This transformational journey is a manic mashup of two worlds that reveals just how far some parents will go to connect with their kids. When LeBron and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I., LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of professional basketball stars as you’ve never seen them before. It’s Tunes versus Goons in the highest-stakes challenge of his life, that will redefine LeBron’s bond with his son and shine a light on the power of being yourself. The ready-for-action Tunes destroy convention, supercharge their unique talents and surprise even “King” James by playing the game their own way.
For in-depth thoughts on Space Jam: A New Legacy, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Space Jam: A New Legacy offers a nice uptick in quality over the already incredible accompanying Blu-Ray, making it a standout visual powerhouse in a year filled with great releases. Skin tones appear more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. The increased range of the color spectrum is stunning to behold. The HDR enriches the colors from already impressive to out of this world (pun intended) when it comes to vibrancy. From the live action segments to the retina-burning brightness of the animated world, you can take a look at any corner of the screen and be blown away. There are so many landscapes featured here that are overflowing with eye-popping hues.
The highlights in the film are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Elements of the film taking place in shadow are more vivid and finely delineated. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. This 4K UHD presentation really delivers on all fronts including strong gains in clarity and color. The Blu-Ray is great, but Warner Bros. has delivered another demo-worthy transfer on this latest 4K release.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a dynamic Dolby Atmos presentation that packs one heck of punch from beginning to end. Nearly every sequence presents a soundscape that is set to deliver an expansive experience suitable for an out-of-this-world adventure. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The varied locales and pulse-pounding action provide an all-encompassing soundscape that kicks in throughout all the speakers. The low end is engaged in a really solid way that will have your house rumbling. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic action scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the rear and overhead channels. The overhead channels serve to complement the other channels rather than carry the main load, which adds a nice sense of space to the mix. Musical cues and the score from Kris Bowers envelope the room with a vengeance. The mix offers up the best experience for those with the home theater system to support it.
Special Features
- Behind The Scenes: Four featurettes featuring participants such as director Malcolm D. Lee, producer Ryan Coogler, VFX supervisor Grady Coffer, makeup department head Howard Berger, producer Maverick Carter, music supervisor Kier Lehman, and several members of the cast such as LeBron James, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Anthony Davis. In these segments you hear them talking about the development of the story, the updates to the Space Jam world, the players they have on the teams, the visual effects, the Looney Tunes, the score and more that makes for a fun viewing experience.
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- First Quarter – Game On (7:36)
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- Second Quarter – Teamwork (7:49)
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- Third Quarter – Out Of This World (8:09)
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- Fourth Quarter – The Looniest (7:08)
- Deleted Scenes: Five scenes totaling eight minutes are included here showcasing a lengthy scene with Sarah Silverman, some more color-commentary banter, some team huddles and more. Some of the animation is presented in an unfinished form.
Final Thoughts
Space Jam: A New Legacy is a completely unnecessary sequel to a film that mostly holds up because of the nostalgia a certain generation still holds for it – myself included. If you are willing to embrace that nostalgia and understand that this new effort mostly boils down to a big advertisement for Warner Bros., you might just enjoy returning to this world. It is not high art, but thoe who want a new adventure with your favorite Looney Tunes characters should have fun. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a spectacular A/V presentation and a couple of light special features.
Space Jam: A New Legacy is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
