I remember holding the DVD case (a DVD!), waiting for my brother to join me in front of the TV to rewatch Space Jam for the xth time. Daffy Duck, looking scared in the lower right corner of the cover, has always been one of my favourite characters from Looney Tunes with his iconic lisp and adorable false pride. And then, there is actual Michael Jordan breaking the cartoon image with his stardom smile.
Space Jam is, despite being a quarter-century old, still one of the most convincing crossovers of animated characters with the real world if you were to ask me. There is a scene, where Jordan’s daughter glimpses Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck’s shadows after they have crossed over to our real world, and her reaction highlights the spectacularity perfectly. Flat 2D cartoons found their way to us, and it’s believable! Another genius meta moment is when Jordan gets pulled into the Warner Bros. Logo and lands in the 2D animated world of the Looney Tunes, staying his real-life version while getting crowded by Bugs and friends.
25 years later, they eventually do become 3D
Right on time for Space Jam’s anniversary, its sequel in 2021 has received some touch-ups. The animated world is three dimensional now and located in the ‘Serververse’. The hint towards the crossover is obvious but maybe slightly over the top. Although an attraction in its own right, three dimensions are just not as cute. Watch the original 1996 trailer below to revisit some two-dimensional joy.
Check out the trailer for Space Jam (1996) below:
