Jumanji: The Next Level
Directed By: Jake Kasdan
On the one hand it did feel like the typical movie level up. Bigger. Crazier. Stuntier. (Is that a word?) I did enjoy Jumanji 2 but sadly my enjoyment didn’t level up.
The story basically goes Spencer is having a hard time so he goes back into the game. His friends follow to get him out and accidentally so does his grandfather (Danny DeVito) and Grandpa’s long time frenemy (Danny Glover.)
And let me just say everyone is better in the game. That’s not necessarily a good thing but more how little I care for the actual characters, save Bethany. The rock makes DeVito bearable and Kevin Hart does a really fun Danny Glover. Also his reaction to the cake was probably one of my favorite parts.
Jack Black once again steals the show. He did a great Fridge but overall that character got on my nerves. Like we get it. He’s older, short and out of shape but good lord I actually felt bad for Jack Black at times.
But then again Karen Gillan has next to nothing to do as Ruby and not even Awkwafina can stop Spencer from being a film sucking drip. The only benefit was for a brief shining moment she and Gillan had more chemistry than Gillan and the Rock. They definitely don’t take advantage of that though.
God, the power couple the two of them could have been!
And Bethany is quicker on her feet than any of them…
Why did we bother with the other characters again?
But for my complaints I did genuinely tear up at the end with DeVito and Glover’s characters anyway.
Oh and bonus points Rory McCann and the excellent Bebe Neuwirth were in this! Which I found super exciting except I did spend a vast amount of time going, “Is that the Hound? Is it the Hound? I think that’s the Hound!”
And it was!
So overall Jumanji 2: The Next Level was a fun film with some good work by the cast. But I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first and I think the lost potential that lead to it mostly being the same old same old hurts even more.
Recommend: Yes. If you liked the first one or simply want a diverting 2 hours at the movies. Otherwise it’s a good one to wait for streaming.