In 1981, writer/illustrator Chris Van Allsburg released the children’s book Jumanji about a jungle-themed board game that comes alive. The book was adapted into a 1995 film starring Robin Williams and directed by Joe Johnston that was financially successful. Seven years later, the similarly themed Zathura: A Space Adventure, also based on a Chris Van Allsburg book, was released. Though not a direct sequel, the film was still considered to be within the same universe as Jumanji. Unfortunately, the film underperformed at the box office despite positive reviews, so the franchise was put on hold. Then, 2017 saw the release of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, initially a remake, but changed to be a sequel. The film was a surprise hit with critics and audiences, making over $400 million domestically and over $900 million worldwide. Following its success, 2019 saw the release of a sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level.
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Synopsis
One year after the previous film, Spencer (Alex Wolff), Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain), Martha (Morgan Turner), and Bethany (Madison Iseman) split. While Fridge, Martha, and Bethany plan to meet up in Brantford, Spener is reluctant and decides to return to Jumanji. The others go to his house to find him, realize he’s in the game, and decide to go after him. While Martha returns to play Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillian), Fridge ends up as Professor Sheldon Oberon (Jack Black). Bethany gets left behind, and Spencer’s grandpa Eddie (Danny DeVito) and estranged friend Milo Walker (Danny Glover) get sucked in. Eddie is playing as Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) and Milo is Franklin Finbar (Kevin Hart), much to the others’ dismay. They eventually find Spencer playing as Ming Fleetfoot (Awkwafina) and try to work together to beat the game, again. It’s a race against time to beat Jumanji and make it back home.
Review
While I did enjoy the first Jumanji as a kid, I will admit that it hasn’t aged very well. So, when I first heard about Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, I was initially skeptical and had little expectations. When I eventually saw the film, I was pleasantly surprised at how fun, exciting, and heartwarming the film was. Naturally, I was excited about the sequel, though I was concerned about how it would compare to the previous film. I’m happy to report that, while it isn’t as fresh, Jumanji: The Next Level is still an enjoyably fun ride. Like the last film, one thing that makes this film work so well is its strong cast. Not only are the in-game avatars as fun as ever, but the main characters also add tons of heart. Franchise newcomers Danny DeVito and Danny Glover are also a welcome addition.
Speaking of them, some of the biggest laughs come from Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart’s impersonations of their human counterparts. Johnson perfectly mirrors DeVito’s raspy and nasally voice while Hart captures Glover’s intentionally slow line delivery effortlessly. Along those same lines, it’s fun seeing Jack Black replicate Blain’s performance, also earning some of the biggest laughs here. As with the previous film, the action sequences offer the right amount of thrills to go along with the comedy. One issue I had with this film was how they recycled some of the same jokes from the last film. Admittedly, some of the callbacks were pretty funny, and many of those moments are few and far between. This film isn’t going to be a big game-changer, but it’s still a fun watch, and that’s perfectly fine. Overall, Jumanji: The Next Level is an entertaining thrill ride that does its job well enough.
