Space Jam Director Slams A New Legacy, Criticizes LeBron James & Bugs Bunny

[Aquaboy]

Original Space Jam director Joe Pytka has revealed his opinions on Space Jam: A New Legacy, railing against the follow-up film with a number of heavy criticisms. The new movie has received mixed reviews from critics, with many bashing the film’s intense reliance on Warner Bros.’ extensive library of popular franchises. Others have been reacted more positively to the film’s family-friendly tone and colorful style, but apparently Pytka isn’t one of them.

Though its objective quality as a film is debatable, the original Space Jam is undeniably one of the most iconic movies of the 1990s. The collision of Michael Jordan, an athlete and celebrity of near-unprecedented public appeal, and a household name brand like Looney Tunes, brought an inherent fun factor that has kept it popular decades after its theatrical release. Space Jam 2 therefore had big shoes to fill – shoes that some might say were unfair to put on LeBron James’ feet in the first place.

Per TMZ, Pytka has laid into Space Jam 2 from just about every angle. The director, whose only other feature film directorial credit is the critically panned comedy Let It Ride, said that James was not a big enough celebrity to carry the film the way Jordan did, saying that “the truth is that LeBron ain't Michael." The commercial director went on to criticize the new film’s soundtrack as “insignificant” and the new version of Bugs Bunny as "looked like one of those fluffy dolls you buy at an airport gift shop to bring your kid when your business trip has taken too long." In brief, Pytka is not a fan of Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Pytka claims that it took him five attempts to watch Space Jam 2 all the way through, and while the film does have its moments of corporate intrusion and lackluster storytelling, it isn’t markedly sillier or more poorly written than the original. A New Legacy currently holds a dismal critical score of 31 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but the original Space Jam isn’t much higher at just 44 percent. By contrast, the sequel holds a notably higher audience rating of 81 percent, compared to only 63 percent for the original.

Does Space Jam 2 have problems? Absolutely, but it also delivers a fun, stylish, kid-oriented adventure story with plenty of quality jokes for more serious basketball fans. Pytka is of course entitled to his own opinion, and as someone who’s partially famous for helping Madonna sell Pepsi, he may know a thing or two about celebrity branding and selling out. But that doesn’t mean his scathing criticisms of Space Jam: A New Legacy should necessarily be taken as the final word on the film.

[Silent Watcher]

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