Hidden Remote
Fansided

How has 1996’s Space Jam managed to stay incredibly relevant?

By Rebecca Mills

283696 16: A Space Jam Gumball machine is on display at the Warner Bros. Studio store October 23, 1996 in New York City. The store, originally a three floor specialty store, has been redesigned into a nine floor department store with a cafe, interactive attractions, and a screening facility for computer animated 3-D Looney Tunes cartoons under the sponsorship of Michael Jordan. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Liaison)
283696 16: A Space Jam Gumball machine is on display at the Warner Bros. Studio store October 23, 1996 in New York City. The store, originally a three floor specialty store, has been redesigned into a nine floor department store with a cafe, interactive attractions, and a screening facility for computer animated 3-D Looney Tunes cartoons under the sponsorship of Michael Jordan. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Liaison) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Imagine it’s 1996. For some, they’re not even close to being born. Other are only a few years old and the rest, well they were probably in the movie theater, watching Space Jam. Back in its release in 1996, Space Jam was an out-of-this-world story about the likes of basketball superstar Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes, mostly notably Bugs Bunny teaming up.

If that sounds like a fever dream, it truly could have been in an alternate universe. Describing this movie to someone born in the 2000s or even 2010s sounds ludicrous. However, the film has remained constant in the pop culture realm since its release. It’s truly hard to believe how much success the film has amassed.

If you’re one of the few people in the world who hasn’t watched or at least heard of Space Jam, the film is about Michael Jordan teaming up with the Looney Tunes to basically save them from becoming slaves. After an alien planet finds out how funny they are, they decide to challenge the “Mon-Stars” to a game of basketball for their freedom. In comes Michael Jordan and the rest is history.

As abridged as that version of Space Jam is, it’s clear the film is still iconic 25 years after its release date. With a new standalone sequel on the way, most people are paying attention to it versus the original. However, Space Jam is still just as beloved! But how has it managed to stay so relevant all of these years later?

Why is the original Space Jam still a huge pop culture mainstay?

Obviously, the main reason Space Jam became so popular was that there was nothing like it and still hasn’t been anything like it since. While other films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? And Enchanted had the same hybrid style, Space Jam truly blew it out of the water because of the general star-power of the cast and nothing has been able to eclipse it yet.

Michael Jordan is arguably the most popular NBA player of all time. Some could make an argument for Lebron James, no doubt but Michael Jordan set the mold. He truly was the biggest sports icon of the ‘90s and it translated to the world of Space Jam. Heck, his role in Space Jam would eventually rejuvenate his basketball career and help him become an even bigger icon.

As iconic as Michael Jordan is, add in the cartoon royalty that is the Looney Tunes and it’s truly a match made in heaven. While Michael Jordan wasn’t going to win an acting award by any means, he had fun with the project and it showed. Add in some other favorite basketball players of the era and the film was bound to be a success as it had a little bit of something for everyone. It was a movie made for kids by catered to sports fans in the best way possible.

Additionally, Space Jam is just a fun guilty-pleasure movie to sit down and watch if you just want something fun. The film doesn’t have a hugely complicated plot and features characters/people most of us are familiar with. You know who to root for and it’s obvious that Michael Jordan is going to do his thing to keep us entertained. With the Looney Tunes to boot, it’s just a lot of fun to put it simply.

The other reason why Space Jam is so iconic is the nostalgia behind it. Kids who grew up in the ‘90s and early ‘00s probably had the VHS tape, wanted a Tune Squad jersey or the shoes. In recent years, we’ve seen people dress up as characters from the film, fan art featuring the characters, and lots of think-pieces about the film. There is truly no shortage of anything related to Space Jam out there.

Arguably, Space Jam is not a good film, but the reason why it remains so incredible is how it makes you feel as you watch it. You can’t help but smile at watching the Looney Tunes get up to their hijinks. You can’t help but laugh watching Michael Jordan actually play basketball with the Tune Squad. While everyone has different reasons for loving Space Jam, there’s no denying the 1996 film is one of the greatest sports movies ever created.

Next. Is Space Jam: A New Legacy free on HBO Max?. dark

The original Space Jam is currently streaming on Hulu and HBO Max. Space Jam 2 is in theaters and HBO Max on July 16, 2021. 

Why do you think Space Jam is such an iconic film? Do you have any favorite moments from the original? Be sure to let us know in the comments.

Home/Movies