Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

4:29 PM

The game has evolved.

This review contains spoilers.

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is directed by Jake Kasdan (Bad Teacher) and written by Chris McKenna (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Erik Sommers (The LEGO Batman Movie), Scott Rosenberg (Beautiful Girls) and Jeff Pinkner (Fringe). The film stars Dwayne Johnson (San Andreas), Kevin Hart (Ride Along), Jack Black (School of Rock), Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) and pop star Nick Jonas. "Four teenagers discover an old video game console and are literally drawn into the game's jungle setting becoming the adult avatars they chose". "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is the next film to capitalise on Hollywood's remake/nostalgia craze. Will it detriment the legacy of the first film (including one of the late Robin Williams' most famous roles)? Or have Dwayne Johnson & company reinterpreted this property in a fun and exciting way?

My expectations for "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" were set very low. I thought that this was in contention to be one of the worst films of the year. I am pleased to report that "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is funny, entertaining and a perfect choice for all of the family. It's by no means perfect but it is enjoyable all the same. What's odd is that four different writers worked on the screenplay for this film- it shouldn't have worked but miraculously, a consistent and clear story emerged with funny lines, briefly touching moments and great characters. All odds were against this film but it delivers and may just be the year's biggest surprise.

With four different actors as its core, "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" wouldn't have worked as well as it did. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan are all perfectly cast and throw everything into their performances; They are all equally funny. My favourite was probably Jack Black who had some of the funniest lines and moments; The script consistently came up with new ways to make his character funny- Black plays Bethany, the air-head, social-media obsessed teen of the group. Black convinces the audience that there is a teenage girl stuck inside his body with his mannerisms and dialogue. The character pokes fun at what many teens are like today; This may date the film in years to come but could also add a nostalgia factor for today's teens as they grow up (just like the original has for kids of the 90s). Jack Black doesn't work as much in mainstream Hollywood as he used to but after a hilarious performance in this film, I hope he lands some more comedic roles. Karen Gillan's Martha probably gets the least amount of funny material but I think that could be more down to the other three having experience with comedy rather than the fact she is the 'only' (excluding Black) female character of the group. When the first-look of Gillan's character was released, the internet was set afire criticising the over-sexualised costume. However, Martha addresses this almost as soon as she is transformed into Ruby Roundhouse- she questions why she is wearing such an unpractical outfit and complains numerous times how she feels uncomfortable being dressed the way she is. Gillan's Martha has an amusing scene where Black's Bethany teaches her how to flirt with guys- both Gillan and Black do not hold back and consequently elicit some big laughs from the audience. Martha is also the most athletically skilled member of the group but she's not the boring 'Mary Sue' type, Martha is also skilled when it comes to 'dance fighting'- this made for some great moments.

It's been a while since I've had to tolerate Kevin Hart on the big screen and I think distance makes the heart grow fonder; This is the most tolerable Hart has ever been- I actually found him quite funny. His character's transition from the tall and muscular Fridge into the small and weak Franklin "Mouse" Finbar was a terrific choice- just like Black's jokes about being a girl trapped in a man's body never got old or tiresome, the same can be said for Hart's jokes about losing his strength and height. Surprisingly, Dwayne Johnson landed the plainest role out of the four leads. Johnson delivers like he always does and although he once again proves he doesn't have much range when it comes to acting, the script was clever enough to have Johnson poke fun at himself- the muscles, his size, the smouldering and cheesy lines; Everything Johnson is famous for is (innocently) mocked. The four leads are all cast incredibly well and the creative choices are that smart, it feels like the roles have been written for each of them.

Unfortunately, there is somebody who lets the team down- Nick Jonas. Admittedly his performance does get better as the film goes on but as soon as his character is introduced, the film seems to come to a brief halt. Until this point the film doesn't really give audiences the time to pause, it's very fast-paced and always exciting. Obviously for character development, the film needed to take some time to explain who Jonas' character was and how he got there but I just wish they had found a more captivating (and convincing) actor than him. He never glues with the other four and feels like the odd one out. Jonas' resume gives evidence that he has it in him to be a good dramatic actor, I do not think comedy is his thing. What I did like about Jonas' character though was the relationship that formed between him and Bethany. Not only was it refreshing to see two men fall in love (even if one was a female really) but both actors handled it well. I also liked that Jonas' character in real life was the otherwise irrelevant boy (Alex) introduced in the prologue of the film. The film did open a plot hole with this though as when the characters return to reality, they find Alex grown up as the game returned him to the same time and place he left. However, when Spencer, Fridge, Bethany and Martha leave detention, all of the streets are decorated in Christmas lights; At the start of the film there were no decorations. This scene was likely re-shot and tacked on at the end to coincide with the festive release date but it opened a needless plot hole.

The narrative is simple yet well structured. Early on, the film introduces the end goal that the characters must work towards; The villain's motivation/plan is also outlined but is slightly confusing. As the majority of the film takes place inside a video game, the writers were able to easily assemble a cohesive plot; Each 'level' of the game brought action, comedy and entertainment- it also made the film fast-paced. My favourite level was when the characters were confronted with a snake and they mistook the instructions for a staring contest- this elicited a big laugh from the audience and was one of the many memorable moments. I also liked how each character had different skill sets and were given 3 lives - the film actually makes a good point regarding bravery as Spencer feels fearless and invincible up until he is on his final life. However, he comes to realise that in reality, we all have one life: People are brave and fearless in dangerous situations without having a second chance. "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is self-aware, poking fun at video game tropes quite cleverly. Despite the narrative not being too ambitious, it is coherent and entertaining for the whole 120 minute running time.

Visually, a lot of good work has been put into "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" - CGI isn't used too often but when it is, the animals, creatures and effects are well realised. I would have liked to have seen more demonic animals which the film promised in the first act. However, assumedly for budgetary reasons, many of the action involves men on motorbikes instead of scary animals; The hippos, snakes, rhinos and elephants did look good though. I just wish they would have pushed the $90 million budget to $100 million for some more animal action. The cinematography is excellent- that is something I didn't expect to be complimenting this film for. There are some stunning shots which is partly down to great location choices but also fantastic camerawork. Cinematographer Gyula Pados doesn't do anything pioneering with the camera but he does enough to capture the scope and beauty of the island and has viewers wanting to visit it.

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is fine family entertainment. It's far from perfect and could be called cheesy, cliche and generic. However, films like this just do not seem to get made anymore. Hedging my bets, I think "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" could stand the test of time and be a future family classic. It has a simple narrative but the cast makes it constantly engaging and fun. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan are all hilarious and superb: Their roles feel like they were written for them. The casting director blinked with just one choice, Nick Jonas, but everybody else is so strong that Jonas is easy to forget. It may be formulaic but the film is self-aware adding to the comedy and allowing the audience to be more forgiving of the otherwise predictable dialogue and narrative choices. "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is very funny and entertaining, one of the year's strongest family films- something I did not expect to write.

/100