'West Side Story'

'Space Jam'

Space Jam is able to poke fun
ketball. If the aliens win, the
Toons become amusement park at both Jordan and Warner
ust in case anyone forgot slaves; if Bugs and company win, Brothers. Since the movie pur-
ports to take place during
what a star athlete Michael they get to stay in Toon
Jordan's short-lived base-
Jordan is, the new movie Town. A Toon victory ap-
ball career, references
MOVIES
pears
inevitable
until
the
Space Jam is a 90-minute re-
are
made to Jordan's pa-
Nerdlucks steal basket-
minder of Jordan's prowess.
thetic
hitting
ability. Because he's
ball
talent
from
NBA
players
In the opening scene, a young
a
baseball
player,
the Nerdlucks
Jordan is shooting baskets out- Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing,
don't
realize
it's
Jordan's
bas-
Muggsey
Bogues,
Larry
Johnson
side his house, telling his father
ketball
talents
they
should
be
af-
and
Shawn
Bradley
and
turn
how he wants to play basketball
ter.
into
what
appears
to
be
an
un-
at North Carolina, win a cham-
And at one point, even Daffy
pionship, go on to play in the beatable cartoon version of the
Duck and Bugs Bunny dis-
©1996 WARNER BROS.
NBA ... Get the idea?
cuss merchandising. Daffy
The plot of Space Jam is
asks Bugs if he's seen any
simplistic, and if you've
of the money from their
seen the previews, the sto-
mugs and T-shirts.
ryline won't be a surprise.
Despite a PG rating,
Tiny creatures from outer
there
is little parents will
space, called Nerdlucks,
find
offensive
or inappro-
land on earth to kidnap
priate.
As
long
as the
Bugs Bunny and the rest
movie
is
taken
for
what it
of the Looney Tunes. The
is, a film filled with com-
space aliens want to take
mercial references, it's a
the Toons back in a des-
worthwhile outing for the
perate attempt to add ex-
kids. But, buyer beware, in
citement to their failing Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan get together in the live
a mere sentence, reference
theme park, Moron Moun- action/animated comedy Space Jam.
is made to Hanes,
tain.
Bugs will not surrender to the Fab Five. Without spoiling the Wheaties, Gatorade and Big
pint-sized aliens, and deciding to ending, let's just say it's not hard Macs (all products Jordan him-
take advantage of their size, chal- to guess who wins the basketball self has hocked).
lenges them to a game of bas- shootout. When the game ends,
1.12
ZOI•
Jordan has just-enough time to
get
from
Toon
Town
to
the
sta-
Jennifer Finer is a staff writer
— Jennifer Finer
dium for his baseball game.
and sports junkie.

Rated PG

tionally into their lives. The leads
est Side Story, playing at — Tony (Jeremy Koch), Maria
the Detroit Opera House, (Sharen Camille), Bernardo
is a part of Michigan (Kevin Albert), Anita (Natascia
Opera Theatre's "Build- A. Diaz) and Riff (Christian Bor-
ing on a Dream" season. This pro- le) — move well, sing well, act
duction —MOT mounted its own with sincerity. But "Maria," sung
several season's back which be- by Koch, does not throb; Maria's
came its all-time biggest draw — "I Feel Pretty' sounds cute rather
now on tour around the country than elated. There's no magic be-
and labeling itself the "Interna- tween the pairs of lovers, either.
tional Tour," preserves the orig-
A few moments spark or
inal production as a kind
catch fire: Anita and
of tribute, yet entombs it,
Maria's duet; the Rum-
THEATER
too, just like the death of
ble scene, "Tonight" and
Romeo and Juliet in
"Somewhere." (These last
Shakespeare's play, its progeni- two are exciting more for extra-
tor.
ordinary lighting by Natasha
The dances are carefully craft- Katz, though, than almost any-
ed to look like Jerome Robbins' thing else.)
and capture his style; Leonard
Under Donald Chan, the or-
Bernstein's music sounds as chestra sounds fine, and the mu-
great as ever, especially in the sic is served well. But the vitality
miraculous second act with and intensity, the tragedy of the
Aaron Copland and Prokofiev in- original, and some subsequent
fluences; the plangent lyrics writ- productions, are missing.
ten by Stephen Sondheim and
If you've seen no other, it may
Arthur Laurents' deft retelling, be worth a visit because the
set in 1950s New York with rival greatness of the show is not di-
gangs and a tragic Puerto Rican- minished, only unenhanced.
Anglo romance, are all intact.
The bland cast, however, nev-
Qik-) 40, 1/2
er breaks loose to sweep us emo-
— Michael H. Margolin
writes about

W

Michael H. Margolin

the arts.

j

'The Mirror Has Two Faces'

fact, we've seen this movie before.
Imagine Fanny Brice as a pro-
arbra Streisand is not afraid to take fessor of literature at Columbia
on provocative issues. In her new and Nicky Arnstein as the gor-
movie, The Mirror has Two Faces, she geous math professor who also
tackles mother/daughter conflicts, happens to teach at Columbia,
perceptions of beauty and self-esteem and and you get the general idea.
Of course, by the end of the
the notion of romantic love versus platonic
movie, after many plot turns,
love.
Barbra Streisand is Rose Morgan, lit- Rose and Gregory realize that ro-
erature professor at Columbia; Jeff mantic, passionate love is a cru-
Bridges is Gregory Larkin, the handsome cial part of their relationship.
and, incredibly, dateless math professor. They affirm their love in a great
The two meet, become fast friends, then make-out scene on the streets of
marry. Their marriage is based on mu- New York, complete with senti-
mental music swelling be-
tual respect, shared affection, but
hind them.
not romantic love.
This sentimental mu-
MOVIES
Both Streisand and Bridges are
sic
is an inside joke be-
entertaining and attractive in their
Gregory
respective roles, and it is great fun to see tween the two characters, a cliche Rose (Bar bra Streisand), right, endures a tortuous dinner with her mother, Hannah (Lauren Bacall), and
The
Mirror
Has
Two
Faces.
they
have
mocked
in
their
im-
es)
in
the
romantic
comedy
(Jeff
Bridg
Lauren Bacall as Rose's mother. When
she's given lines that go beyond shtick, passioned discussions of love and
Wonder why romantic love is so hard to
relationships. If only the rest of
she knows what to do with them.
find?
When the lights came on in the the-
the
movie
was
as
slyly
self-aware.
The
di-
But this movie is a disappointment. In
alogue is cliched, the musical score is ma- ater, the men were long gone, while the
— Lynne Avadenka
nipulative and intrusive and the film has women stayed to watch until the dancing,
Lynne Avadenka is a Huntington Woods
embracing
couple
faded
from
the
screen.
some jarring scene edits.
artist.

PG-13

T H E D E TR O I T J E W IS H N E W S

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