Jumanji-Welcome to the Jungle--Movie Review--What a reboot!

Jumanji-Welcome to the Jungle was an unneeded reboot. 

But so what, it’s a great reboot.

The movie begins in 1996 where the father of a high school student, Alex, discovers the board game Jumanji while out for a run on the beach.  He takes it home, gives it his son Alex who it puts it aside since no one plays board games anymore.  The game realizes it must adapt it to the modern world, and with flash and a boom it transforms into a cartridge game.  Steve wakes up due to the noise, starts the game and is then sucked into the game.

It is then twenty years later, and we are introduced to four students at Brantford High School, who for various reasons are in detention.  Spencer Gilpin, the nerd, who wrote homework essays for his friend, Anthony “Fridge” Johnson a football player.  They are joined by Bethany Walker, the Instagram obsessed teenager, and Martha Kaply, the I’m too smart for gym class type, both who both disrespected their teachers.  During their detention Fridge discovers the Jumanji video game hidden in the basement.  Now how it got there from Alex’s house 20 years ago, well, we just don’t ask those questions.  But board with their assignment of taking staples out of magazines for recycling they take a break to play the ancient video game.  As soon as Spencer presses start they are sucked into the game.

Spencer becomes the group leader, Dr. Smolder Bravestone, played perfectly by Dwayne Johnson. 

Fridge becomes Franklin “Moose” Finbar, a zoologists who knows everything about every animal, played by Kevin Hart.

Martha becomes Ruby Roundhouse a commando, played by Karen Gillan.  

Bethany becomes an overweight cartographer Professor Sheldon Shelly Oberton played to pitch perfect perfection by Jack Black.  

The four are dropped into the world of Jumaji, where after Oberton is quickly eaten by hippo and then spit back into the world, thus showing they only have three lives in the world.  Once they escape the hippos again they are introduced to Nigel Billingsly the guide for the game.  He gives them a large emerald that has to placed in a jaguar statue somewhere deep in the jungle of Jumanji.

Thus begins the adventure. Dwayne Johnson really has some comedic talent, playing a nervous teenage boy set in a wrestlers body.  

Kevin Hart does his role well, especially when his role is about being the backpack guy.  Also, his weakness is eating cake.  He dies when he eats cake.  Why?  I don’t know. 

Jack Black is in his element playing a Instagram obsessed teenager.  He has probably the best lines.

Karen Gillian plays the Rudy Roundhouse character to its best silliness.  There isn’t much too do with that character, expect that she is in love with Spencer (Dwayne Johnson), which makes for a silly on screen kiss.

Nick Jonas comes in about halfway through the movie as the avatar for Alex, who has been stuck in the game for 20 years. Nick is a nice complement to main characters.

Final Thoughts

The movie is more fun and silly than should be expected.  This is a good time at the movies.

I would recommend seeing this in the theater now.