I’m not sure that Space Jam fans would be lining up to see a sequel like this but the anime aspect of it is kind of interesting. Now if only Sailor Moon would consent to shaving. In any case, it’s the same kind of concept as basketball star Jeremy Lin announces his retirement from the game and rather than going into a different sport he announces that he’s going to be watching anime and playing video games as a hobby. That might be enough to turn heads if anyone decided to say it, especially a celebrity. But as he’s playing games one day Lin gets sucked into the anime world where he’s greeted by Naruto, Gohan, Sailor Moon, and Yugi Moto.
They meant to pluck Michael Jordan from the real world but somehow got Lin. How you would mistake the two is kind of hard to see but, okay. Anyway, Lin is recruited to the team to train them so that they can beat a group of sports fanatics that are threatening the team in some way. Each one of them has their own power set and is able to beat anyone in a straight up fight, but this is a basketball match, meaning that their powers are essentially useless on the court. At least that’s what we’re led to believe initially as it’s quickly surmised that the team is really no good and can’t even make a simple layup. They can’t even play defense really. You would think that top notch warriors would be able to track a guy dribbling a ball with relative ease, but these guys make it look a though Lin is the one with the unbeatable superpowers while they’re nothing but novices.
When it comes time for the game however they unveil their new team name, the AnimeAniacs, which none of them seem to like except Naruto, and the other team just gets a good laugh at. It’s pretty much all Jeremy Lin’s game at one point until he figures that it might be better to let the others use their powers rather than hold them back. Once they learn how to harness them and use them to the greatest extent the game becomes almost easy, and as it ticks down to the final seconds the last score is all on Jeremy as he goes for the patented Michael Jordan dunk, stretching his arm out, around, up, and back again through the stadium in an effort to make that final dunk to win the game. This is the defining moment when it becomes clear that Lin is the key to the whole game, that his presence is what matters, and that the reason he’s there is to…
…fail, miserably.
Believe me, I thought it would run true to form as well since the first Space Jam was concluded with the final shot being made and the toons winning the game. Maybe that’s the biggest difference though, they got Jeremy Lin and not Michael Jordan.
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