Why Space Jam is the best film of all time.

Godfather. Shawshank Redemption. Schindler’s List. Casablanca. All these films are considered to be greats. The creme de la creme of modern cinema. However I believe that film critics constantly miss one  of the greatest films of our generation. Joe Pytka’s Space Jam.

I still remember going to this film in the cinema and it was truly unforgettable. Building on the live-action/animated premise of ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’, Space Jam was the perfect mix of comedy, action and sport. With the charm and wit of the Looney Tunes cast and the irresistible acting talent of Michael Jordan, it was a cinematic equation bound for brilliance. And it doesn’t disappoint. It was so good, when borrowed from the library on the ol’ VHS, I watched it 6 times.  Beating ‘The Black Cauldron’‘s record comfortably.

Let me give you 5 reasons why it’s so good:

–  The acting is quite phenomenal, at times putting Robert De Niro’s “Raging Bull” performance to shame. You’ve got Michael Jordan, who you’d think was a full-time actor after watching this flick. The voice of Danny De Vito as an alien tyrant adds real menace and tension to the film. Bill Murray as himself which really confused me as a child especially because they call him Dan Aykroyd at one point. Then you’ve got the whole cast of Loony Tunes who really find their niche as the heroes of the movie.

– The soundtrack is  unbeatable. Let me give you a few names. 90’s anthem “I Believe I Can Fly” by R Kelly, “Fly Like An Eagle” by Seal and “Are You Ready For This?” by Jock Jams.

John Williams has nothing on this soundtrack. The music perfectly complements the electricity and emotion of the film.

– The sporting sequences are second to none. Not only are they exciting but they are also extremely funny. Forget the shower scene in “Psycho”, the film’s climax with Michael Jordan and his ever-stretching arm-slam-dunk-after-the-buzzer moment  is surely up there as one of the best cinematic moments of all time.

– Lola Bunny. The first and the last time I fell in love with an animal. In hindsight the fact I was attracted to a cartoon rabbit is kinda sad, however ask any boy that has watched this film and they will tell you their heart skipped a beat when Lola was around.

– Merchandise. I think it might only be me that remembers this but the stuff you could get was pretty cool to say the least. My favourite being ‘Space JAM’ which was actual strawberry jam you could put on toast and crumpets and in sandwiches and stuff. Let me see you try and make something like that with Pulp Fiction.

For some reason it dodged the awards and plaudits and  it only has a measly 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. However for me, it will always be a great. If you haven’t seen it, you haven’t lived.