Capsule Review (Minimal spoilers):
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a sequel to the 1995 film Jumanji, if in basic premise, only. Several children are tricked into playing a game, with dangerous consequences. This sequel puts them right in the middle of the situation, and have to find their way through.
It’s an action comedy that’s a lot of fun. The jokes are good, and relatably entertaining. There is some violence of the PG-13 variety. It is also available as a 3D movie, but I did not see it that way. I could definitely see how and where they made use of it, so it might be worth seeing that way.
Highly recommended, as it’s refreshing and fun.
Main Review:
For various reasons, 4 high schoolers receive detention. As punishment, they have to clean out an old storage room. While poking around, one of them finds an old video game, so they decide to ditch the work and play the game. After starting and choosing their players, they get pulled into the game, much like in the movie Tron. They become the characters they chose, who were pretty much unlike who they were as teens.
After a few moments of confusion, they realize they’re controlling/playing the characters they picked in the game, and are nothing like what they act like in school. It’s an awkward way to start, but you end up with the nerdy kid being Dwayne Johnson, the jock being the diminutive Kevin Hart, the wallflower being the kick-ass fighter Karen Gillan, and the social media queen being in the body of Jack Black. The trailers have given us that much, and it’s where the fun begins. You don’t really need to know the character names here, because the actors, for the most part, are playing “themselves”, as far as their public personas appear to be – Kevin Hart as the wise-cracking side kick, for example.
There are more than a few references to video games, and some are very funny, when you figure out what’s going on. You get the sense that the movie was written by someone who’s spent a bunch of time playing them, so it works well. That, by itself, is not bad, but like a video game, the villains have to play a role in how the story develops. Bobby Cannavale plays a good villain here, if not a bit creepy. Here, he’s the challenge they must overcome.
As I mentioned, it’s an action comedy. The action is good, as is the CGI. Clearly, that’s improved a lot since the original film. It’s gotten good enough that it really gives you a sense you’re there, in reality. Some of the animals may look a little off, but it’s not as obvious as it was in 1995!
Even with a PG-13 rating, this is a movie that everyone can enjoy. There isn’t anything that’s a major flaw or inconsistency, and the balance of action and comedy is good.
Definitely recommended!