Note: I finally saw Space Jam: A New Legacy last week. I've been excited to see a new Looney Tunes film in theaters after so long and interested in its new direction: in a WB multiverse taking place in cyberspace. Of course, when I saw the final film, I was disappointed. I had high expectations for the Looney Tunes' theatrical comeback in a post-2003 world, and to a sequel of one of my favorite childhood films that I only thought would be half-possible.
Why was I disappointed? Well, because there was potential with the film's plot set in a cyber world with a WB multiverse and the Looney Tunes in a modern-day film to make it stand out from the franchise, and the potential was wasted just for Internet Protocol's sake and to focus it on Lebron's "father-son" plot, which didn't captivate me that much.
One of the things that really crushed me is that they raised my hopes my putting my favorite Looney Tunes female character, Penelope Pussycat, on the team and finally using her for a Looney Tunes team-up after leaving her out of stuff repeatedly, only to dash said hopes by pulling her out along with Pepe just because he is become controversial while Penelope is harmless. I'm aware that she's a side character, but since I first saw her in a different kind of role in the short Carrotblanca in 2011, after finding out her name, I thought she had more potential for a modern age than just being the silent cat Pepe always chases. I even thought she deserved to be used in gatherings more since she's constantly left out just for not being ultra-popular. Examples include Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Daffy Duck Meets the Groovie Ghoulies, Loonatics Unleashed (no descendant of hers), Wabbit or even a mascot for people to hug at Six Flags. I would certainly hug her if I was at that park.
You're all thinking "she doesn't need to be used for anything else, if Pepe goes, she should go down with him". Well, after seeing how Pepe is included in character groups and she isn't, I find it completely unfair that he's respected while she isn't. After showing she could have potential from Carrotblanca and Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem, where she had four different personas, it's wrong not to give her a new chance just for the sake of other characters we already know. New era, new ideas. They can only do the same old stuff for so long.
Now, I wouldn't have been truly upset over this film if they not only put other non-Pepe use for Penelope (or at least not advertised her, getting fans of hers excited), if I hadn't grown attached to her enough to see her as part of the group again in a sequel to a film for which I've pretty much waited my entire life, and if they would have put more effort into the first theatrical Looney Tunes film since Back in Action such as trying to balance focus between the Tunes and the basketball player.
Even though it will only half-satisfy myself, I will be doing a remake fanfiction of the sequel, which I was planning to do anyway in case. It will include Penelope, as well as Pepe somewhere, with small cameos by other Looney Tunes characters, and leave out cameos that were R-rated, such as the Droogs from A Clockwork Orange, and instead of aiming the focus completely on the basketball star and depicting the Tunes as sidekicks, it will try to juggle focus on both of them. I don't feel like giving too much differences away. It would also incorporate debunked fan theories of the film before it was released, such as the fact that the Looney Tunes are less popular than when they were.
I do not own the characters or properties used here. Of course, I don't know if I'll be using Lebron or some other famous NBA all-star, so for now, before I begin the actual story, they will be labeled as "famous basketball player" and "the basketball player's son", leaving suggestions open for names.
Preview:
We see a famous basketball superstar spending time with his sons. He was playing basketball with the first one, while the other was playing a basketball-themed video game. He then talked to the latter son, telling him, "You won't believe this, but we've just received some VIP passes for a tour of Warner Bros. Studios."
At the Warner Bros. Studios, the basketball athlete and his son were walking down the studio's halls, and they happened to come across posters of past Looney Tunes projects, including the first Space Jam. The father said with a son, "This studio's got a lot of great stuff. It wouldn't even be possible, of course, without the Looney Tunes. They even got to team up with MJ." You see, the athlete not only was into basketball, but he happened to be a big cartoon fanatic, especially to the classic ones.
His son scoffed, "Dad, get serious. With everything else like video games, I highly doubt the world even remembers the Looney Tunes."
When the two took a quick ride on the elevator, neither of them saw that the screen on top of the elevator changing to "A.L.G.". Once the two left the elevator, the basketball star saw that they were on a floor that didn't look like a usual studio floor. As the son went ahead, the father followed, exclaiming "Wait up! This looks like the wrong floor."
The two then found themselves in a room that looked like the inside of a computer. The dad, looking around, said, "I don't like the looks of this place."
The son, who was pulled in by a strange light, walked away to an odd orb, but as it began to glow, he quickly shouted, "Dad!" Then he and the orb both disappeared in a flash, to the father's alarm as he shouted "Son!"
As he ran up to that spot, another orb appeared, with the basketball star concerned as he asked, "What in the Matrix heck?" Then in another bright flash, he disappeared.
The next thing you know, the two found themselves in another dimension existing inside the computer, such as the one in the movie Tron. Then a giant computer-graphic figure who was known as Al G. Rhythm appeared, greeting the two, "Welcome, I am the king of this domain. This is the Warner Server-verse."
The father demanded to the humanoid algorithm, who made himself the same height, "You better let us go right now or there will be serious consequences!"
Rhythm's lackey, a floating lightbulb-type object with a face, named Pete said with worry, "Uh oh."
Rhythm then told the two, "You want to get back to the real world? Then one of you has to beat me in a little game of basketball." He then commanded to his lackey, "Pete, send these clowns to the rejects of this 'verse."
Pete squeaked happily as he spun a list of locations to send them, with some including "Bedrock", "Wizarding World", "Camelot", "Ga'Hoole", "Oz", "Gotham" and others, but it ended up on "Tune World". The lever was then pulled, sending the father and son falling through the hole, screaming, with Pete happily waving goodbye.
The two soared like lightning, passing various planets based off WB franchises and when they entered the world in question, they went through the red rings you see at the beginning of every Looney Tunes short. The son screamed, "Dad, what is happening?!" Then the two landed in the desert with a huge thud, sending a big animated mushroom cloud shaped like a basketball being dunked in a hoop.
Soon, the basketball player and his son were dusting themselves off, but something was different about them now: they were both animated.
The son asked, "Dad, what is this?"
The father then saw he was the size of a midget as he screamed before he used his thumb to blow himself up so he was his height again. He told his son, "We're cartoons!"
"Can this day get any weirder?"
As if to answer his question, a certain cartoon rabbit appeared, chewing his carrot and saying his signature catchphrase, "Eh, what's up, docs?"
Their reaction? Well, the son chuckled a bit before fainting.
Later, after explaining their situation to Bugs and everything, the three were exploring the Server-verse in a spaceship they borrowed.
The father said, "We're trying to assemble a team of elite players to get us home. Know anybody?"
The rabbit said with an uneasy look, "Well I know just the crew except I'm not sure if they're the crew YOU want."
After time has passed, we see pretty much the whole Looney Tunes cast gathered back on the Tune World.
The basketball star said with a grin, "Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about! The Tunes are back for another game, baby!"
Lola then spoke to everyone, "Which pains me to tell you that...I won't be playing this time." The other Tunes gasped in shock before Lola continued, "Because I will be coaching this time. For replacements, I've assigned a couple other Tunes." The replacements she meant were Melissa Duck, Petunia Pig, and Penelope Pussycat, now in Tune Squad uniforms. Lola held the arm up of Penelope, showing her to the crowd, with the cat grinning nervously.
Most of the Tunes groaned, thinking she wasn't a good addition to the team. Daffy groused, "Well, there goes the championship."
A frowning Pepe and Sylvester, Penelope's closest friends, each smacked the back of the duck's head.
Soon, the decided Tunes, mostly the popular ones and semi-popular ones, who were picked for the new Tune Squad, got suited up with their 90's jerseys, while the other Tunes were sitting off to the sides as spectators.
Porky pointed out, "W-w-we don't need a basketball game in front of the whole v-v-viewing world."
Lola replied, "We didn't need to have a game in the 90's either, but that happened anyway."
After a beat, Porky then shrugged, "Good point."
We see the Tunes training for the big game as Lola clapped her hands, saying, "Let's get started."
Daffy then tossed the ball to Yosemite Sam, exclaiming, "Sam, shoot the ball!" So, by shooting, Yosemite grabbed his pistols and shot wildly at the ball, deflating it with the other Tunes darting off. As he shot all the air out of it, Daffy's beak was on backwards as he said dryly, "Let's try that again, shall we?"
On the day/night of the big game, a bright light exploded over the Tune World, with the basketball star becoming live-action again. That's not all, the Tunes were starting to go from 2D to CG. Once the big game was announced, many characters of the Warner Server-verse have been racing off to head for this game. Some included the Mystery Machine with the Mystery Inc gang doing a Tokyo Drift-style drive, the Iron Giant stomping through, the storks from Storks flying through, various Hanna-Barbera characters, the yetis from Smallfoot, the animal characters from Cats Don't Dance, and too much else to mention.
"Welcome to..." Rhythm's voice boomed.
"Yabba-dabba-doo!" Fred Flintstone shouted as he, his family and the Rubbles peddled by, while pulling Bamm-Bamm in with them.
"the Space Jam!"
King Kong pounced by, roaring.
"Whooo!" Rhythm exclaimed in anticipation for this game.
Soon, the Tunes, now in CGI and new updated blue Tune Squad jerseys, looked all around their landscape, seeing the enormous crowd of Warner Bros. characters, animated and live-action, gathered to watch the new game.
"Introducing..." announced Rhythm.
We see instances of the rival team, who consist of a spider-like woman, a golden robot, a male Harpy-type figure, a male who can turn into both a water-type being and Human Torch-esque being, and a snake-like woman. They all resembled NBA and WNBA superstars.
"The Goon Squad!"
Upon the sight of them (or at least until the actual remake is shown), Daffy's jaw dropped in shock. We then see the basketball player's son leaping onto a glowing arrow icon button and leaped high into the air, starting the game somehow.
Bugs then said to everybody in a pep talk, "Just remember, docs, we're all in this together."
Pepe then shot the ball upward with his tail. We then see the basketball star's son and Penelope sitting, looking concerned for the Tune Squad.
Then we get a slow-motion shot of the basketball star leaping high in the air to make a shot with everyone watching in awe, but the leap was ruined when he ended up hitting the pixelated force field by mistake, making most everyone cringe.
Bugs remarked "Yikes!"
Then the star slid down the screen and fell flat on the floor, with Tweety clones flying around his head and the real Tweety appearing on his shoulder chuckling, "Oh ho ho! Cwassic!"
"Cyberspace Jam"
As the gold robot, Chronos, dribbled the ball rapidly, Petunia and Melissa glared at the opponent. The determined girlfriend of Porky's said to her friend, "Mel, we're gonna go hog-wild on his butt!" The Goon Squad's eyes widened, surprised that a pig and duck would take on him. The two girls then leaped in the air and joined hands together, doing a two-person cheerleader-type move, with Petunia smacking the ball and hitting in the net, scoring.
The famous basketball star, Bugs, Daffy and Porky were impressed.
"Whoa!" the human exclaimed.
"Those are our gals," Daffy said proudly.
That's all I can share now. I have some other stuff in store, including some twists and three or four different endings, but don't want to give everything away.
Also, I thought Cyberspace Jam would be a more fitting title as they are in cyberspace.