’30 For 30′ Parody Tackles the “Real” Events of ‘Space Jam’

For reasons that remain totally baffling to us, the 1995 'Space Jam' has been seeing a nostalgia-fueled resurrection in the past couple of years, with the children of the '90s now old enough to attempt elaborate defenses of the things they loved in their childhood. The movie, which saw Michael Jordan teaming up with the Looney Tunes to defeat a team of aliens in a game of basketball, is about as commercially crass and ugly as mainstream filmmaking can get ... which makes this video parodying it all the more awesome.

A short faux documentary presented in the format of ESPN's frequently incredible '30 For 30' series, the video treats the events of 'Space Jam' as fact, with various sports analysts and retired players commenting on the showdown between the "Tune Squad" and the "Monstars" with genuine awe. You'd probably enjoy this video if you've never seen a single '30 For 30' film, but the details are spot on, from the tempered enthusiasm of some of the talking heads to the overly dramatic closing text.

Of course, the fact that all of this is played completely straight-faced is what makes the joke work. 'Space Jam' is a ludicrous movie, so seeing so many "experts" talk about it as if it were a real thing is just plain funny. It would have been easy to go over the top, but the reserved tone and strict adherence to the '30 For 30' house style makes this one of the most clever comedy videos we've seen in a while.

'Space Jam' may be awful, but at least it led to this!