GET ON BOARD FOR ANOTHER JUMANJI CAPER

WHEN little Alan Parrish was sucked into the Jumanji board game while playing with his best friend Sarah Whittle in the first movie, he had to wait in ajungle until someone rolled the dice to afive or an eight.

He stayed there for 26 years before returning to the real world, with the late Robin Williams playing the adult Alan.

As a child watching the movie back then, I’ve always wondered where Williams’ character went and what the “jungle” actually looked like for all that time he had to stay there. With the arrival of

fans will get to explore the actual world of Jumanji.

In this brand new adventure, Jumanji fans will be served with anew line-up of characters, but the storyline does provide aconnection between the current and the original one.

In this film directed by Jake Kasdan, the lead characters are actually teenagers played by adult actors like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan.

There is certainly aconnection between the new and old film. It’s also akind of tribute to the late Robin Williams, where traces of Alan’s existence can be seen as the story develops.

So what’s the difference between the old and the new? Well, the Jumanji game

gets atech update (sort of), evolving from board to video console game. Here, the timeline of the movie starts from 1996. On the surface, the plot centres on four unlikely friends who get sucked into the world of Jumanji after they discover an old video console game during detention in school but in the bodies of their avatars, played by Johnson, Hart, Black and Gillan.

Johnson plays atough, muscular avatar called Dr Smolder Bravestone when in the real world, he’s anerdy teenager named Spencer. Hart is ashort, zoologist named Moose Finbar who lacks strength and endurance, ahuge contrast to Fridge, the high school jock.

Gillan’s avatar is an overtly sexualised action commando called Ruby Roundhose when the actual player is Martha, aloner. Black plays Professor Shelly Oberon and is the avatar of Bethany White, the most popular girl in school.

Let’s just say Bethany isn’t too pleased to be winding up in Shelly’s body but I enjoyA watching Black channel his inner teenage girl.

Nick Jonas fans get to see him in action too as he plays Jefferson ‘Seaplane’ McDonough, another player stuck in the game.

It’s apretty cliched storyline from here on as the group joins forces for adangerous adventure and overcome their differences to save the day. Otherwise, they’ll be stuck in Jumanji forever.

I thought the director assembled afun group of talent for the film. Put Johnson, Black and Hart in one film and you’ll enjoy agood laugh till the end credits roll.

Though the film is acomedy packed with kick-ass action scenes, it explores the classic timeless theme of embracing who you really are. You’ll come to realise that the players and the avatars are not as different from one another as you would think.

It’s ajourney of self-discovery that plays out in afantastical context.

Of course, the visual effects appear much more real and complex in this movie but both the old and new stand out in their own way.

While the first movie had adarker, scarier vibe, this film is all action and comedy.