“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” is a Spin-off for All Ages

Many have seen the 1995 kids movie Jumanji starring Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst. The story revolves around two kids who find a board game Jumanji, where the players are affected by the game and everything that happens in the game happens in real life. The only way to make everything stop and return to normal is to finish the game.

The 2017 remake, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, takes a different spin on the original. It follows four teenagers that end up in detention and find an old game console with a game in it called “Jumanji.” They pick their avatars and once they hit “start,” they are sucked into the game and take the form of the adult characters they chose.

Once in the game they quickly realize that they won’t be able to return to the real world until they complete the game. Even worse, they only have three lives each and when they run out of lives, they will die and be unable return to the real world.

Although the remake has some slight plot differences with the original, it still has the older character who couldn’t finish the game and had been stuck in it for years prior to the current kids playing the game. This time, the character is a teen from the 1990s named Alex, played by Nick Jonas in the game. His role isn’t as essential to the movie as Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt’s were in the original, but the group needed him to finish the game.  

With stars like Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan, the movie is packed with comedy. My favorite actor in the movie, hands down, is Black, who plays Bethany in the game world. Not only does he have to play a teenager, he has to play a self-absorbed, popular girl– and he nails it. Just about every time he was on screen I was laughing, whether at a comment he made or his reactions to the game and the other characters.

Johnson and Hart also added to the comedy with their quirky characters and odd relationship. Johnson played Spencer in the game, a scrawny, smart kid with low self-confidence. When Spencer was a kid he was friends with Fridge, played by Hart in the game, a strong football player that struggles to keep his grades up. Once they enter the game, their adult avatars are the complete opposite of them. Fridge is a small man that does not have a significant role in the game aside from being the sidekick to Spencer’s avatar in the game, while Spencer’s character is a buff, confident hero and has the main role in the game.

Since their avatars were the opposite of their real life personalities and bodies, it was funny to see their reactions to certain situations. When Spencer got nervous or scared he would talk about his doubts frantically with a raised voice, and seeing Johnson act in this unusual way was hilarious. Fridge’s avatar in the game did not have many strengths and running was one of his weaknesses, unlike his real life self that played football. So when they were running from threats in the game Hart would ride on Johnson’s back, screaming the whole time.

I was also really impressed with the adult actors because they had to learn how to play 21st century teenagers. It pokes fun at how silly some common teen behavior really is and how insignificant some “huge” teen issues really are when compared to reality. For example, when they first enter the game, Bethany is more upset that she can’t find her phone than being stuck in a game as a middle-aged man.

All the characters have issues with each other and within themselves, such as low self-confidence and poor academic performance. The film highlights these problems to show teenagers that there is more to life than posting the perfect selfie or playing sports. It is only after they get over their differences that they are able to come together efficiently as a team and complete the necessary tasks to finish the game.

I was surprised by how the special effects were well done. The game was set in the jungle and had various wild animals that were very life like. All the death scenes and the falls when they respawned were really detailed and often times funny. The different landscapes throughout the game were also very detailed and beautiful, adding to the whimsical feeling of the game.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie from start to finish. It has a nice balance of comedy and serious scenes, and the movie’s theme of working as a team is executed well. It appeals to teens and adults alike, as they gain perspective of each others’ lives and the difficulties they face. I recommend this movie to people of all ages, as everyone can relate to some aspect of the film. I give Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle 9.5 out of 10 stars.