Space Jam: A New Legacy

Much in the same way Mortal Kombat is being brought back from its theatrical grave for another run some 26 years after its 1995 debut, Space Jam is having a revival under the guise of “A New Legacy”. In this case, LeBron James essentially follows in Michael Jordan’s footsteps.

The music is a remix of RL Grime’s 2014 dance track “Scylla”, which incorporates samples from the iconic 1996 “Space Jam” theme song by Quad City DJs. It starts with a slow build—just a single note, allowing LeBron (as himself) to converse with his son and build a narrative early on. The change in scenery to a data centre coincides with the introduction of a layer of synthesizer arpeggiation.

When LeBron first falls into space, the first sample from the “Space Jam” title track is used, an obvious yet still effective confluence of lyrics and visuals. Notice as he enters “Tune World” at the one-minute mark how a partial clip of the classic Looney Tunes theme is played—in all its unapologetically low fidelity. This lasts just enough to deliver a nostalgic hit and leave us wanting to hear more of it, before being judiciously cut off.

We’re given a small reprieve from the music to help draw emphasis to the toon version of LeBron, and to cede the aural stage for Bugs’ iconic “What’s up, Doc?” line. In a scene that caters to the sound-and-image synch editing conventions of modern trailers, Yosemite Sam shoots the ball completely in rhythm with the soundtrack. The soundtrack responds accordingly, picking up in triplets where his bullets leave off. Notice also the subtle edit at 1:42 as Fred Flintstone manages a “yabba dabba doo” in serendipitous rhyme with the off-screen game announcer’s “welcome to”. These small sound-screen synch moments add greatly to the vitality, memorability, and immersion of their respective scenes.

The arrangement builds and intensifies continuously to the end, reaching a pivotal moment and synch point at the two-minute mark. Right to the end, the action is assiduously matched to music, such as the robot’s foot on the ball at 2:24 on the lyric “jam”, or granny kicking the ball a moment later. Overall, the trailer maintains a rhythm and flow of synch moments, segments where the music propels the action, and sections where the music hangs back in service of the narrative. Moreover, the music strives to toe the line between reminding one of the original Space Jam theme while leaving room to carve out its own identity.

Space Jam: A New Legacy is due in theatres July 16th and will follow on HBO Max one month afterwards.

— Curtis Perry