A take on the legendary game for the current generation, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle shows that it can adapt itself into any form for any generation to experience the wonders and the difficulty of the game itself.
Does this film make you want to call "JUMANJI!" out loud so that all the animals can hear and roar back in unison? Well, kind of. It is worthing watching the main characters spouting the same thing over and over again, those same background characters abruptly leaving, vague clues and traps being left for deciphering by the players and respawning, et cetera.
It is a pretty smart continuation of the original Jumanji of 1995, when Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt first played Jumanji's original incarnation as a board game.
Nothing much can be said about the new Jumanji except for "it's okay." It is full of laugh out loud moments, especially with the comedic dynamism of Kevin Hart and Jack Black in the mix. It is fun to watch, the story is good and the action is generous but not hyperbolic.
Karen Gillan's action scenes are the most entertaining and the most interesting, considering that her "abilities" in the Jumanji world are that of a warrior.
The same can be said for Dwayne Johnson's protagonist character, which is presented as having "no weakness." Both Gillan and Johnson are able to provide their own comedic turns and they bounce well off each cast member.
A surprising appearance in this film is Nick Jonas, who does well in his role as the seaplane captain and Alex Vreeke.
However, the case is not the same for the film's main antagonist.
The film's main villain, Dr. Van Pelt (played by Bobby Cannavale), is incredibly underwhelming. Van Pelt was never the main obstacle in the film he is merely an easy speed bump. His villainy is somewhat convincing and all, but he does too little other than throw the old sniggering evil villain look a couple of times.
On a lighter note, Rhys Darby is always an absolute pleasure to watch. It seems that any scene in any film or series that features this New Zealand comedian is a delight because his unique comedic presence just shines through.
In Jumanji, he plays the fitting Dr. Billingsley, the NPC guide to the heroes' journey in the Jumanji world and although he is not part of the main hero team, he acts as the suitable bookends to the travels.
The film's ensemble cast makes it easy to ignore the merits of the younger actors in the film. Because the film presents itself as a balance between reality and fantasy, it is a challenge to not let one part dominate the other.
Obviously, the Jumanji scenes offered insights into how the fantasy characters function, which fills the gap neatly so as to not deviate too much from their personalities.
You've got the nerd (Alex Wolff), the jock (Ser'Darius Blain), the loner (Morgan Turner) and the popular girl (Madison Iseman) who are forced to grow and act out of their typical personalities when they assume completely different characteristics in the Jumanjigame.
It is an underlying story of the benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone and personal development. In the end, these four characters, most of whom do not know each other deeply before that fateful journey into the virtual jungle, experienced a bond that's way more meaningful than most high school relationships. And they emerged out of this one afternoon different and better people.
It's The Breakfast Club all over again. Only this time, the detention room is a dense fictionalmjungle.
Directed by Jake Kasdan
Based on Jumanji by Christ Van Allsburg
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Bobby Cannavale
Productiom company: Columbia Pictures
Distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment (2)
Running time: 119 minutes
Dylan Amirio
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Does this film make you want to call "JUMANJI!" out loud so that all the animals can hear and roar back in unison? Well, kind of. It is worthing watching the main characters spouting the same thing over and over again, those same background characters abruptly leaving, vague clues and traps being left for deciphering by the players and respawning, et cetera.
It is a pretty smart continuation of the original Jumanji of 1995, when Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt first played Jumanji's original incarnation as a board game.
Nothing much can be said about the new Jumanji except for "it's okay." It is full of laugh out loud moments, especially with the comedic dynamism of Kevin Hart and Jack Black in the mix. It is fun to watch, the story is good and the action is generous but not hyperbolic.
Karen Gillan's action scenes are the most entertaining and the most interesting, considering that her "abilities" in the Jumanji world are that of a warrior.
The same can be said for Dwayne Johnson's protagonist character, which is presented as having "no weakness." Both Gillan and Johnson are able to provide their own comedic turns and they bounce well off each cast member.
A surprising appearance in this film is Nick Jonas, who does well in his role as the seaplane captain and Alex Vreeke.
However, the case is not the same for the film's main antagonist.
The film's main villain, Dr. Van Pelt (played by Bobby Cannavale), is incredibly underwhelming. Van Pelt was never the main obstacle in the film he is merely an easy speed bump. His villainy is somewhat convincing and all, but he does too little other than throw the old sniggering evil villain look a couple of times.
On a lighter note, Rhys Darby is always an absolute pleasure to watch. It seems that any scene in any film or series that features this New Zealand comedian is a delight because his unique comedic presence just shines through.
In Jumanji, he plays the fitting Dr. Billingsley, the NPC guide to the heroes' journey in the Jumanji world and although he is not part of the main hero team, he acts as the suitable bookends to the travels.
The film's ensemble cast makes it easy to ignore the merits of the younger actors in the film. Because the film presents itself as a balance between reality and fantasy, it is a challenge to not let one part dominate the other.
Obviously, the Jumanji scenes offered insights into how the fantasy characters function, which fills the gap neatly so as to not deviate too much from their personalities.
You've got the nerd (Alex Wolff), the jock (Ser'Darius Blain), the loner (Morgan Turner) and the popular girl (Madison Iseman) who are forced to grow and act out of their typical personalities when they assume completely different characteristics in the Jumanjigame.
It is an underlying story of the benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone and personal development. In the end, these four characters, most of whom do not know each other deeply before that fateful journey into the virtual jungle, experienced a bond that's way more meaningful than most high school relationships. And they emerged out of this one afternoon different and better people.
It's The Breakfast Club all over again. Only this time, the detention room is a dense fictionalmjungle.
Directed by Jake Kasdan
Based on Jumanji by Christ Van Allsburg
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Bobby Cannavale
Productiom company: Columbia Pictures
Distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment (2)
Running time: 119 minutes
Dylan Amirio
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
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