REVIEW: Jumanji: Welcome to The Jungle

From the nostalgic 1995 movie, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has pretty big shoes to fill. What more could you really want from a Jumanji sequel?

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle brings a great mix of old and new. The original Jumanji starred young kids in the major roles! Like Kirsten Dunst was only 13 when the movie was released. All of the “kid” roles are older in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, as the part of the film not set inside the jungle world takes place in a high school. Even when the adult characters take over, the film’s premise is that The Rock, Karen Gillan, and the rest are characters that are actually teenagers – which is actually pretty amusing to watch. And the cast did an amazing job portraying their characters in the body of a adult, but young at heart.

In the brand-new adventure Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the tables are turned  as four unlikely friends are sucked into the world of Jumanji.  When they discover an old video game console with a game they’ve never heard of, they decide to play and are immediately thrust into the game’s jungle setting, in the bodies of their avatars, played by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan.  What they discover is that you don’t just play Jumanji – Jumanji plays you.  They’ll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, or they’ll be stuck in Jumanji forever.

The new film, directed by Jake Kasdan, is wittier and more humorous than the first movie, and of course, the advancement in digital effects — which include albino rhinos, aerobatics and dazzling set designs — are far snazzier. It also delivers a message, geared to teens, about overcoming their insecurities, without pounding the lesson into the group.

Finally, what makes Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle such fun is the character interactions – not the special effects or plot. For a classic and highly anticipated Hollywood reboot movie, this is quite a feat. Kudos to the whole cast for being able to accurately portray high school kids. Very convincing acting from everyone!  Like video games,  there’s not much character development – but a whole lot of Hart delivers his one-liners with precision and much emotions, and Johnson is hilarious as the muscular avatar of a high school nerd.

The filmmakers have  to create a genuine sense of danger in this jungle world they’ve got the right balance — without actually scaring the younger viewers which makes the film still very family friendly with parental guidance. It’s a PG-13 movie after all.

It strikes the balance between referencing its nostalgic origins without being over the top. And it makes way for the new protagonists/lead characters to shine. This is also the type of film where you know the ending already. Everything will turn out fine in end! It’s the journey that makes the film exciting.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle makes an explosive entrance this January 8, 2018. Be sure to catch this while it’s out in the wild!