Space Jam (DVD)

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Anyway, whether or not you like the plot, characters, or gags, there's no denying the animation is good looking and fairly well integrated into the live action. The Looney Tunes characters are done up in a much richer, more detailed look than in WB's usual cartoons, giving them an almost three-dimensional quality similar to the animations in "Roger Rabbit." Some bits during the final game are cute, too, including Murray showing up to lend a hand. Had Murray been the center of attention instead of Jordan, the filmmakers might have had a movie. And there's a cute tribute to the original producer of the Looney Tunes, Leon Schlesinger, in the form of a "Schlesinger Gym."

"Space Jam" will undoubtedly appeal to younger children, but I would have to caution adults about it. Lovers of the old Looney Tunes as well as "Roger Rabbit" may find the "Jam" a major disappointment.

Video:
Most everything about the picture quality is fine, but there is more of a brightness contrast between the animated sequences and the live action than I would have expected. The cartoon portions of the film are luminous, colorful, sharp, and clean. The live-action segments are somewhat soft, light, and dull by comparison. It's nothing that probably wasn't in the original print, but it does make a person long for a brighter, more vivid overall impression. Otherwise, the image is presented in an anamorphic widescreen measuring about 1.74:1 across a television screen, with little or no noticeable grain or transfer abnormalities.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio displays a gut-busting bass and strong dynamics. It's loud from the word "go," the opening credits accompanied by blaring, noisy theme music. There are some good surround effects, a few of the sounds, like those of space ships, appearing as though they were created especially for the DVD; still, they don't come up as regularly as they might have for maximum sonic effect. The music is reproduced well, though, especially in terms of its rear-channel ambience.

Extras:
This is by my count the third time Warners have released "Space Jam" on DVD, the first being a regular edition in fullscreen and the second a single-disc "special edition," also in fullscreen. This newest two-disc "special edition" is not only in widescreen, it's the first to include a documentary. Unfortunately, the second disc appears to have been added mainly for promotional purposes, as it is not very well filled out. Disc one contains the widescreen movie; the 5.1 soundtrack; an audio commentary with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and director Joe Pytka; a widescreen theatrical trailer; and a healthy thirty-eight scene selections. Spoken language choices and subtitles come in English, French, and Spanish.

Disc two is where you would expect to find an abundance of bonus materials, especially from Warner Bros., but there are, in fact, relatively few. The primary extra is a twenty-two minute documentary, "Jammin' with Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan," made in 1996, that provides some brief history of the Looney Tunes but otherwise plays like an extended commercial for the film. Then there are five Looney Tunes cartoons of fairly recent and not entirely classic vintage: "Another Froggy Evening," "Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers," "Night of the Living Duck," The Duxorcist," and "Bugs vs. Daffy: Battle of the Music Video Stars." The cartoons are followed by two music videos: "Fly Like an Eagle" by Seal and "Monsters Anthem." Finally, the box announces a Looney Tunes Game demo, a theatrical trailer, and some DVD-ROM features on disc two, but the trailer is actually on disc one, and I was never able to find the game demo. Maybe it's in one of those "More" categories I sometimes overlook, or maybe it's in a hidden Easter Egg. I dunno.

The two discs come packaged in a foldout box, enclosed in a silver-foil slipcase, one of those cases that looks great until you notice that it registers every fingerprint you put on it. I can just imagine what it would look like after a ten-year-old got hold of it for even a few minutes. Oh, well. I guess it's the thought that counts.

Parting Shots:
"Space Jam" is harmless kiddie fare, but it may not be every adult's idea of a good time. The story is too simplistic, the acting too shallow, and the humor too mundane. The notion of combining animated and live-action characters is no longer novel, and it was done so much better in "Roger Rabbit" that the newer movie suffers mightily by comparison. Not even the DVD set's extras are anything special. This Special Edition "Space Jam" turns out to be a rather mediocre enterprise any way you look at it.

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