An interesting follow-up that learns from some of its mistakes while making a few more, Jumanji: The Next Level, once again co-written and directed by Jake Kasdan, flies into theatres just two short years after 2017’s Welcome to the Jungle – a surprising amount of quality coming from the opportunistic sequel (that has a bit of a lackluster title).
Jumanji: The Next Level, or as I like to call it, fantastical Indiana Jones-lite, picks up, like the sequel, a few years after the concluding notes of Welcome to the Jungle. The rag-tag high school team that accidentally entered the gonzo 90’s style video game are now off doing their thing. . . queen bee Bethany (Madison Iseman) is helping people in impoverished countries, Anthony ‘Fridge’ Johnson (Ser’Darius Blain) is furthering his focus on fitness, while originally shy Martha (Morgan Turner) is now flourishing at college. . . nerdy Spencer (Alex Wolff) is the only one struggling a bit in his new life. Seeing his on again/off again girlfriend Martha enjoying life through social media brings him down a notch, a touch depressed in his less than fulfilling big city college world.
Returning home to Brantford over the Christmas break, they plan to reunite for a festive brunch. One of the film’s biggest stretches comes here, for Spencer decides to risk his life once more to recapture the fleeting feeling of grandeur found in the immersive fantasy world of Jumanji (a big problem is that the game and system were partially destroyed at the end of the last feature). Feeling like a bit of a stretch, in the end, it is needed if you are going to have a sequel (as much as I’m not a huge fan of the plot point).
Soon learning that their friend has taken the dangerous plunge, they decide to follow him into this wild world, only problem: they are not able to select their characters due to the damage sustained by the game. Oh, and there is the fact that Spencer’s grandfather, Eddie (Danny DeVito), and frenemy, Milo (Danny Glover), get sucked into Jumanji instead of Bethany.
Only Martha finds herself in the same avatar of kick-ass Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), while Eddie, who had just replaced his hip, finds himself in utterly dominant Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson). Super fit Fridge is upset to find himself as overweight cartographer Professor Sheldon ‘Shelly’ Oberon (Jack Black), and Milo takes over as diminutive zoologist and weapon backpack carrier Franklin ‘Mouse’ Finbar (Kevin Hart). Fear not, for Bethany tracks down previous player Alex Vreeke (Colin Hanks) and recruits his help. . . he returns as Jefferson ‘Seaplane’ McDonough (Nick Jonas), while she is forced into the new avatar of Cyclone – a black horse that only animal expert Mouse can understand.
Originally thinking that they will simply have to defeat the same levels they played previously, the group soon learn (the previous players much more quickly than the slow to catch on elderly pair) that they are in for a whole new array of challenging tasks. Now, you may be wondering where Spencer disappeared to. . . fret not, for the team soon discover that he is playing within another new persona, expert pickpocket Ming Fleetfoot (Awkwafina).
Battling Jurgen the Brutal (Rory McCann – following up after his iconic character of The Hound in Game of Thrones), this is one of the areas where The Next Level improves over its predecessor – for McCann’s character oozes real threat and menace as a cruel Viking-like antagonist (much more so than Bobby Cannavale’s Van Pelt – which I still must say disappointed me). The film making team must have also heard complaints about not using Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” in a movie literally named after the song, for they also rectify that mistake in this one. Carrying over from the first, Kasdan, son of Lawrence, once again finds the fun in an adventure that reminds us of the story his father co-wrote years ago – Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spinning a more family oriented, less grounded in real life version of the iconic Indiana Jones franchise, Kasdan not only transports us back to the jungle, but also takes us on a visually stunning ride through both desert dunes as well as to the tops of snowy mountain peaks, where a defensively placed castle rests atop them (which, I guess, makes this the franchise’s Temple of Doom).
Filmizon.com’s Nikolai Adams with Karen Gillan, who stars as Ruby Roundhouse in Jumanji: The Next Level
With a frivolously fun adventure, you also need likeable characters. Reuniting the cast from the previous episode, the intriguing aspect of the way the film making team have crafted this burgeoning franchise is that they can insert different personas into the avatars they have created – in this film, some of the avatars actually play different personas throughout the narrative. And, once again Black is the scene-stealer – aptly able to play disgruntled jock in fat form to bubbly teenager in a split second. Hart also shines, perfectly able to transform into aged Danny Glover. Gillan, like in the previous movie, shines, yet is not given as much to work with when compared to the 2017 story. Awkwafina is a nice addition, though she does not have the runtime the rest of the cast has. Lastly, as much as I love Dwayne Johnson, he is probably the weakest link, his DeVito impression wavering in and out throughout the piece.
A surprisingly solid sequel (though a few of the gags feel a bit forced), Jumanji: The Next Level does not fall into straightforward repetition, keeping the same formula yet wisely building off of Welcome to the Jungle with a few running gags, correcting a few mistakes, and further developing enough new video game spoof goodness to feel relatively fresh and still oh so fun! Also keep an eye out for a sly wink to the original 1995 Robin Williams starring film, for Nora (Bebe Neuwirth), the aunt who adopted the Parrish children, makes a cameo towards the end as restaurant owner. Also, stick around for the mid-credits scene, for it hints that this is likely not the end for this franchise. It is okay to reconcile with sequel heavy Hollywood for this one, because. . . ‘it’s the berries!’ (you better look this 1920s slang up).