Although highly anticipated by fans, a clip of a Porky Pig rap battle in Space Jam: A New Legacy, where he raps against Don Cheadle under the name the Notorious P.I.G., is getting a harsh reception on social media. In fact, some Twitter users are citing this as the reason they won't be seeing the sequel when it's released on July 16, 2021.
The criticism began when Warner Bros. released a new clip featuring Porky Pig dropping mad rhymes against Don Cheadle, who plays the villain in the film. Daffy Duck calls him the Notorious P.I.G., which is an obvious play on the real rapper the Notorious B.I.G., as Porky Pig comes to the stage dressed to look a bit like a famous rapper. Porky stumbles over his words at first but soon the Notorious P.I.G. pulls it all together to rip into Cheadle, even concluding with his famous "That's all, folks" catchphrase and a well-placed mic-drop. You can check out the clip in the Twitter post below!
While some might find this scene to be a fun spoof of hip-hop, many are finding the scene to be absolutely cringeworthy. This is likely not the response that Warner Bros. was hoping for with one Twitter user saying, "At first, I thought Space Jam 2 was just going to be a bad blockbuster but now I'm thinking…this might be BAD. This might 2021's answer to Baby Geniuses 2. WB may b sitting in one of those movies that goes down forever on the shortlist of the worst of all time." Yikes! A Baby Geniuses 2 comparison? Nobody wants that! You can check out more of the Twitter reactions below!
Not all Space Jam fans are throwing shade at the clip. Some are defending the rap battle scene by reminding naysayers that Bugs Bunny rapped in the original movie. According to one fan, "Bugs Bunny did a rap on the original Space Jam soundtrack so this is nothing new, honestly you watch this for the wacky silly send up of pop culture, why are people expecting anything else?" You can check out some of the Twitter support below!
Space Jam: A New Legacy is still expected to do solid business at the box office, despite what people may be thinking about the Porky Pig rap battle. I also agree that some people could be blinded by nostalgia because the original film is filled with moments that don't land but fans still love the film. Let this new generation have their film full of cringeworthy moments that they'll still love years from now.
Did YOU like the Porky Pig rap battle? Space Jam: A New Legacy hits theaters and HBO Max on July 16, 2021.