Preview This! 'Space Jam: A New Legacy'

Opening this week at a screen near you:

Space Jam: A New Legacy    (2021) PG

The son of famed basketball player LeBron James has been kidnapped by a rogue artificial intelligence. Now LeBron must join forces with Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes gang to win a basketball game to get LeBron's son back.    Space Jam: A New Legacy Website

What to Watch For: Unlike the original Space Jam, which was set in Outer Space, this film is set in Cyber-Space.

Word on the Street: You will notice that the opening credit sequence is a take-off of the famous Game of Thrones title sequence.

My Take: The big question is if Michael Jordan, the star of the first film, will make an appearance in this film.

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain   (2021) R

A documentary about the legendary chef, writer, and TV host Anthony Bourdain, who traveled across the world in search of great food and exciting cultures after publishing his groundbreaking book Kitchen Confidential made him a worldwide star.     Roadrunner Website

What to Watch For: The film uses photos, news stories, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from his TV shows, along with numerous interviews with friends, family, and former wives, to give us an up-close and personal look at both the man and the myth.

Word on the Street: The film is directed by Morgan Neville, who won an Academy Award for his 2014 documentary Twenty Feet from Stardom.

My Take: We all felt we knew Bourdain through both his writing and his TV shows, but because of his suicide, I am hoping it sheds some light on why he felt he had to end his life.

Pig    (2021) R

A famous truffle hunter, Rob (Nicolas Cage), lives alone out in the Oregonian wilderness, isolated from the world he left behind many years ago. When he is brutally attacked and his prized truffle hunting pig is kidnapped, Rob returns to his past in Portland in search for her and the people responsible.    Pig Website

What to Watch For: Cage felt so strongly about the project that he decided to sign on as a producer of the film.

Word on the Street: The cast includes Adam Arkin, Alex Wolf, Gretchen Corbett, and Tom Walton.

My Take: Having seen the 2020 documentary The Truffle Hunters, I know how much money there is to make in the world of truffle hunting and also just how weird some of the characters that do the hunting are.

Fear Street Part Three: 1666  (2021) R

We go back to the origins of all the problems to see how the curse of accused witch Sarah Fier started, which changed the lives of Shadysiders forever.      Fear Street Part Three: 1666 Website

What to Watch For: This is the third and final (?) film in the Fear Street trilogy after Part One: 1994 and Part Two: 1978.

Word on the Street: The films are based on the Fear Street book series by R.L. Stine, who visited the set during filming.

My Take: I love how we didn't have to wait years to find out what happens to the Fear Street gang.

Summertime   (2020) R

The story of what it's like to live in present-day Los Angeles as told by 27 young people over the course of a single day.    Summertime Website

What to Watch For: The film was developed in a summer workshop with the 27 youth poets who appear in the movie, all as co-writers and stars of the film.

Word on the Street: The film is directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada, awarding-winning director of Blindspotting (2018), Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), and numerous music videos featuring such stars as Carly Rae Jepsen and Billie Eilish.

My Take: The film has done well on the film festival circuit, including winning at the 2021 Seattle International Film Festival and the 2020 La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival.

Gunpowder Milkshake   (2021)  R

Sam (Karen Gillan) was only 12 years old when her mother, Scarlet (Lena Headey), was forced to abandon her. Sam was raised by the crime syndicate that her mother worked for and was trained to follow in her mother's footsteps. Now, Sam has chosen to cross the syndicate to save an innocent eight-year-old girl (Chloe Coleman) and must find her mother and her lethal associates to help her take down the syndicate known as The Firm.      Gunpowder Milkshake Website

What to Watch For: To fill out the cast, the film has chosen some legends: Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett, Carla Gugino, and Paul Giamatti.

Word on the Street: Writer/director Navot Papushado is best known for his award-winning 2013 thriller Big Bad Wolves.

My Take: Any film that has some of my favorites, like Karen Gillan (Doctor Who), Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), and Carla Gugino (Karen Sisco), is a must-see in my book.

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions   (2021) PG-13

Six people find themselves locked in a series of escape rooms and have to join forces with two of the original survivors, finding out that they all have something in common; they have all played the game before.     Escape Room: Tournament of Champions Website

What to Watch For: This is a sequel to the highly successful 2019 film Escape Room.

Word on the Street: Taylor Russell and Logan Miller come back as their characters from the first film.

My Take: I am always ready to see a horror/adventure film.