Jumanji: The Next Level
Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart / 113 minutes / Fantasy / PG / A VL S / In-seat
If you were a child (or a parent of kids) in the 1990s, you’ll likely remember the fantastical plot of the first Jumanji film starring the late Robin Williams: two siblings find themselves transported to the world played out on their favourite board game and adventures ensue. More than two decades later, in 2017, the story was revamped when Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle hit screens starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black, with the premise given an update by replacing the board game with a video version. The latest instalment sees the crew return to the digital Jumanji universe, where they not only have to win the game – they have to fight to survive it. No longer in familiar jungle territory, their latest quest sees them transported to both sandy desert dunes and snow-capped mountains as they try to recover the magical Falcon’s Heart necklace. The special effects are big-screen impressive and director Jake Kasdan (Bad Teacher) gets the playful best from his A-list cast. A family-friendly all-rounder, there are plenty of laughs that grown-ups will appreciate as much as the kids, including The Rock’s impression of Danny DeVito as the latter’s character becomes trapped in the body of the former.
In a feat of movie make-up mastery and experienced acting chops, Charlize Theron is former Fox News prime-time anchor Megyn Kelly, the central voice in the telling of this true story. It’s 2016 and Donald Trump is on the presidential campaign hustings. Kelly’s fellow Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) is fired and accuses the network’s president, Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), of sexual harassment – rumours that have dogged the media giant for years. More women come forward with stories similar to Carlson’s and Kelly feels pressured to share her own experience. Margot Robbie plays a fictionalised character, young journalist Kayla Pospisil, who is favoured by Ailes. This fast-paced film has a broad scope, capturing the political mood of the time, the harassment within Fox and the force of the Me Too movement. Theron and Robbie steal their scenes, Kidman is reliably good and the excellent supporting cast includes Kate McKinnon and Allison Janney.
In this award-winning techno-thriller, Elliot (Ramy Malek) is a quirky computer programmer with social anxiety disorder working in a mainstream job. But he’s also an underground hacker so brilliant that he’s recruited by Mr Robot, the leader of fsociety, a gang of anarchist hackers intent on bringing down the world economy. It’s a wild ride as this unconventional hero delves into an alternative world where nothing is what it seems.