Although I don't believe anyone was crying out for a sequel to the Robin Williams family film Jumanji, things turn out surprisingly well in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. With a clever update to the plot and a very game cast, the film is a fun distraction for the holidays.
In order to change things up the possessed board game of the first film, that causes you to play a jungle-themed adventure that could get you killed, decides to transform into a video game. This change-up allows this sequel to be its own thing. Director Jake Kasdan has no intention of running through the same beats of the first film and instead milks the premise for lots of laughs.
That premise is based around the conceit that each player picks an avatar in the game to play. This allows for teenage stereotypes straight out of The Breakfast Club to play their opposites, exposing some of their flaws in character. The video game obsessed nerd for example chooses to play as Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson). All muscles and bravery, Bravestone is who the teen wishes he could be. The cocky jock ends up as short sidekick Mouse Finbar (Kevin Hart). The prissy, social media obsessed girl chooses the curvy scientist only to be transformed in to the rotund Sheldon Oberon (Jack Black). The shy, defensive girl transforms into Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan) who is a killer of men.
Once the transformation into the game avatars happens, the movie really hits its stride. Jack Black playing a self-obsessed teen girl is pure comedic gold. He steals every moment he can in the film. Hart and Johnson are very funny as well and Gillan manages to embody someone who is shy while looking like Lara Croft.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle follows a pretty formulaic plot in terms of how the teens will escape the game and the lesson they learn along the way. Audiences will likely see where things are headed right away. This doesn't deter from the fun the film brings but it does make you wonder if the film could have been better if the story had relied less on tropes. The film succeeds because the cast are so game to play teenagers.
In the end, the film offers up plenty of laughs and its message, while very heavy handed, is a positive one about finding the courage to be yourself. The best moments of the film play off the star power and their willingness to riff on themselves. Any film that has Jack Black playing a teenage girl who gets her first boner at the sight of a Jonas brother has to be doing something right.
3.5/5
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