I'm not the kind of person who buys in to hype and I usually do a good job of keeping my wits about me. However, I must admit that back in 1996 I got caught up in the excitement surrounding Space Jam. I have been a Bugs Bunny fan for as long as I can remember. Michael Jordan played basketball at my alma mater. What wasn't too like. I clearly recall going to see it on opening night, and was utterly dismayed by the movie.

Space Jam opens with the introduction of Swackhammer (voiced by Danny De Vito), the owner of Moron Mountain, an amusement park on a far-away alien planet. Business is down and he's desperate for a new attraction. Seeing the Looney Tunes characters on a monitor, Swackhammer decides that he wants them for Moron Mountain, so he sends a group of his little henchmen to Earth to retrieve them. When the aliens arrive, Bugs Bunny (voiced by Billy West) refuses to go with them and he challenges them to a contest. As the aliens are very short, Bugs suggests that they play basketball. Bugs didn't count on the aliens stealing the talent from prominent NBA stars (such as Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, and Larry Johnson) and turning into giants. Clearly outmatched, Bugs kidnaps Michael Jordan and brings him to Looney Tunes land. Seeing the aliens, now known as "Monstars", Jordan agrees to help and begins to train the Looney Tunes. But, is there any way they can win the big game?

When we think of weird movies, we usually think of the work of David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky, or Terry Gilliam. But, what about Joe Pytka? He should definitely be on the list. "Who is he?", you may ask. He's the director of Space Jam, which must be considered one of the weirdest movies ever made. Don't think I'm serious? Watch the movie again. The film takes the real-life Michael Jordan and his real-life story, focusing specifically on the time period where he left basketball and tried his hand at baseball, and combines with the Looney Tunes. These are two stories which are guaranteed to not gel and they don't. This is then further combined with the storyline involving the Monstars coming to Earth and the cameos by NBA players, as well as Larry Bird and Bill Murray. Seriously, what the hell is Bill Murray doing in this movie? All of this is thrown together into a movie which makes little sense.

What is the purpose of Space Jam? It was suggested by some Nike commercials starring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, and the narrative rarely goes farther than that. In some ways, it plays like a biography is Michael Jordan...which just happens to have appearances by Looney Tunes characters. Or, is it a Looney Tunes movie which gets sidetracked into telling a story about Michael Jordan? Jordan is no actor and you can tell that he's not entirely comfortable interacting with things which aren't there. The scenes with Bill Murray feel as if he just wandered onto the set. The whole Monstars plot is silly and isn't the least bit engaging. Aliens come to Earth and agree to a game of basketball. Really? And the scenes with the NBA players go beyond awkward.

Still, there's something mesmerizing about Space Jam. It doesn't fall into the "so bad it's good category", as it's too polished for that. It's simply amazing to watch the various pieces of the movie attempt to come together. And, truth be told, the movie does have its moments. Even on his worst day, Bugs Bunny is still funny and he has some good lines here. In true Looney Tunes fashion, Daffy Duck (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) steals the show at times, most notably when he's being cynical. And while Bill Murray's presence makes no sense, he does have the best line in the movie. And, of course, you can't fault a movie which mentions The University of North Carolina several times.

Space Jam believes that it can fly on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Warner Home Video. The film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 20 Mbps. The image is very sharp and clear, showing no overt grain and no defects from the source material. The picture has a nice depth to it, and the animated scenes have display a nice effect where the foreground is separate from the background. The level of detail is pretty good, as we can make out the textures on some objects. The Disc contains a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 4.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The surround sound effects work very well, from the outer space sounds to the noises during the basketball game. The Monstars movements create some nice subwoofer effects. The stereo effects are good and do a fine job of illustrating off-screen sounds.

The Space Jam Blu-ray Disc offers just a few extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Director Joe Pytka, who is joined by Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. "Jammin' with Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan" (23 minutes) is clearly a made-for-TV featurette which explores the making of the movie. Through film clips, interviews and production footage, we see how the film was put together. This also includes a retrospective on Bugs Bunny and a look at Jordan's career. We get the MUSIC VIDEO for "Fly Like an Eagle" by Seal, as well as "Hit 'Em High" featuring Coolio and what looks like one of the guys from Cypress Hill. The final extra is the THEATRICAL TRAILER for the film.