Movie Review: Jumanji: The Next Level

Jumanji: The Next Level *** / *****

Directed by: Jake Kasdan.

Written by: Jake Kasdan and Jeff Pinkner & Scott Rosenberg based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg.

Starring: Dwayne Johnson (Bravestone), Jack Black (Dr. Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon), Kevin Hart (Mouse Finbar), Karen Gillan (Ruby Roundhouse), Awkafina (Ming), Danny DeVito (Eddie), Danny Glover (Milo), Nick Jonas (Alex), Alex Wolff (Young Spencer), Morgan Turner (Young Martha), Madison Iseman (Young Bethany), Ser’Darius Blain (Young Fridge), Colin Hanks (Young Alex), Rory McCann (Jurgen the Brutal), Rhys Darby (Nigel).

 

The two new Jumanji films from the last couple of years are basically inoffensive fun – action comedies for the whole family, that you can go in and enjoy. It has also been an actors showcase for the four stars – who of course, are not playing themselves, but playing teenagers in adult bodies. The first movie had the biggest action star in the world Dwayne Johnson having to embody a nervous, un-athletic teenage boy, who has to take some time to get used to the power his new body affords him. It has Karen Gillan play an insecure teenage girl, uncomfortable in her own body, now having to play a knockout in not very much clothing, and having to get comfortable there as well. Jack Black was basically playing a bubbly teenage cheerleader. Kevin Hart probably had to stretch himself the least – while the teenager in his body was a hulking football player, frustrated to be in a small body, it still required him to basically me a motor mouthed comic relief.

 

In the new film, appropriately subtitled The Next Level, the filmmakers push this even further. There was only gender swapped character in the first film, and for the most part, people didn’t cross racial lines either. This time though, everything is swapped all over the place – and most of the actors playing the video game avatars have to inhabit two different characters throughout the course of the movie. I don’t think the movie does all that much with all this gender and racial swapping – but its interesting just the same that they are doing it.

 

I won’t bore you with how the characters get sucked back into the video game Jumanji – it’s the least interesting aspect of the film. But basically, Spencer (Alex Wolff) heads back in first – and his friends follow to try and rescue him. When they get there though, there are some surprises. Fridge, who was Kevin Hart last time, is now Jack Black. Martha is still is Karen Gillian’s body. Bethany is nowhere to be seen – and it’s a while before they find Spencer. But they are joined by two new characters – Spencer’s grandpa Eddie (Danny DeVito) and his former best friend and partner Milo (Danny Glover) have been sucked in as well – and DeVito is no Dwayne Johnson, and Glover is Kevin Hart. Eventually another new avatar – played by Awkafina – will join them.

 

What follows is more of the same. The Next Level is bigger than the first film, the missions are harder. And the actors are clearly having more fun. Johnson seems to be loving playing Danny DeVito – a man who all of sudden feels good, for the first time in a long time – no aches and pain, and more power than ever. Kevin Hart slows his delivery way down to be more like Danny Glover, and is hilarious. Jack Black has some fun too – without pushing things too far. Gillian probably has the most thankless role – she doesn’t get to stretch, and has to be the voice of reason. Newcomer Awkafina is a delight – especially in her second incarnation.

 

The film moves quickly, with a lot of humor, and a lot of action adventure style action sequences that are a lot of fun – a herd of ostriches, a pack of monkeys, a climax involving the new villain appropriately named Jurgen the Brutal. The movie is light and quick, funny and entertaining from beginning to end. They could push deeper I presume if they wanted to, but they want to keep it that light – and keep having making them. In the audience, I had fun watching it. I’ll likely forget it all by the time the third film comes out – but these films deliver exactly what they plan on – and just a little bit more.