‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ review: Inventive, likable sequel
Four teenagers stuck in detention discover a video game that pulls them into a fantastic world in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” It’s an inventive, slightly clunky and mostly likable sequel to a movie that could be described the same way, 1995’s “Jumanji.” One difference between the two is the original allowed its talented star, Robin Williams, to flounder in a sea of CGI effects, while this followis, refreshingly, far more interested in its human cast.
That isn’t immediately clear in the film’s exceedingly slow start, which introduces four characters swiped straight from “The Breakfast Club:” brainy Spencer (Alex Wolff), misfit Martha (Morgan Turner), football star Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) and queen bee Bethany (Madison Iseman). After wondering only briefly why there’s a video game in their detention hall, they plug it in, choose their avatars and find themselves transported into the jungle of Jumanji.
Here’s where things pick up: Skinny Spencer is now Dr. Smolder Bravestone, an action hero with the pumped-up pecs of Dwayne Johnson; Martha becomes Ruby Roundhouse, a svelte knockout in boots and short shorts played by Karen Gillan; the massive Fridge shrinks into Kevin Hart as perpetual sidekick Franklin Finbar; and best of all, self-centered Bethany becomes Dr. Sheldon Oberon, played by Jack Black.
You may ask: Though good for an initial laugh, how long can this wrong-body comedy shtick pay off? The answer: pretty much the entire movie. Nobody here has the physical chops of Steve Martin sharing a body with Lily Tomlin in “All of Me,” perhaps, but these four are awfully good. Johnson and Hart carry over their chemistry from “Central Intelligence,” Black is pitch-perfect as a princess with a new pot belly and Gillan, as Martha-turned-Ruby, deserves credit for wondering aloud why her video-babe self is so underdressed. Most surprisingly, the new identities provide a rather touching emotional moment near the story’s end.
Director Jake Kasdan (“Bad Teacher”) and his four writers provide little narrative connection to the original film aside from a mention of Williams’ character, Alan Parrish, and a new version of the villain Van Pelt (a slightly underused Bobby Cannavale). That’s perfectly all right. “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” has plenty of flaws, but it’s at least strong enough to stand as its own movie.
‘JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE’ 2.5 stars. Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black. Rated PG-13 (some scary action and video-game deaths). Running time: 1:59