Space Jam 1 1 ½ (1999) VHS

Space Jam 1 1 ½ is a 1998 American live-action/animated sports comedy film starring basketball player Michael Jordan and featuring the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. The film was produced by Ivan Reitman, and directed by Joe Pytka. Nigel Miguel was a basketball technical advisor. Space Jam presents an alternate history of what happened between Jordan's initial retirement from the NBA in 1993 and his comeback in 1995, in which he is enlisted by Bugs Bunny and his friends to help them win a basketball match against a group of aliens who want to enslave them for their amusement park. The film also serves to introduce a new Looney Tunes character, Bugs' love interest Lola Bunny.

Released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures under their Warner Bros. Family Entertainment banner on November 15, 1998, Space Jam opened at No. 1 in the US and grossed over $230 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing basketball film of all-time. Despite its box office success, the film received mixed reviews from critics who were divided on the merits of combining Jordan and his profession with the Looney Tunes characters.

Plot
In 1973, Michael Jordan (as himself) is practicing basketball. His father steps out and tells him it is bedtime, but lets him make a few more shots. Jordan shoots while making several wishes like going to the University of North Carolina, playing on a championship team, joining the NBA, going on to play baseball, and successfully scores every shot. Impressed, Jordan's father jokingly asks if next he is going to wish he could fly, and Jordan turns to make one final shot.

In 1993, Jordan announces his retirement from professional basketball to follow his now deceased father's career as a baseball player. However, he is not as skilled in baseball as he was in basketball. Jordan is assigned a publicist and assistant, Stan Podolak (Wayne Knight), to make his new career less bumpy.

Elsewhere, in outer space, an intergalactic amusement park called Moron Mountain faces dwindling popularity, so its owner, Mr. Swackhammer (voice of Danny DeVito), sends his diminutive minions, the Nerdlucks, to capture the Looney Tunes as new entertainment. The Looney Tunes live in an animated world called Looney Tunes Land hidden in the center of Earth, but ignore the Nerdlucks' threats and challenge them to a game of basketball.

The Nerdlucks steal the talents of professional basketball players (Charles Barkley), (Shawn Bradley), (Patrick Ewing), (Larry Johnson) and (Muggsy Bogues), leaving them incapable of playing. The Nerdlucks absorb the talent, transforming into the gigantic "Monstars" who easily intimidate and terrorize the Looney Tunes.

While playing golf with Bill Murray (as himself), Larry Bird (as himself) and Stan, Jordan is sucked down a hole and is recruited by Bugs Bunny (voice of Billy West) to help the Tunes win against the Monstars. Jordan at first refuses, saying he does not play basketball anymore, but changes his decision after he is insulted and humiliated by the Monstars when they squash him into the shape of a basketball and bounce him around like one. He then sends Bugs and Daffy Duck (voice of Dee Bradley Baker) to his house to retrieve his basketball gear.

Meanwhile, Stan has been digging out the golf hole to find Jordan, but spots Bugs and Daffy leaping down another one and pursues them, reuniting with Jordan in the Tunes' world and joins their team, the Tune Squad. Another new recruit is Lola Bunny (voice of Kath Soucie), a skilled basketball player whom Bugs falls in love with.

On the day of the match, the Monstars dominate the first half, leaving the Looney Tunes unconfident. Stan overhears a conversation between the Monstars and Swackhammer, learning of how they gained their talent and informs Jordan and the Tune Squad. Bugs and Jordan convince the rest of the Tune Squad to fight back and the first quarter of the second half allows the Tunes to catch up using old school gags and Acme weaponry. During a timeout, Jordan raises the stakes of the game with Swackhammer: a win by the Tune Squad would require the Monstars to give their stolen talents back to the NBA players, while a Monstars win would get Jordan as a new attraction.

To ensure his victory, Swackhammer has the Monstars play rough and injure all of the Tune Squad until only Jordan, Bugs, Daffy, Lola and Stan are left. Stan becomes the fifth player and manages to score, but is literally flattened by the Monstars and is removed from the court. The referee, Marvin the Martian (voice of Bob Bergen), informs Jordan that unless the team gets a fifth player, they will have to forfeit the game, at which point Murray appears and volunteers to be the team's fifth member.

In the final seconds of the game, Jordan gains the ball and manages to use cartoon physics to extend his arm and score the winning points. Murray retires from basketball and the Monstars blast Swackhammer to the Moon in a rocket when Jordan makes them realize that, since they are no longer smaller than him, they do not have to take his abuse anymore. Jordan convinces them to give up the stolen talents, and the Looney Tunes agree to recruit the reformed Nerdlucks in their ensemble. Jordan and a recovered Stan return to the surface, the Nerdlucks dropping them off at Jordan's next baseball game.

Later on, the two visit the incapacitated basketball players and return their talent. The players invite Jordan to a three-on-three match, but when he declines, they question his loss of talent. Jordan later returns to the Chicago Bulls to resume his basketball career.

