Jumanji is full of surprises. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) proved that it’s possible to softly reboot a beloved franchise starring a treasured actor such as Robin Williams with a new cast, and still make a competent film. The film’s secret was that it respected the legacy of the series by acting as a sequel to the original, yet carved its own path as a funny action adventure family film that tastefully modernised the setting.

Now, Jumanji: The Next Level breaks the shackles of sequelitis again by being just as entertaining and funny as its predecessor. Many of the film’s best tricks were foreshadowed in the trailers, but they’re still hilarious.

You may recall that in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, four Brantford High School students, Martha Kaply (Morgan Turner), Bethany Walker (Madison Iseman), Spencer Gilpin (Alex Wolff) and Anthony “Fridge” Johnson (Ser’Darius Blain), ended up stuck inside a video game featuring a dangerous jungle. Later, they met Alex Vreeke /Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough (Nick Jonas), who had been stuck inside for two decades.

Jumanji: The Next Level breaks the shackles of sequelitis by being just as entertaining and funny as its predecessor

Amusingly, they ended up in the bodies of unexpected video game avatars. The small, geeky kid Spencer was in the body of the tall and muscular Dr Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson). The muscular high school jock, Fridge, ended up playing the small zoologist Franklin “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart). The shy, geeky girl Martha was in the body of the scantily-clad fighter Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). And to her shock, the popular and shallow high school student Bethany (Madison Iseman) found herself in the body of the old and slow Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon (Jack Black).

All actors had fun in their roles playing high school students. Well, The Next Level takes things to the … next level. Three years later, the kids find themselves planning a reunion in Brantford after having gone their separate ways. At the reunion, Fridge, Martha and Bethany find that Spencer, who was fighting depression, is missing.

They visit his grandfather Eddie, played by the iconic Danny DeVito. At his house, they meet his friend Milo, played the equally iconic Danny Glover. We learn that Eddie and Milo used to be friends until they had a fall-out over the ownership of their diner.

In the basement of Eddie’s house, the students find the Jumanji game being repaired, and realise that Spencer is trapped inside. The game swallows Fridge and Martha, leaving Bethany, who goes to find Alex Vreeke for assistance in the real world. When Eddie and Milo head down to the basement, they too are sucked in.

The Next Level has you in splits by allowing the actors to have the time of their lives. While Fridge ends up in the body of Professor Sheldon and Martha is once again Ruby Roundhouse, Eddie is now in Dr Bravestone’s body and Milo is in Finbar’s.

The Next Level has you in splits by allowing the actors to have the time of their lives. While Fridge ends up in the body of Professor Sheldon and Martha is once again Ruby Roundhouse, Eddie is now in Dr Bravestone’s body and Milo is in Finbar’s.

In other words, The Rock does an impression of Danny DeVito while Kevin Hart does an impression of Danny Glover throughout the film. This makes for some side-splittingly funny moments, especially if you grew up watching these aged actors. Adding to the humour is that both The Rock and Kevin Hart occasionally forget their roles, and their voices switch to normal, almost like amateur improvisational comedy.

The film has fun with the characterisation, too. It’s almost cute how two old men in declining health are happy to be in more physically capable bodies. But The Next Level isn’t a one-trick pony. The film throws fun twists throughout. I particularly enjoyed watching the new Jumanji avatar, Ming Fleetfoot, played by the charismatic Awkwafina.

However, the film isn’t flawless. Not all the humour hits the target while some of the acting in the CGI sequences feels wooden. These shortcomings aside, Jumanji: The Next Level is more than a worthy sequel, and a good time at the cinema.

Rated PG-13 for adventure action, suggestive content and some language

Published in Dawn, ICON, January 26th, 2020

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