Directed by: Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard: The Dewy Cox Story, Zero Effect, The TV Set)
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black
Written by: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner, Based on the book by Chris Van Allsberg
Review: As you might be able to tell from the ads for this movie, this is not the same Jumanji from the original nineties movie, but it does a good job at its own thing while still staying true to the original's spirit.
This is still a sequel though. It is the same board game, but there's a scene at the beginning where it turns itself into a game cartridge after a kid decides he'd rather play video games. The story begins when four teenagers find the game, play it, and are put into the bodies of their avatars.
This is a very fun movie filled with lots of action and comedy. But the real show-stealer is Jack Black, who plays a teenage girl in the body of a middle-aged man. His performance is hilarious, and the funniest character in the movie. Dwayne Johnson and Karen Gillan are also convincing as meek characters in strong bodies. Kevin Hart's character is similar to his characters in his other movies. Whether or not that's a good thing is up to you.
There probably weren't a lot of people who were dying to see a new Jumanji movie before they found out that it was happening. But now that it's here, it's a very fun time. It's a little more inappropriate than the mostly family-friendly original (hence the PG-13 rating), but older kids should be okay with watching it. All in all it's a fun, funny, and exciting surprise.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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