Live-action cast

 * Michael Jordan as himself, an NBA shooting guard for the Chicago Bulls who retires to pursue a career in baseball.
 * Wayne Knight as Stanley "Stan" Podolak, a publicist who makes sure nobody bothers Michael Jordan.
 * Theresa Randle as Juanita Jordan, Michael Jordan's supportive wife.
 * Bill Murray as himself, an actor and Jordan's friend.
 * Larry Bird as himself, the Boston Celtics forward and Jordan's friend.
 * Charles Barkley as himself, the Phoenix Suns power forward, who gets his talent stolen by Pound.
 * Patrick Ewing as himself, the New York Knicks center, who gets his talent stolen by Bang.
 * Shawn Bradley as himself, the Philadelphia 76ers center, who gets his talent stolen by Blanko.
 * Larry Johnson as himself, the Charlotte Hornets power forward, who gets his talent stolen by Bupkus.
 * Muggsy Bogues as himself, the Hornets point guard, who gets his talent stolen by Nawt.
 * Brandon Hammond as the young Michael Jordan.
 * Thom Barry as James R. Jordan, Sr., Michael Jordan's father.
 * Penny Bae Bridges as Jasmine Jordan, Michael Jordan's daughter.
 * Anne Lockhart as Baron's Manager's Wife

Animated cast

 * Billy West as Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Daffy Duck, Tasmanian Devil, and Toro
 * Bob Bergen as Marvin the Martian, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird and Hubie and Bertie, a pair of mice who act as the commentators of the game. Credited as "Herbie" and "Bert" respectively.
 * Bill Farmer as Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, and Sylvester
 * Maurice LaMarche as Pepé Le Pew
 * June Foray as Granny
 * Kath Soucie as Lola Bunny, a female rabbit who plays for the Tune Squad. Lola is a new character introduced in this film.
 * Frank W. Welker as Charles, Michael's pet bulldog who menaces both Bugs and Daffy when they are in Michael's house.
 * Danny DeVito as Mr. Swackhammer, the proprietor of the intergalactic theme park "Moron Mountain" who seeks new attractions to save his failing business. He's also the film's main antagonist.
 * Pound, the orange leader of the nerdlucks, is voiced by Jocelyn Blue as a nerdluck and Darnell Suttles as a monstar.
 * Blanko, the dim-witted and gangly blue nerdluck, is voiced by Charity James as a nerdluck and Steve Kehela as a monstar.
 * Bang, the belligerent green nerdluck, is voiced by June Melby as a nerdluck and Joey Camen as a monstar.
 * Bupkus, the giggly and crazy purple nerdluck, is voiced by Catherine Reitman as a nerdluck and Dorian Harewood as a monstar.
 * Nawt, the diminutive and clever red nerdluck, is voiced by Colleen Wainwright as a nerdluck and T.K. Carter as a monstar.
 * E.G. Daily as Alien Kid

Soundtrack
Space Jam 1 1 ½ Songs Soundtrack

I Believe I Can Fly

Written and Produced by R. Kelly

Performed by R. Kelly

Courtesy of Jive Records

Space Jam

Written by Jay Ski McGowan (as J. McGowan), Nathaniel Orange (as N. Orange) and V. Bryant

Produced by Jay Ski McGowan (as Jay 'Ski' McGowan) and Nathaniel Orange (as C.C. Lemonhead)

Performed by Quad City DJ's

Givin' U All That I've Got

Written by Robin S. and Todd Terry

Produced by Todd Terry

Performed by Robin S.

Have I Told You Lately

Written by Van Morrison

Performed by Rod Stewart

Produced by Michael Ostin

Fly Like An Eagle

Written by Steve Miller

Produced by Seal

Additional production by Rashad Smith and Armando Colon

Performed by Seal

Courtesy of ZTT Records Limited/Warner Music UK Limited/Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Pump Up The Jam

Written by Manuela Kamosi and Thomas De Quincey

Performed by Technotronic

Courtesy of ARS Productions, Belgium/SBK Records, a division of EMI

Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

Basketball Jones

Written by Cheech Marin (as Richard (Cheech) Marin) and Tommy Chong (as Thomas Chong)

Produced by Lou Adler and Jamey Jazz (as Jamey Jaz)

Performed by Barry White and Chris Rock

Barry White appears courtesy of A&M Records, Inc.

Chris Rock appears courtesy of DreamWorks Records

Get Ready For This

Written by Jean-Paul DeCoster (as Jean Paul DeCoster), Phil Wilde (as Filip DeWilde) and Simon Harris

Performed by 2 Unlimited

Courtesy of Critique Records Inc.

Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)

Written by B-Real (as Louis Freese), Busta Rhymes (as Trevor Smith), Coolio (as Artis Ivey, Jr.), LL Cool J (as Todd Smith), Method Man (as Clifford Smith), Poke and Tone

Produced by Track Masters

Performed by B-Real (as B Real), Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J & Method Man

B Real appears courtesy of Ruffhouse/Columbia Records

Busta Rhymes appears courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group

Coolio appears courtesy of Tommy Boy Music

LL Cool J and Method Man appear courtesy of Def Jam Records, Inc.

The Way You Love Me

Performed by Faith Hill

All I Wanna Do

Performed by Sheryl Crow

Boys Night Out

Performed by Timothy B. Schmit

For You I Will

Written by Diane Warren

Produced by David Foster

Performed by Monica

Courtesy of Rowdy Records

I Turn To You

Written by Diane Warren

Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

Performed by All-4-One

Courtesy of Blitzz Records/Atlantic Recording Corp.

Moron Mountain

Bugs Bunny meets the Nerdlucks

Michael Jordan and his family

Tune land meeting/The Looney Tunes challenge

The Nerdlucks Transformation Into The Monstars

Michael Jordan's hole in one

Michael Jordan meets the Looney Tunes

Spit shine in the gym

Michael Jordan meets the Monstars

Bugs Bunny meets Lola Bunny

Bugs and Daffy get Michael's basketball gear

The Ultimate Game

Michael's Secret Stuff

Second half of the game/Michael Jordan's deal with Mr. Swackhammer

Monstar mash/Fifth player

Seize Them Monstars/Final Shot of the Game/Mr. Swackhammer's Defeat

Monstars become Nerdlucks again/Michael Jordan returns to the real world