Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle 3D Movie Review
3D
So how is the 3D element for this movie? Personally I felt that it was somewhat forgettable. It certainly wasn't terrible and it didn't hurt my eyes or anything like that. The one scene that stood out the most to me in 3D was a chase scene involving the main characters using a helicopter to escape. For me this helicopter moment was very nice in 3D. Sadly I feel like there are only a handful of scenes were the 3D improves the viewing experience. Ultimately the 3D is only passable, and is not necessary to fully enjoy this movie.
Final Verdict :Good 3D
Movie
Getting into the actual movie, we are first approached by the big elephant in the room. Which is the relationship that this movie has with its 1996 predecessor, the original Jumanji. The trailers and TV promos give off the impression that this movie is a soft reboot or remake and that this movie is completely unrelated to the first movie. In an interesting development this is not the case. This movie opens right where the first movie ends. This movie establishes the board game turns into a video game in an interesting and original way. This connection to the previous movie was not needed in this film, but I feel it's a great touch and connects the two in a way that doesn't feel forced or is confusing to someone who has never seen the original.
We are quickly introduced to our four main characters. Each of which are essentially stereotypical high school movie clichés. You have Spencer the nerd, Fridge the jock, Bethany the popular girl, and Martha the social outcast. It seems very similar to the ‘Breakfast Club’ as the four teens are brought together because they all go to detention. Shortly after they meet they find the Jumanji video game and plug it into the TV and play it. They all decided that playing this strange old video game is the best thing to do to kill time in detention. The four main characters see a player select screen and pick a specific avatar to play as.
Immediately the four characters are sucked into the video game of Jumanji, each of them has become the avatar they previously selected. Spencer is now a tough, muscular explorer named Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne “the rock” Johnson), Fridge is now a short zoologist named Franklin "Mouse" Finbar (Kevin Hart), Martha has become a gorgeous commando and martial art expert named Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), and to hilarious effect Bethany has become an overweight, male cartographer named Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon (Jack Black). They soon realize that they are in a video game, and each avatar has three lives. If they lose all three game lives, they will actually die in real life. Each of their avatars also comes with special skills and weaknesses. They all must work together to find a way out of the game alive.
The movie wastes no time in thrusting the characters into the scenario, which I really appreciate. This is because it allows for the world of Jumanji to be focused on the most. The idea of having the teens turn into wacky over the top avatars that are themselves played by famous actors is a hilarious and unique decision. More than half of the comedy stems from that these teenagers who are now controlling bodies completely opposite to their real life counterparts. The nerd is now in muscular adventurers body, the jock is now a short zoologist, the shy girl is now a martial artist, and best of all is the popular girl who is now in the body of a fat middle-aged male cartographer.
This movie wasn't perfect and sometimes it can be cliché, especially with the initial premise. This movie is not as memorable as previous movie featuring the late Robin Williams. Alas as both a sequel and as a stand-alone film, it brings enough originality, comedy, fun actors, and interesting locations to make for an enjoyable movie. I went into this movie not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised by it. The movie made me laugh several times, and I was never bored. I believe that it doesn't matter whether if you liked the first film or haven't seen it; you can still enjoy this movie for what it is. And in a time when movie sequels/reboots can tarnish the legacy of the previous movie or franchise, it's refreshing to see a movie that complements the original but also updates its source material, without it feeling inorganic. I can easily recommend this movie as either stand-alone movie or a sequel to the original.
Final Verdict: 7/10
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