Lightning Strikes, The Court Lights Get Dim
I was ten years old when Space Jam came out and like every other kid who liked basketball and movies at that age, I liked it. It wasn't my favorite movie ever, but it had Michael Jordan and it had Bugs Bunny. How could you go wrong? It even had Newman in it, but I didn't know or care about that in 1996.
I watched it again when I was fifteen. Throughout the whole movie, the only thing I could think was Why the hell didn't Michael Jordan win a frickin' Oscar for this? His performance is inspired! It's gritty, honest...okay, seriously, it's an abomination. A piece of plywood would have shown more acting ability than that. Here's the worst part: He was playing himself! He barely had to act at all! I'll throw him a small bone and say it probably wasn't easy talking to animated characters that aren't there. I guess he wasn't really there to act, just to be Michael Jordan. I'm sure if they ever make a sequel, they'll get Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead role. He'd drink the Monstars' milkshakes.
Movie aside, the soundtrack has become an all-time favorite for me. Every few years I revisit it, expecting to like it less than before and every time it surprises me. Maybe it's just nostalgia. Maybe it's because it was one of the first CDs I ever bought. Maybe it's just one of those things that I like because it reminds me of my childhood. Or maybe, just maybe, it's actually a pretty good album. Of course, their are definitely some garbage songs but the good ones more than make up for it.
Click "Read More" to see a track-by-track review.
