney Tunes, this is one movie you've got to see. It'll keep you entertained and laughing throughout the whole movie.

Warner Bros. has finally flipped
Three stars is high praise for a show like this, it DID have it's great parts, but on the whole, it shows little indication that the directors or the voice artists even WATCHED payed attention to the characters they were basing it off of!
The characters are unlike the originals. Case in point:

DAFFY DUCK -- One of the worst voices for Daffy I've ever heard! He has his funny lines, but when making a movie with Daffy Duck in it how CAN you even AVOID funny lines? This classic character (created by Fred Avery) is my favorite cartoon character. Why did they have to spoil him like this?

BUGS BUNNY-- Bugs Bunny's voice is bad, too. But aside from that, Bugs is OK (one of the few characters who is).

ELMER FUDD-- Yeechh! I could do a better Elmer voice than THAT! And the scene where Elmer Fudd makes a slam dunk is about as uncharacteristic as it gets.

PORKY PIG-- His voice is bad too. His lines aren't funny. He doesn't act like Porky...but besides that...

LOLA BUNNY-- Where in the heck did SHE come from? She isn't in any of the Looney Tune cartoons, so why is she in Looney Tune Land? Her voice is fine (just because she isn't in anything else, so I have nothing to go by), but if she had any personality to start with, she lost it halfway through the film. And when the giant alien is about to jump on Lola, she just stands there. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HER??? At least Wile E. Coyote TRIES to run (he doesn't ever get anywhere, but his legs move). Did she WANT Bugs to get crushed (as in flattened.) Bugs loves himself too much to do that, anyway.

THE TASMANIAN DEVIL-- After you watch the picture, you forget he was even in it. His voice is OK, though.

TWEETY-- Awful! Terrible! Horrible! Embarrassing! Tweety's voice is the worst I've ever heard, Tweety isn't innocent like he is on the cartoons, he's MEAN (and he's not even FUNNY mean, like Clampett made him).

SYLVESTER-- Call me crazy, but he's the highlight of the movie. He doesn't do anything, but his voice is great, his lines are funny and his personality is "spot on". I don't like what he does with the fishing pole, but hey! I'm sure he was looking for fish!

WILE E. AND THE ROAD RUNNER -- Funny, but they don't do much.

For much (...) better results, watch Looney Tunes: Back in Action!

Big Macs for life
How any critic can call Looney Tunes: Back in Action an exercise in franchise promotion but not puke at the 80-minute commercial that is Space Jam is beyond me.

Our plot has Danny Devito play the voice of an evil, monster type businessman who's theme park is failing. In desperation he sends 5 little creatures to capture the Looney Tunes and bring them back as the new attraction.

So...where is Looney Tune land? Apparently it's underground. And digging up any golf ball hole will eventually lead to it. When the Looney Tunes challenge the would-be kidnappers to a basketball game they kidnap Michael Jordan to be on their team.

The quality of the film nosedives from here on. Jordan's acting is so wooden it's mahogany. He expresses no confusion, joy or surprise at being yanked into Looney Tune land and confronted by all the toons. 'Bugs Bunny you're a cartoon you're not real', he says in the most flat, boring and dullest way (missing commas intended as he doesn't use them).

And then the big game follows. Once it's over, and there's no reason left to continue watching, the film goes on for another 10 minutes (to beef the running time up 'feature length') with the basketball/Jordan story. It's rubbish.

It's no surprise that the film is directed by Joe Pytka (he's NOT Joe Dante that's for sure), a man who has never done any other features but over a 1000 TV ads, or something. Space Jam is nowt but 100% proof Warner like to whore out their most famous creation to make a few quick, and cheap, bucks. It's heartbreaking, heinous stuff.

Casting Michael Jordan alongside the Looney Tunes is not inspired and imaginative. It's crass and desperate. Now they can attract sports fans AND kiddies. And Michael Jordan of all people! He's not a good actor and his fame outside of the U.S. is minimal to say the least. Moreso today.

The only part of the film that comes (very, very remotely) close to the true spirit of the Looney Tunes is the score. James Newton Howard (a truly bizarre choice, how about Jerry Goldsmith, Bruce Broughton or even Danny Elfman) recognizes the classic Looney Tunes themes and uses them appropriately in certain moments but the rest of the score is generic and uninspired.

Back in Action was intelligent, witty and satirical. Space Jam is corny, cheap and classless. It's an absolute travesty. How can we honestly take seriously a movie that has every cast member awe at Michael Jordan, has not too subtle product placement for McDonalds and has the Looney Tunes (one of the most ingenious creations in history) exploited in the most shameless and guilt free manner. With Space Jam, Warner showed that they'd cash in the Looney Tunes at a pawn shop for $5 if they could. A total lack of respect for Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson.

And they don't even act Looney. The only laughs come from Bugs and Daffy. And it's sporadic and inconsistent. Producer Ivan Reitman (who has no experience and no business with this franchise) managed to convince Bill Murray to appear in this drek (for about 10 minutes) so the trailer could boast an ACTUAL star other than Jordan. Murray's performance is the bare minimum and has a let's-get-this-over-with feel (though Murray working below-par is still miles ahead of many other actors at the top of their game). His appearance in the film is massively oversold.

It's just not fair that THIS is a big hit while Back In Action flopped horribly. I consider it the biggest miscarriage in justice ever. I still blame the marketing for Back in Action. It was bad, REAL bad. But still has some sort of quiet dignity about it when compared to the McDonalds promoted, in your face junk that was Space Jam's marketing. Is it any wonder Joe Dante had Back In Action nicknamed 'The Anti-Space Jam movie'?

And just what the hell is a Space Jam anyway? It's not even set in Space!!!

It took Warner 3 tries but the finally released the movie in its original aspect ratio. The DVD presents the film is 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with pretty active Dolby 5.1 sound. There are loads of features but they are all fluff. Some 80's Looney Tunes shorts are included too.

A funny film
If you're a fan of the Warner Bros. cartoons,basketball,or golf,this film is for you. Basketball great Michael Jordan stars in this half-animated feature. At a basketball game,we see Bugs Bunny,Porky Pig,Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd in the audience. To the best of my recollection,Bill Murray and Danny DeVito have cameos in the golf scene(s). We also see Pepe Le Pew,Wile E. Coyote,Road Runner and Speedy Gonzales in this film. The featured song in this film is R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly",which was on hit parade in the fall of 1996 when this film was released. ... Read more