History Film / SpaceJam

* HeadTurningBeauty: Lola Bunny enters Schlesinger's gym to a {{Sexophone}} riff, and all the Looney Tunes to start EatingTheEyeCandy. Her ImpossibleHourglassFigure has Bugs Bunny especially smitten, to the point of [[LoveMakesYouDumb making a fool of himself]]. Even Foghorn Leghorn rubs his eyes in disbelief as Lola sashays toward the exit.

** Lola Bunny goes into a basket-busting frenzy whenever anyone calls her "Doll."

* CultSoundtrack: It went 6 times platinum, had hits by Music/{{R Kelly}} and Music/{{Seal}}, and[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewOzi5-AZXU a Monstars theme]] by a team of rappers, which is very popular to make mashups with.
* CurbStompBattle: The Monstars dominate the first half of the game, with the scoreboard itself hanging a lampshade on it ("Kinda one-sided, isn't it?"), and absolutely decimate the Tunes in the 3rd quarter of the game. After Jordan calls for a time out, we see the various characters in '''REALLY''' bad shape, with Tweety resting in an what looks like an iron lung!

* ComedicWorkSeriousScene: The film opens with a very young Michael Jordan practicing in his family's backyard court. When his father asks why he's up so late, Michael spells out his aspirations: to play at North Carolina University, then in the [=NBA=], then play pro baseball, just like his father. All these aspirations come true, as shown during the opening credits, up to the point that Jordan has completed the Three-peat with the Chicago Bulls, and is announcing his switch to baseball at a press conference. Then the scene pans into the sky, into space, and thence to Moron Mountain, where the lunacy begins.

* AffablyEvil: Blanko is rather nice compared to the other Monstars. He tells Michael he has cool shoes, and he shows concern for Tweety when he gets hurt by Bang. However, he does have one KickTheDog moment when he flattens Sniffles the mouse who was talking to him.

* AmusingInjuries: Done with both the Looney Tunes and the live-action actors. Michael Jordan gets compressed into a ball which is then dribbled, passed and dunked. Stan Podolak gets SquashedFlat under all five Monstars.

* BigEntrance: Appropriately so. All the Monstars and three of the Tune Squad's starting five (Bugs, Lola and Taz) get awesome entrances. Daffy attempts his own but [[ButtMonkey is met with silence]], and while Michael gets a round of applause, his entrance is a more straightforward NBA-style affair with no crowd pandering.

* ChirpingCrickets: The reception that Daffy gets during player introductions.

* DirtyCoward: At one point in the first game, all the Monstars are running towards Daffy who holds the ball. He despertely looks for someone to pass the ball to, only to realize there's no one free on the field. Does he try to defend himself from the Monstars? No! He throws the ball over to Granny who isn't even out on the field and she gets [[WouldHarmASenior dogpiled by the Monstars]]. Lola gives him a dissapproving look for this.

* DudeNotFunny: When Stan gets found snooping by the Monstars and is zapped to within an inch of his life, Daffy sneers that he looks like he ran into a bug zapper. [[TheChewToy Wile E. Coyote]] shoves him and gives a disapproving glare.

* HeadTurningBeauty: Lola Bunny enters Schlesinger's Gym to a {{Sexophone}} riff, and gets all the Looney Tunes to start EatingTheEyeCandy. Her ImpossibleHourglassFigure has Bugs Bunny especially smitten, to the point of [[LoveMakesYouDumb making a fool of himself]]. Even Foghorn Leghorn rubs his eyes in disbelief as Lola sashays toward the exit.

* InflatingBodyGag: When Stan gets SquashedFlat by the Monstars, some toon nurses use an air pump to blow him up into a large balloon, then deflate him back to normal.

** After Foghorn Leghorn gets burnt to a crisp by Bang, he makes a reference to [[UsefulNotes/KentuckyFriedChicken KFC]]. This is likely a nod to the time that he was a spokesperson for said restaurant.

* NakedPeopleAreFunny: So is a Monstar who gets pantsed in the middle of a game.

