There were times when watching Space Jam: A New Legacy where I felt like I was 7-years-old again and seeing Looney Tunes: Back in Action for the first time at the cinema. For that quality alone I’ll give A New Legacy a second viewing. It’s too long, it takes itself way too seriously, it’s worse than the original in some ways but in my view, for what it gets right, it’s worth watching.

This sequel, reboot, reimagining, whatever of the 1996 classic sees basketball superstar Lebron James trapped with his son in a virtual multiverse by a vengeful AI (Don Cheadle). To escape, Lebron teams up with the Looney Tunes to take on the AI and his squad of digitised monsters in a game of basketball. 

When reviewing something, I usually dismantle the subject into what I believe are its most noteworthy components (character, tone, theme etc.) and determine how well they’re executed. With A New Legacy however only one thing matters and that’s whether or not it’s fun.

The original Space Jam is a total mess but its messiness is part of what makes it so memorable. As well as having a uniquely bonkers premise with some decent self-aware humour, Space Jam is unapologetically of its time which, only in hindsight, made it the cult phenomenon it is. So how does A New Legacy perform in comparison? Well, we probably won’t know for sure until we have a couple of decades of hindsight but right now, in the present, I’d say that A New Legacy is quite a few degrees below the glorious charm of the original. Everything with the Looney Tunes is great, there’s a goldmine of Easter eggs but the characters and runtime prevent the film from being anymore enjoyable or memorable than your average kiddie blockbuster.

As soon as we see Lebron and his son interact, we know what’s going to happen. We know what their desires are, we know what their weaknesses are and we can pretty much guess what both of them will have to do to get where they want to be. We recognise the story instantly and, spoilers, it plays out as you predicted.

This isn’t to say that Michael Jordan’s arc in the 1996 film was emotionally enthralling, far from it. However, the ratio of human drama and Looney antics in the original is more balanced. So if a scene with Jordan or any of the other NBA players was boring you, you’d keep your eyes on the screen because you knew a quirky sequence with the Tunes was just around the corner.

This isn’t the case with A New Legacy. The film is more ambitious than the original in that it believes it can get us emotionally invested in its main character. We’ve past the 25-minute mark by the time we see any of the Looney Tunes, everything before that is spent on developing Lebron James and his son. A New Legacy does not need to be 2 hours. If the first 25 minutes were cut, the film could work as a tight 95-minute romp. At least it would be focused on what we all came to see; the Looney Tunes playing basketball.

Putting the human drama and bloated runtime aside, there is some fun to be had. The Looney Tunes provide plenty of laughs as they not only act like their good old selves but occasionally indulge in meta humour, mocking their history and brand of comedy. Some look and sound better than they did in the ’96 film. I always thought Daffy Duck sounded a bit off in the first Space Jam but in A New Legacy he sounds just as he did in the old Warner Brothers cartoons.

The film may top Ready Player One in its Easter egg count. If you’re ever bored during the basketball game, just look past the characters at the crowd. You’ll recognise someone from something. There’re cameos and Easter eggs you simply won’t see coming. If you’re a big pop culture enthusiast, you’re going to be in for so many surprises.

It’s not the original but nothing else can be. Perhaps it was better for Warner Bros. to leave Space Jam alone and let it be the beautiful time capsule it is. However, for all we know the generation that grows up with this film could start expressing nostalgia for it as soon as the mid-2030s’. Only time will tell. For now though, I’d say A New Legacy offers enough joy to justify enduring its faults. There’re times when you’ll simply have to sit through it but in my opinion, you will be rewarded. For a sequel to a one-of-a-kind film, I’d say it could’ve been a lot worse.

My mind gives Space Jam: A New Legacy a 4 out of 10 but my heart gives it a 7.