Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Space Jam Adoption Movie Review
The evil alien theme park owner, Mr. Swackhammer, is
concerned about the declining popularity of his park, Moron Mountain. He sends
a group of goons to Earth to capture the Looney Tunes, hoping to use Bugs Bunny
and his friends as the park’s new attractions. The Looney Tunes are on the
point of surrender, but then challenge the aliens to a basketball game to
decide their fate. The aliens steal the skills of several NBA Players, but the
Looney Tunes enlist the help of Michael Jordan. Will the good guys be taken
captive, or will Mr. Swackhammer’s evil plans be thwarted?
Originally released in 1996, Fathom Events brings Space Jam
back to theaters for one more night, Wednesday November 16, to celebrate its 20th
anniversary. You can get tickets here: http://fathomevents.com/event/space-jam
The Adoption
Connection
There isn’t an adoption element to
the story. Michael Jordan’s father has passed away, and to honor his father, he
has switched his career from basketball to baseball; Michael’s father had been
a baseball player in his younger days. Michael’s grief at the loss of his
father is unexplored, so there doesn’t seem likely to be an emotional
connection here, even for kids who grieve the loss of a parent.
Strong Points
The Looney Tunes use cleverness and help from others to
escape a difficult situation.
A young Michael Jordan has a conversation with his very
supportive and encouraging dad.
Some characters learn that they don’t have to take abuse from
their boss any more.
Michael Jordan takes a brave risk to save his friends.
Challenges
I’m surprised at how violent some of the Looney Tunes
cartoons are. It never struck me as a kid, but it does now.
Weak Points
Lola Bunny seems a bit oversexualized.A woman makes a comment about what a person next to her is "doing in his raincoat."
When Mr. Swackhammer is detailing his dreams for the future,
we see a silhouetted version of
Michael Jordan, kept in captivity, locked down
with chains.
Recommendations
Space Jam is a light, fun, but quite dated 90’s film. It has
cartoon-style violence, but should be interesting to many kids 6-10 or so. If
it’s a trip down memory lane for you, it could be fun to share with your kids,
and it does provide the opportunity to talk about missing a parent, dealing with
bullies, being brave, and enjoying sports. If it’s not a film you loved as a
kid, it’ll probably feel pretty dated now. If you want to see it in theaters,
Fathom Events is bringing it back to the big screen for one day on Wednesday,
November 16.
Questions for
Discussion
What sports do you like to play? Are there any that you’d
like to try?
Have you ever had a friend or someone else who said mean
things to you?
What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
Thanks for stopping by for our review of Space Jam! Please
consider supporting Adoption at the Movies! http://www.patreon.com/user?u=4057141
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