Review of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) by Raoul W — 09 Dec 2017

They always said it is bad to see a remake of a movie simply because we can't stop ourselves from comparing it to the original. Every now and then however, the remake is so far off the original that this issue does not manifest. This is the case with Jumanji. The 1995 version for example, was barely two years from the release of Jurassic Park with the incredible animatronics so it's a novelty to have a rhino and other animals running through the kitchen and scenes. The original Jumanji however, is a serious movie.

If you are expecting a logical "Oh I get it" movie, this is not for you. However, if you care to keep an open mind and just go out there to have fun, this movie will serve you well.

I find myself enjoying this movie tremendously.

Meet the cast of four high school teens. The super-size "Fridge" (Ser'Darius Blain), the nerdy geek Spencer (Alex Wolff), the shy Martha (Morgan Turner) and the selfie-obsessed narcissists Bethany (Madison Iseman). They met in detention for various reasons and found an archaic Atari type video game with a cartridge Jumanji. After turning it on, they found themselves transported into the game. And this is where the fun begins.

They found themselves in the bodies of the avatars they have selected in the beginning of the game. So the nerd Spencer is Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), the super-size Fridge in the body of Moose Finbar (Kevin Hart), the scholar is now bad ass Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), and the narcissist selfie-obsessed, ironically placed in a male body of Professor Shelly Oberon (Jack Black).

The story in a nut shell is that the group must return a stolen jewel from the eye of a large Jaguar statue while outrunning the villain army under the leadership of Hambone (Bobby Cannavale). Like I said before, expect no logic here. The group is put together with hilarity in mind as you can guess. They each packed with special skills and vulnerability and three lives which get used up every time they die. These "deaths" do generate some sweet moments and helped in the strategy of who does what.

There is plenty of action and humor in the adventure of finding and returning the jewel. Somewhere enters Alex (Nick Jonas) a "guide"/pilot who was sucked into the game twenty years ago and have been trying to get home since. The humor stems from the nerd getting used to having a muscular body, the Fridge diminutive statue and Bethany's fascination with her new penis.

While there were many "why?" scenes and illogical material, if we can accept that a man can fly and zombies can walk, we should be able to accept this movie for what it is. A fun and exciting adventure with a feel good climax. I would give it a three star out of five.

Directed by Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a modern spin on the classic Chris Van Allsburg book.