Space Jam: A New Legacy is currently entertaining families on HBO Max, but the director of the original Space Jam is not pleased with the sequel or its star, LeBron James.
The Grio reported that according to TMZ, Space Jam director Joe Pytka said the Space Jam sequel is so boring he had to come back to the film five different times to finish it.
“Pytka points out when Space Jam was made in 1996, MJ wasn’t just the best basketball player…he was the biggest celebrity in the world,” TMZ wrote, according to The Grio. “The truth is,” said Pytka, “is that LeBron ain’t Michael.” Pytka also said the film’s other basketball stars, like Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis, weren’t bringing the same heat Jordan’s basketball costars like Charles Barkley and actors like Bill Murray did in the original film.
Even the animation style came under fire from Pykta, who said the sequel’s 3D rendition of Bugs Bunny “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.”
Pytka’s feelings run counter to Space Jam: A New Legacy director Malcolm D. Lee, who told Shadow and Act how he felt “the desire was there” to create the sequel.
“You have a once in a generation superstar and LeBron James who was at the top of his game,” he said. “He couldn’t be more transcendent when it comes to…the sport that he so excels at and it was time to bring them back and also to take advantage of all the technology that’s available to us.”
The critical reception of Space Jam: A New Legacy seems to fall alongside Pytka’s sentiments since the film has a critical rating of 31 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. However, Rotten Tomatoes’ audience score for the film is 81 percent, showing that most fans actually the film something worth watching.
Space Jam: A New Legacy is currently streaming on HBO Max.