The 1996 film “Space Jam” is a childhood staple for many.
But according to critics, its nostalgia-fueled sequel for the digital age… isn’t a slam dunk.
NPR‘s Aisha Harris writes:
The tornado sequence from The Wizard Of Oz? It’s in here for a hot second. Rick’s Café from Casablanca? Also here, with Yosemite Sam. The Iron Giant, Pennywise the Clown, The Mask, the “Droogs” from A Clockwork Orange (what?! why?!) and far too many other cinematic icons are cobbled together here during the movie’s climactic space jam, ready and waiting for you to play “I spy” as you search for them amongst the game’s crowd of onlookers. Once you spot one, the movie’s creators must hope, that little recognition censor in your brain will activate and you’ll experience something like nostalgia. Nostalgia is a very real feeling; it’s also cheap.
For this meeting of the 1A Movie Club, we review “Space Jam: A New Legacy” — spoilers and all. Plus, we look ahead at the rest of the blockbuster season.
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