* NowYouTellMe: When Michael sees Stan get flattened and inflated, he asks how he did that. Bugs replies it's because they're currently in a cartoon world, and thus ToonPhysics apply. Michael gets annoyed at this since that info could've been helpful to him if he had known that earlier, but instead was told that with literally just ten seconds left on the clock.

** Also when they learn that the Monstars have stolen the talents from the NBA players. (Stan himself gets a beautiful one when the Monstars catch him spying on them.)

** Wile E. Coyote himself when he gets curb-stomped by the Monstars.
** Lola when she's almost crushed by Pound and Bugs gets squashed flat by Pound's belly-flop meant for her.

* CasualSportsJersey: The Monstars all wear basketball jerseys with the number zero. Curiously, they received these uniforms when absorbing the LiquidAssets of five NBA players, but retained the jerseys after forfeiting their powers. For the climactic basketball scenes, their uniform was different. Averted with the Looney Tunes characters, who only wear athletic wear during the Ultimate Game.

** The Monstars were adapted into endgame NPCs NPCs who serve both as enemies and keys to solving a vital puzzle in ''VideoGame/BugsBunnyAndTazTimeBusters''.

** The Monstars were adapted into endgame NPCs who serve both as enemies and keys to solving a vital puzzle in ''VideoGame/BugsBunnyAndTazTimeBusters''.

* BareMidriffsAreFeminine: Lola Bunny wears an athletic, midriff-baring outfit whereas the male Looney Tunes mostly don't wear clothes at all. When donning basketball gear, Lola's top is also midriff-baring and much shorter than her male teammates' full-length shirt.

* AssKickingPose: Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam do this during the second half slapstick montage after attacking one of the Mon-Stars. It's a direct ShoutOut to ''Film/PulpFiction''.

* DudeNotFunny: When Stan gets found snooping by the Mon-Stars and is zapped to within an inch of his life, Daffy sneers that he looks like he ran into a bug zapper. [[TheChewToy Wile E. Coyote]] shoves him and gives a disapproving glare.

* HeroicSacrifice: When Lola is about to be crushed by one of the Mon-Stars, Bugs Bunny throws himself in the way, knocking Lola out out of harm's way and allowing himself to get crushed.

* ArtisticTitle: The opening credits are shown over a fast-paced montage of Michael Jordan's basketball highlights, set to the movie's theme song. This montage includes highlights from Michael's high school years, his college years, the 1984 (and 1992) Olympics, and his professional career (first stint) the Chicago Bulls, essentially spanning from the late 70's to the early 90's, all leading up to the announcement of his first retirement from basketball in 1993.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: If you wanna get ''technical'', this movie is this towards Michael Jordan's retirement and return to basketball. In real life, Jordan retired from basketball due to burnout from the game, which was accelerated by participating in the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics and the murder of his father, joined Minor League Baseball for a few years and returned to basketball due to a combination of not wanting to be considered a "replacement player" during the 1994-95 Major League Baseball strike and the Chicago Bulls faltering heavily. As well, while he was considered a decent player, the movie considers him a terrible player who is way out of his league. Maybe it's just people's expectations as compared to Basketball.

* AgainWithFeeling: After the Nerdlucks lose by a narrow margin, Swackhammer takes all of his frustration out on them, going as far as smashing Bupkus's foot. Michael Jordan asks why they put up with him; Bupkus explains that it's because Swackhammer is bigger — and in repeating the line his friends realize that it's no longer true

--> '''Bang:''' (bitterly) Than we used...(eyes widen, too) to be.
-->(All the Monstars say oooh, realizing that they're MUCH bigger than their Bad Boss)

* AdaptationalAlternateEnding: The Junior Novelization has one, in which the Road Runner comes in and scores the second-to-last points of the game instead of Bill Murray. This was based on the original planned ending for the film.

