Monday Movie Mania - Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Not to speak ill of the dead, but this version of Jumanji was way better than the Robin Williams version. I'm not sure I like this one better because the majority of the chaos is kept inside the game itself, or if it's because everyone playing the game retained their memories in this version.

The writers treat Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle as a sequel to the 1995 version. It literally starts where the last one left off, with the board game partially buried in the sand on a beach. It's found by Alex's dad, who brings is home for him.

Alex is too absorbed in his video games to care, so the game transforms itself into a game cartridge to entice Alex. And so the movie begins pretty much like the 1995 movie...

I debated about putting a SPOILERS warning. The new version follows a similar formula as the 1995 version, but there's enough twists, I don't want to ruin it for you either.


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) While Jack Black as popular, blond Bethany's game avatar is played for gender-bent laughs, Jack actually brings a sweet, sensitive touch to his role.

2) Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart carry through with the same comedic timing and chemistry they displayed in Central Intelligence.

3) When I heard Nick Jonas was in this, I thought "???" The kid actually did a wonderful job as Alex's avatar. Especially, his honest emotional reaction when he learns from the other players he's been trapped in the game for twenty-two years.

4) Karen Gillan can do no wrong. As the avatar of the geeky Martha, watching her try to distract the bad guys was hysterical. (And she appropriately savaged the insanity of her wearing nothing in the jungle.)

5) The little callbacks to the 1995 version were sweet, especially Alex living in the hut that Alan (Robin Williams) had built decades ago.

6) Colin Hanks as adult Alex was adorable. He named his daughter "Bethany, after the girl who saved my life".


CONS
1) Ummmmm......uhhhhhh......I really can't think of anything. The writing was tight, the performance were wonderful, and the film captured the Bugs Bunny insanity of '90's videos games.


Overall, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle earned its 10 out of 10 stars!