Jumanji: The Next Level (Review)
Jumanji: The Next Level Levels Up.
I will admit that while I certainly didn’t hate Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, I wasn’t the biggest fan. So, while I wasn’t dreading Jumanji: The Next Level, I wasn’t incredibly excited either. Well, I’m happy to report that in a rare turn of events, the sequel is much, MUCH better. This time around, the campy action is pushed to the back burner, and director (and, this time, writer) Jake Kasdan focuses much more on the comedic aspects and full-on absurdity of the film. Not only that, but Jumanji: The Next Level brings enough new elements to not only make it a superior movie, but a worthwhile sequel.
As the title suggests, our heroes are back for the next level of the mysterious video game, Jumanji. Sucked back inside, the four teens Spencer (Alex Wolf), Bethany (Madison Iseman), Martha (Morgan Turner), and Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) are forced to become their avatars one more time (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillian, and Jack Black). Thinking it will be a quick in and out, the heroes realize that the busted game has other plans in store for them. Not only do they have a new level to beat with all new challenges, but they’ve been put in the wrong bodies. To make matters worse, two new players have been brought into the game (Danny DeVito and Danny Glover), and they’re not exactly gamers. Together, they have to figure out how to stay alive, while facing the greatest villain Jumanji has ever seen: Jurgan the Brutal (Rory McCann).
Let me start by saying that the best part of Jumanji: The Next Level is that the avatars get to do all new impressions. For one thing, Black is inhabited by Blain, which means he has a whole new list of complaints to run through about how lame his character is. Johnson does a spot-on impression of a curmudgeonly DeVito and Hart gets to be a confused, old Glover. The two “elderly” characters are a source of most of the humor in the film as they tend to have no idea what’s going on and don’t really grasp the whole “you’re in a video game” concept. I was roaring with laughter as the bickered with each other and tended to be more trouble than they might be worth as they took up too vital spots on the team. As great as they are, they’re matched by a new character played by Awkwafina, who pulls double duty with an impression of neurotic Wolf and Devito. She’s perfectly cast and brings her comedic talents to bear in this hilarious sequel.
As I mentioned, Jumanji: The Next Level gives director Jake Kasdan a chance to write the script, and he proves that he really gets the characters. This time around it’s less focused on trying to build relationships between the characters and just dives right in. Of course, the last film already had that whole “let’s become the best of friends” thing covered, so he doesn’t have to worry about that this time around, which is fantastic. Instead, Jumanji: The Next Level gets a chance to stop and just have sequences that are purely there for humor. Most of them are based on the absurdity of the world they’re in and the characters they’re inhabiting (Johnson is SUPER strong this time around and bickers with Hart nonstop). Still, it doesn’t sacrifice any of the heart it built in the previous film. Instead, it uses this humor to find and maintain a great flow that turns it into a wonderful thrill ride.
Jumanji: The Next Level really invests in the whole cheesy video game aesthetic. There are whole new levels and characters, which means it needs a whole new look. The production values are spot on and I loved the costumes. Of course, the characters start in the same outfits they wore in the previous film, but as it goes on they change clothes that still manage to perfectly capture the spirit of their characters. Not only that, but Jurgen the Brutal (played by the same actor as The Houd in Game of Thrones) looks the part of a cliche video-game bad guy with his massive beard and black armor. The levels have been upgraded as well and are expansive with perfectly over the top sets. This also allows the action sequences to be all the more impressive with epic fight scenes and plenty of moments where the heroes escape certain doom by the skin of their teeth. It’s a thrilling adventure that honestly feels much more like a video game this time around, and I loved it.
In the end, I have to admit that Jumanji: The Next Level is one of the best sequels I’ve seen in a year that’s been filled with them. It really focuses on the strengths of the previous film and lets the actors flex their comedic chops. Johnson and Hart prove to be the backbone this time around with their side-splitting impressions of their fellow co-stars, which brings me to another point. Long live Danny DeVito. The man is still a comedic genius and steals the few scenes he’s actually physically in. You might know him as Frank Reynolds from TV, and while he’s certainly cranky this time around, he keeps it brilliantly PG-13. All in all, I’m not sure how they could possibly top this with a third film, but Jumanji: The Next Level has me eager to see what the inevitable sequel might bring. I think this was the perfect early Christmas present from Hollywood.
