The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 105

FILM 26 Friday, November 15, 1996 The Cincinnati Enquire LIVE COUNTRY WESTERN BANDS Wed, Fri. Sat. beginning at 9p.m. JUST-N-TYME THURSDAY-KARAOKE NIGHT HOMER'S LOUNGE 8 West Central. Sphngboro, OH Comer o( Rts 73 741 The Movie Everyone's Talking About! FIRST WIVES The 18th Annual Spectacular Art Fair with 300 Talented Exhibitors niconRitHieiw 'W, rpiflumumRcniRH rr PG UUUHIIMSIIMB.

NOW lLAYII(l! Cincinnati Craftstffair Thanksgiving Weekend NOV. 29, 30, DEC. 1 Friday, Saturday, Sunday The Convention Center I 671 G881 351 2232 11:10. 1:25, 11:00, 1:15, 1:05. 3:15, 3:45, 7:05, 3:30, 7:00, 5:30, 7:45.

9:35 11:55 9:20 11:45 10:10 4 12:20 mm C. 781-2246 Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan are adorable together in Space Jam. Dazzle of 'Space Jam' can't hide its lame story 342-6666 12:15,2:35. 12:15,2:25, 12:30,2:45, 4:55,7:15. 4:45,7:25, 5:00.7:50.

9:35 11:45 9:40 11:45 10:054 12:20 .0 jtf k. tiufe MOVIE REVIEW Space Jam (PG; cartoon violence) Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Bill Murray. 87 minutes. At National Amusements and Showplace 8. I I Carolfest 96 BY MARGARET A.

McGURK The Cincinnati Enquirer Space Jam scores most of its points with technical wizardry and the charm of its co-stars. Michael Jordan, the nation's sports idol, and Bugs Bunny, the nation's inner rascal, are reliably adorable just being themselves. The special effects in Space Jam are as cool as advertised. The movie's ambitious combinations of live action, animated drawings and computer-generated imagery yield no end of gee-whiz visual impressions. Unfortunately, the moviemakers apparently missed the key lesson of such predecessors as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Toy Story.

Technical spectacle amounts to nothing without a good story. The movie's production credits list four writers, reinforcing the theory that the more writers a movie uses, the weaker the story is likely to be and Space Jam spins a frail yarn indeed. An outer-space mogul (voice of (Raging Bull, The Fugitive) For example, the movie includes a technically marvelous scene when Bugs and Daffy Duck sneak into the Jordan home to collect the superstar's basketball gear and are glimpsed by his children. It looks like a million bucks, but it adds nothing, not even laughs, to the story. That's not to say there is no funny stuff in this movie.

The talent-deprived NBA players have some nice slapstick moments. The new Lola Bunny call me isn't on screen nearly long enough, and the script gives the characters some funny inside-Hollywood jokes kind of Mickey Mouse outfit would call its team the The movie also boasts a winning soundtrack that mixes rap, ballads and rock, and even revives the classic "Basketball Jones." Space Jam is worth a spin, but unlike its human hoops star (and despite what its relentless publicity machine wants you to believe), it's a far cry from the best of all time. Danny DeVito) plans to kidnap Looney Tunes characters for entertainment slaves at his cheesy amusement park. Bugs talks the space invaders into staking their scheme on a basketball game. The space critters steal talent from Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing and other pro players and morph into hoop-stuffing monsters.

Bugs recruits Michael Jordan to help win the game. The movie can't crack enough jokes to camouflage the fact that the plot is as ridiculous as it sounds, even for a cartoon no matter how good it looks, as shot by legendary cine-matographer Michael Chapman A Holiday Celebration In Song Come Sing Along With: The May Festival The May Festival Cincinnati Boychoir Chorus Youth Chorus Randall Wolfe, Robert Porco, Director Thomas Merrill Director Managing Director Queen City Brass Dancers from The Heather MacPhail, School for Creative Organist and Performing Arts Elaine Eckstein, Coordinator U( )Uf XJ Sp OK readers, hit the lights Saturday, December 7, 11 am Sunday, December 8, 2 pm and 5 pm All performances at Music Hall. Adults $8, Children (12 and under) $4 Call 513381-3300 Christmas is only six weeks away and WEEKEND is looking for the best light shows in town. Last year, we sent a team of reporters on a Charge of the Lights Brigade. Their mission: to find and report on the Really Good Displays.

This year, we're asking you to tell us where to go. If possible, send us a photograph (which can't be returned). Write to Tempo Lights, Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, by Dec. 2. Don't forget your name, address, neighborhood and daytime phone number (and the address and neighborhood of the light display if it isn't yours).

or come by the May Festival Box Office at Memorial Hail. All Seats reserved. Order early for best location! Saw' tot fTc C7 'ok 1 i. "3.