Sony Pictures’ 2017 reboot of Robin Williams-led 1995 film Jumanji with Welcome to the Jungle was an unexpected surprise hit, marking a rare example…
Sony Pictures’ 2017 reboot of Robin Williams-led 1995 film Jumanji with Welcome to the Jungle was an unexpected surprise hit, marking a rare example of a blockbuster updating its own high concept by reinventing its core story into an epic video game adventure featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black recast as four mismatched high school students drawn into an old console and given avatars that are diametrically opposed to who they really are in real life.
In the new movie, two recently orphaned siblings living at their aunt’s New England mansion discover an abandoned copy of Jumanji in its attic and begin playing it, picking up where their older brother left off by summoning mosquito swarms and monkeys into a game with jungle landscapes and junglescapes; eventually rolling a five and freeing Alan into it all while being told they must complete it to return home.
So when they find themselves trapped inside the game, the teens realize they must work as a team to return home and protect the real Jumanji from computer genius Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale). Many beloved characters from previous installments return – Spencer Gilpin plays archaeologist Dr. Xander Bravestone; Fridge Johnson makes an appearance as diminutive sidekick zoologist Moose Finbar; Bethany Walker returns as scantily clad commando Ruby Roundhouse!
Director Jake Kasdan and co-writers Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner keep the spirit of the original alive while adding an intriguing spin, creating an entertaining family adventure full of laughs, thrills and even some emotional scenes that touch upon a number of real issues.
Jumanji: The Next Level stands out from other effects-driven blockbusters by having some clever ideas that go beyond its effects-driven facade. For instance, its wildlife includes stampeding herds of elephants, zebras and giraffes thundering through household hallways; cannonball-size mosquitoes that deliver windshield-puncturing proboscises; as well as an impressive lion with sinewy physique and guttural roar that will send chills down any young viewers’s spine.
Glover and Awkwafina’s addition is greatly welcomed, particularly their hilarious impersonation of DeVito – not to mention his slow delivery of some lines that create another element of humor for this cast. While all actors perform admirably as themselves, Gillan truly steals the show as Martha with her standup performance.