If the subject of the year’s first review is any clue, the phrase “never judge a book by its cover” is an important one to remember in film criticism, especially when it comes to the latest installment of any potentially lucrative franchise. The absolutely cringe-worthy trailers for the latest and more comedic “Jumanji” series left little in the way of room for decent expectations, promising a conga line of crude humor and slapstick in between the paint-by-numbers jungle adventure set pieces. By all accounts, this movie should have been a low rent cash-in that tried to mask its soulless weaponization of a nostalgic curiosity behind a transparent wall of celebrity mugging. Instead, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” managed to be a loving, high effort sendup to the 1995 film from which it indirectly branches off, and while that doesn’t mean it’s free of the problems that come with that distinction, it does result in a fun, action-packed and funny adventure that has just enough heart to be recommended to the right audiences.
Four students at Brantford high, once considered the most unlikely of associates thanks to their own interests, are forced into detention together by their own youthful foolishness and self-assurance. Calling the resulting evening a dull one, however, would be quite wrong, as gamer Spencer (Alex Wolff), preppy Bethany (Morgan Turner), jock “Fridge” (Ser’Darius Blain) and popular girl Bethany (Madison Iseman) succumb to their curiosity and boot up an old video game, titled “Jumanji” after the board game with which it was packaged. Once the game turns on and their characters are chosen, the four are whisked away to the jungle world of the game and given the forms of their respective avatars: a physically towering explorer (Dwayne Johnson), an attractive martial artist (Karen Gillan), a meek, yet resourceful zoologist (Kevin Hart), and a brilliant, albeit obese cartographer (Jack Black). Fighting the elements of the wild, vicious treasure hunters in search of a cursed gem, and the antithetical talents given to them by the characters they chose, the four must either set their differences aside and beat the game to return home, or disappear forever at the drop of their last lives.
The setup could never be accused of being inspired, of course, but as with most things, the quality lies in the execution. For instance, the thrusting of unlikely protagonists like the four high schoolers into adventure and danger is absolutely nothing new, but the archetypal nature of the whole ordeal is made entertaining by the writing and acting. The initial contrast between the characters and their players is a fairly standard source of comedy, but the actors are both entertaining enough to provide laughs throughout even the crassest of jokes and skilled enough to believably portray what amount to teenage clique samples in the bodies of adventurers. Seasoned action stars Dwayne Johnson and Karen Gillan are especially on-point in portraying the charming awkwardness of the nerdier leads, while Kevin Hart gives some much needed comedic timing, wit, and vulnerability to an otherwise typical jock turned genius. What I found especially remarkable, however, was how the jokes following Jack Black as Bethany’s avatar never truly got stale. The fittingly brisk adventure movie pace aids this part of the movie greatly, as does Jack Black’s surprisingly endearing (and fairly hilarious) portrayal of a teenage girl’s horror and glee at being a less conventionally attractive explorer. Barring the individual performances, the actors themselves have excellent character chemistry, and their interactions alone boost the otherwise standard slapstick routines considerably. Adding to the humor is how the film takes advantage of the “trapped in a video game” setup, as the jokes made at the expense of the setting (mostly centered on the pre-programmed side characters) make for hilarious moments. The adventure itself, meanwhile, is just suspenseful and brisk enough to be exciting, with the threat of the video game’s life limit working well enough with the hostile jungle to keep the audience on their toes. Not since “The Goonies” has adventure and adolescent comedy been put together so well, and I’d say that the humor could be the best kind of selling point for this kind of movie.
It’s far from perfect, of course, since the more “adult” jokes and the predictable plot turns can detract from the experience for older audiences looking for originality. That said, I’d argue that audiences expecting perfection from a “Jumanji” film and setting the bar somewhat high, and if you’re willing to turn off your brain to some of the more hackneyed elements of the “coming of age” or “jungle adventure” genres, then I’d actually recommend “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” to you. It’s funny, populated by likable characters, and fueled by genuine heart in the places that matter.
Rich Reviews 