This backfires when it turns out that the Nerdlucks can [[LiquidAssets steal the "talent" from athletes]] (they do this to NBA players Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson and Shawn Bradley in one of the movie's many, many subplots). This transforms them into [[OneWingedAngel the Monstars]] ([=aka=] -- wait for it -- The Mean Team). This is where Michael Jordan comes in, but during the time period the film is set in, he had retired to play baseball (and [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic that's not bad writing]], [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer that actually happened]]). Thankfully, he wasn't drained of his skills and had actually just ''un''retired at the time the film was made. [[note]]In fact, part of the deal was for Jordan to be provided with state of the art training facilities between takes.[[/note]] According to this film, saving the Looney Tunes is [[HistoricalInJoke the reason why he returned to basketball]].

'''Porky:''' ''(appears next to Bugs; stammers)'' That's my line! A-th-th-th--\\

'''Nerdlucks:''' That's all, folks! ''(Michael lifts the iris.)''

* AvoidTheDreadedGRating: In one scene, Michael is watching his old team on television after they have lost their talent. At one point, someone says "What the hell's going on!?" Surely enough, the film got a PG rating for "Brief mild language".

--> Daffy: We've got to get a new agent. We're getting screwed!

* AirplaneArms: Hubie and Bertie, cartoon mice, conduct the intros for the Tune Squad. As Hubie intros Michael Jordan, he uses the honorific "His Royal Airness," at which Bertie stops munching cheese and assumes the spread-arm airplane pose, mimicing an airplane making turns.

** The Monstars] were adapted into endgame NPC’s who serve both as enemies and keys to solving a vital puzzle in ''VideoGame/BugsBunnyAndTazTimeBusters''.

* TheGlomp: Michael Jordan has refreshed his basketball skills in Schlesinger's Gym when the clownish Stan Podolak appears, declaring, "Michael! You're all right!" In fairness, the last time Stan had seen Jordan, Michael had disappeared down a golf hole, and been missing for half a day. Stan waddles up to Michael and gives him such a hug that Michael is momentarily taken off his feet. "Don't hug me, Stan," he states flatly. Upon learning that Michael is helping the Looney Tunes win a basketball game, Stan becomes the TeamWannabe.
* GoodLuckCharm: After agreeing to play for the Tune Squad, Michael tells them they need to bring his gear from home, including his North Carolina shorts -- "They're lucky. I wore them under my Bulls uniform every game." (After they react with disgust, he assures the toons that he also ''washed'' them every time.) The shorts prove to be the hardest item to acquire, as they need the help of Michael's children to get them away from his AngryGuardDog.)

[[folder:A to D]]

* EleventhHourSuperpower: Michael uses ToonPhysics to stretch his arm long enough to score the winning dunk.

* FairPlayVillain: The Nerdlucks, who agree to use the basketball game to give the toons a chance to defend themselves.

[[caption-width-right:300:''Everybody get up, it's time to slam now\\

Welcome to the Space Jam\\
Here's your chance, do your dance at the Space Jam\\
All right...'']]

* CultSoundtrack: It went 6 times platinum, had hits by Music/{{R Kelly}} and Music/{{Seal}}, and[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewOzi5-AZXU a Monstars theme]] by a DreamTeam of rappers, which is very popular to make mashups with.

* AffablyEvil: Blanko is rather nice compared to the other Monstars. He tells Michael he has cool shoes, and he shows concern for Tweety when he gets hurt by Bang. However, he does have one KickTheDog moment when he flattens a mouse that was talking to him.

* OffModel: Occasionally[[labelnote:*]]and a side effect of having close to ''20'' animation studios involved with production[[/labelnote]], the Looney Tunes (mainly Bugs and Daffy) will switch from having the modern character designs to 40's Bob Clampet style designs. This is noticeable with the scene when they take Michael Jordan to their gym and clean it up.
** Elmer looks rather off in a handful of shots during the town meeting scene. Looking particularly ghastly when he joins in with the rest of the crew laughing at the Nerdlucks.

* MsFanservice: Lola Bunny has an ImpossibleHourglassFigure, and wears a BareYourMidriff crop-top and shorts outfit. Much of Lola's time in Schlesinger's Gym is accompanied by the {{Sexophone}}, where all the male toons demonstrate MaleGaze, while Bugs Bunny demonstrates LoveMakesYouDumb. Lampshaded by Tweety.