‘Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle’ is a fun remake
A remake of the 1995 hit comedy starring Robin Williams, “Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle” (2017, Sony, PG-13, $28) could have been little more than a special-effects showcase. But, instead, director Jake Kasdan demonstrates an almost Spielbergian ability to balance action, comedy and human moments.
The plot is about teenagers sucked into a video game where they’re forced to inhabit the bodies of their avatars (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan).
Boasting well-staged traps and escapes, lively interactions between the characters and a life lesson or two, “Jumanji” is popcorn entertainment at its best. Extras: gag reel and featurettes.
Also New to DVD
The Last Movie Star (2017, Lionsgate, R, $20): Even more so that “Boogie Nights,” this bittersweet comedy gives Burt Reynolds a chance to dig deep and show his range. He plays a former matinee idol named Vic Edwards who flies home to Tennessee to pick up an award from a two-bit film festival. Initially a disaster, the trip gives Vic an opportunity to journey through his past. Is the movie as good as Reynolds? Not quite. But it keeps on serving up surprises, including some funny generation-gap comedy as well as a number of stunning dream sequences in which Vic is inserted into clips from “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Deliverance.” Extras: deleted scenes, featurette and commentary by director Adam Rifkin. Children Of the Corn Runaway (2017, Lionsgate, R, $20): The ninth entry in the long-running series is something of a direct sequel to the initial film, which chronicled children in Gatlin, Nebraska who killed their parents under the influence of a demonic presence. Now grown up with a teenager of her own, the former Gatlin kid Ruth (Marci Miller) has settled into another Midwest town, struggling to escape visions from the past and keep her child safe. There’s a high body count but “Runaway” works best as a character study of a strong woman tottering on the edge of a breakdown. Extras: deleted scene. The Last Laugh (1924, Kino, unrated, $30): The rare silent classic which only includes a few intertitle cards, this heartbreaker by German giant F.W. Murnau (“Sunrise”) details a proud doorman’s (Emil Jannings) demotion and subsequent downward spiral. No mere character study, “The Last Laugh” becomes more universal as it goes along, finally seeming to dramatize the frustration and anguish of the entire working class. And Janning’s performance is truly shattering; it ranks as one of the finest turns of the pre-talkie age. Extras: featurettes, commentary track and expert version of the film. The Sandlot - 25th Anniversary (1993, Fox, PG, $25 ): After “The Bad News Bears,” this might be the most beloved kiddie baseball flick of all time. It’s 1962 and fifth-grader Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) has just moved to Florida with his folks (Karen Allen, Denis Leary) when he’s recruited by some neighborhood kids for their ragtag baseball team. Every day, the pals head off to a dilapidated sandlot where they spend hours just playing the game. Writer/director David Mickey Evans avoids many of the pitfalls of sports movies with his vibrant screenplay and breezy direction. “The Sandlot” is a real diamond in the rough. Extras: featurette, booklet and baseball cards. The Hero (1966, Criterion, unrated, $30): From Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray (the “Apu” trilogy) comes a strange, psychologically rich character study of a movie star (Uttam Kumar) in crisis. Aboard a train bound for Delhi, Kumar meets a fledgling journalist (Sharmila Tagore) whose questions about his career inspire him to reflect on past mistakes in a series of fascinating flashbacks and dream sequences. Ray also offers up snapshots of some of the other passengers on the train but the best sequences focus on Kumar as attempts to make peace with the man he’s become. Extras: featurettes. Hair (1979, Oliver, PG, $20): Milos Forman’s adaptation of the hit Broadway show is something of a mixed bag, with some sequences (the fantastic “Age of Aquarius” opening number, “Easy To Be Hard”) working beautifully and others (a trippy wedding number) feeling aimless and indulgent. Still, all things considered, this saga of a young Vietnam recruit (John Savage) falling in with a bunch of New York hippies (Treat Williams, Annie Golden), captures the anything-goes vibe of the 1960s with spirit and vitality. Extras: none. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood - It’s A Beautiful Day Collection (1979-2001, PBS, unrated, $20): Before you check out the upcoming documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” give your eyes over to this wonderful collection celebrating the 50th anniversary of the beloved kiddie show. Watch as Mister Rogers helps youngsters understand the importance of kindness and compassion. There’s more than 14 hours of episodes spread over four discs. Extras: the premiere episode in black-and-white. Laugh-In - The Complete Third Season (1969-1970, Time-Life, unrated, $22): One of the best seasons of the groovy comedy series finds Goldie Hawn explaining time zones and overpopulation; Greer Garson introducing the Farkle Family; and the arrival of Lily Tomlin who brought her characters Edith Ann and the Tasteful Lady to the party. Best of all, Tomlin’s Ernestine skewers “the establishment” with hilarious calls to President Nixon, Hubert Humphrey and William F. Buckley. Extras: featurettes.