Space Jam: A New Legacy
Warner Bros. | Release Date: July 16, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
36
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 46 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
23
Negative:
19
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
38
CNETAbrar Al-HeetiOct 8, 2021
Space Jam 2's desire to tap into the nostalgia associated with its predecessor leaves the sequel feeling unoriginal and predictable. Read full review
38
The Seattle TimesKatie WalshJul 16, 2021
It wants to comment on the algorithms that rule our lives, spewing constantly recycled content at us seemingly at random, but it is exactly the thing that it points to: an upcycled Frankenstein’s monster of intellectual property spraying a stew of Easter eggs and Halloween costumes at the viewer, praying that something sticks. Read full review
38
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperJul 14, 2021
Throughout the game, during the action sequences and especially during the timeouts and strategy sessions, the “celebrity” fans are a huge distraction — and making things even more bizarre, their numbers include Pennywise the Clown from “It” and the murderous, rapist gang known as the Droogs from “A Clockwork Orange.” Who in the name of Bugs Bunny thought this was a good idea? Read full review
35
CNNBrian LowryJul 15, 2021
Debates over LeBron James' greatness compared to Michael Jordan on a basketball court will continue in perpetuity, but "Space Jam: A New Legacy" won't fuel much chatter about who's the better actor. Putting James in Jordan's shoes, as it were, isn't a bad idea in theory, but despite the odd moment of inspired Looney Tune-acy, this reboot shoots a very loud and thudding airball. Read full review
33
Entertainment WeeklyMary SollosiJul 14, 2021
Algorithmically speaking, it's no slam dunk. Read full review
33
IndieWireKate ErblandJul 14, 2021
Space Jam: A New Legacy is as relentlessly odd as its predecessor, but its even giddier interest in corporate synergy turns it into a far more cynical outing. It will sell so many plush toys. Read full review
30
Little White LiesRogan GrahamFeb 14, 2022
A few laughs accrued from Bugs Bunny, but mostly a depressing slog Read full review
30
VoxAlissa WilkinsonJul 16, 2021
To be fair, it’s not all unpleasant. The joyride through the Warner Bros. IP universe is not quite as soul-busting as the trailer led me to believe it would be, though I suspect it benefited only in comparison to my expectations. Read full review
30
PolygonJoshua RiveraJul 14, 2021
Space Jam: A New Legacy is so overwhelmingly suffused with corporate propaganda that it seems like the filmmakers are seeking exactly that sort of praise: not satisfying cinema, not a worthwhile story, not a fun time at the movies, but “a great product.” Read full review
30
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckJul 14, 2021
The animation, consisting of both traditional 2D and CGI, is impressive, and there’s certainly a lot of it. But it never feels as joyful as you’d hope, too often coming across like corporate machination than inspired imagination. Read full review
25
The AtlanticDavid SimsAug 3, 2021
So what if this movie essentially forgets to have a coherent plot or any real stakes; look at all of the exciting crossovers! Read full review
25
Paste MagazineBrianna ZiglerJul 19, 2021
The story isn’t necessarily awful, but it’s mostly boring, stretching itself out to an unwieldy 115 minutes. Read full review
25
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiJul 16, 2021
Over its interminable, nearly two-hour runtime, the film repeatedly mocks its very existence. Read full review
25
TheWrapAlonso DuraldeJul 14, 2021
Viewers who, for whatever reason, love the first “Space Jam” may well find themselves delighted all over again, but as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to plunge a beloved sports figure into a century’s worth of pop culture iconography, “A New Legacy” is a big fat airball. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineJake ColeJul 14, 2021
As soon as LeBron and Dom are sucked into computer space, A New Legacy largely abandons its underlying criticism of soulless corporate regurgitation of art-as-product and instead becomes an exhausting tour through the Warner Bros. catalog. Read full review
20
Austin ChronicleTrace SauveurJul 16, 2021
By halftime of this two hour piece of dreck, you’ll wonder why you weren’t more appreciative that the first one only wasted 80 minutes of your life. Read full review
20
SlashfilmJosh SpiegelJul 16, 2021
Space Jam: A New Legacy, both in its cravenly cynical development and release, is not a surprising film. The marketing didn’t lie. This movie is exactly what it looks like. And it’s a grim glimpse at a potential future of mainstream filmmaking. No thanks Read full review
20
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangJul 15, 2021
The movie is just a big, empty declaration of corporate dominance, a whirling CGI tornado that — like a much stupider Tasmanian Devil — ingests, barely processes and then promptly regurgitates everything in its path. It’s Upchuck Jones. Read full review
20
The GuardianCharles BramescoJul 14, 2021
The core issues of the film – its numbing swirls of rainbow light popping out every which way, the excruciating pop-culture catchphrases passed off as humor, LeBron’s stilted, if game, acting, the half-assedness with which it delivers the dusty moral to be yourself, the fact that it is unaccountably one half-hour longer than its predecessor – all seem minor in comparison with the insidious ulterior intentions that power this fandom dynamo. Read full review
More From This Movie

36 Critic Reviews

3.4 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 71 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL