Looney Tunes purists frequently comment that Space Jam was a sellout to commercial interests. Not only weren't the characters portrayed innovatively and with bad voice jobs, but political-correctness reduced the cast to a pale shade of their classic selves in a giant NBA commercial.
I agree that it will be *extremely* difficult to produce a live-action/animation combo with any success. With the exception of Roger Rabbit, it's rarely been accomplished since the old Disney days, and in these days of rampant commercialism it'll be almost impossible to find your favorite classic characters doing anything besides pushing brand-name products.
Unless a miracle happens, the golden age of classic animation shorts is over. 7-minute cartoon stars of yore can't stand up to a 90-minute feature. The result is a watered-down commercial for Nike, Pepsi, or the movie's toy-line. Sure, the kids will love it, but kids have no appreciation for the value of classic material because they can't get it anymore, what with Cartoon Network, the exclusive source, censoring their material for PC-ness (see the Speedy Gonzales story). All that matters is that their parents will spend money for it - produce the minimum quality material for maximum profit.
What do kids want to do after seeing a Bugs Bunny cartoon? They want to see another Bugs Bunny cartoon. What do kids want to do after seeing Space Jam? They want to go to a basketball game, buy basketball merchandise, buy Space Jam toys, videos, clothes...
Looney Tunes purists frequently comment that Space Jam was a sellout to commercial interests. Not only weren't the characters portrayed innovatively and with bad voice jobs, but political-correctness reduced the cast to a pale shade of their classic selves in a giant NBA commercial.
I agree that it will be *extremely* difficult to produce a live-action/animation combo with any success. With the exception of Roger Rabbit, it's rarely been accomplished since the old Disney days, and in these days of rampant commercialism it'll be almost impossible to find your favorite classic characters doing anything besides pushing brand-name products.
Unless a miracle happens, the golden age of classic animation shorts is over. 7-minute cartoon stars of yore can't stand up to a 90-minute feature. The result is a watered-down commercial for Nike, Pepsi, or the movie's toy-line. Sure, the kids will love it, but kids have no appreciation for the value of classic material because they can't get it anymore, what with Cartoon Network, the exclusive source, censoring their material for PC-ness (see the Speedy Gonzales story). All that matters is that their parents will spend money for it - produce the minimum quality material for maximum profit.
What do kids want to do after seeing a Bugs Bunny cartoon? They want to see another Bugs Bunny cartoon. What do kids want to do after seeing Space Jam? They want to go to a basketball game, buy basketball merchandise, buy Space Jam toys, videos, clothes...