Review of Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) by Schnitzelpoof — 13 Jan 2020

I came to this movie with somewhat low expectations. I watched the previous entry, and while entertaining, and clever, it didn't leave me with a lasting impression. I expected an average experience.

However, Jumanji: The Next Level really took the ideas and characters of the previous film to the next level. Rather than taking the easy route, and introducing new characters, the four original protagonists return, and their relationships had evolved prior to the plot. This requires to both portray new complications, and new dynamics between them. Kudos to the writers for that.

Danny DeVito and Danny Glover proved to be an excellent addition. The interactions they provide - both in real life, and in the world of Jumanji - are rich, and humorous. I liked the display of the generation gap, when it comes to video games, and how the two adapted to concepts that were previously very foreign to them.

All the actors perform well in this film, and seem comfortable in their roles. Their fun translates to an overall fun experience for the viewer as well.

For me, one scene stood out above the others. It includes a perilous situation involving rope bridges and numerous angry primates. It reminded me of a similar scene in The Hobbit, where the heroes were in no real risk, and the horde of enemies provided no actual threat; no decisions based on character personality were made, and the whole thing was reduced to a perfectly timed CGI dance. Jumanji chose to provide much more than eye candy that fits a video game cut-scene, and again kudos to the writers.