SPACE JAM (1996) ** There's a phenomenon called "not enough basketballs." I first read about this during the brief period, during the Pete Maravich Atlanta Hawks years, when Julius Erving jumped from the ABA. For a few exhibition games the greatest offensive guard and the greatest offensive forward in basketball history played on the same team. Problem is, that neither Pistol Pete nor Dr. J had ever had to perfect moving without the ball. You got either of them on your team, you get them the ball. You got both of 'em...you do what? Well, they would have figured it out if some idiot judge hadn't got in the way. Anyway, HERE we've got Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Charles Barkley, Bill Murray, Tweety bird, Larry Bird, Danny DeVito's voice...you see the problem. The other part is that the premise is good, but the obligatory basketball game kind of constipates things. The jokes are limited to the court, and there's only so much that can be done, unless the Clippers are playing. Which reminds me that at LSU I attendeded several parties with Steffond Johnson, who shut down Michael Jordan one fine afternoon at Chapel Hill, but I digress. There aren't enough basketballs to go around and some major talent-Wile E. Coyote, for example, has never had to learn how to move without the ball. Bill Murray's a team player though, and you can't go too wrong with an ensemble cast of this quality. "Mike! I'm open!" Second best ever cinematic use of "Basketball Jones."
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