Jumanji: The Next Level brings some comedy and action to a body swapping adventure movie! The film has the return of Jake Kasdan as co-writer and director. The rest of the writing team is Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg who also worked on the first movie. It opens to a jungle scene, waterfalls, a river, and Bethany (Madison Iseman) texts a pic of it to her friends, what no selfie? Iseman was in the horror sequel, Annabelle Comes Home (2019). Martha (Morgan Turner) recieves the text and then Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) working out. Blain starred in the war movie, The Last Full Measure (2019). Spencer (Alex Wolff) is the last one, but he ignores it stepping out from New York University into the snowy streets. Wolff was in the bio film, Bad Education (2019). The four friends are returning from the previous movie.
Then, working at re-stocking toothpaste at a store, Spencer finally checks the text. He heads home and his mother, Janice (Marin Hinkle) whom I recognize from Two and a Half Men as a harried mother because it is the same part here. His grandfather, Eddie, is played by the always funny Danny DeVito who is busy working on something. DeVito played Max Medici in Tim Burton’s Dumbo (2019) adaptation. They are roommates and Eddie asks him about his girlfriend. Spencer explains that it has been a year since he was with Martha and graduated from high school. He goes downstairs after his grandfather is asleep and is inspired by his character, Bravestone, so takes out his suitcase with the game and Jumanji cartridge. The friends meet at the Nora’s restaurant, Bethany was in Costa Rica building houses, Martha, was in college and on a break with Spencer.
Eddie is wakened by the doorbell and goes to see that it is Milo (Danny Glover). Glover is a veteran actor who was in the drama Strive (2019). He wants to have a breakfast with Eddie who is impatient since they have not seen each other in 15 years. Fridge wonders where is Spencer. Eddie says he won’t apologize and answers the doorbell to see Fridge, whom he calls Anthony, also Martha, and Bethany. Fridge realizes that Milo was part of the Milo and Eddie’s restaurant. Martha tries to check on Spencer, but he is missing, then they hear drumbeats. The friends see the game in the basement and realize that Spencer went back into the game. Fridge has a funny line, “I gotta stop hangin’ around white people.” Martha sees that the controller is damaged, it sparks, and then draws them, except Bethany, into the game!
There is a pov of falling through the jungle until we get the landing of Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). Gillan was of course Nebula in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Her part is more of a lead this time. She turns to see Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) whom she thinks is Spencer. Johnson was also the lead in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019). Wakening from some leaves is Mouse (Kevin Hart) who is surprised. Hart had a cameo in Hobbs & Shaw. The interaction of Bravestone playing DeVito and Mouse playing Glover is just fun with its silliness. Ruby realizes what has happened. Mouse asks if Bravestone is Eddie. Oberon (Jack Black) falls from the sky. Black also starred in the fantasy film, The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018). We also have the return of the game character actors.
Fridge is now Oberon. Ruby and Oberon suspect the mix-up is that they didn’t choose their avatars, the game characters. Ruby tries to explain the situation, kinda funny, and I like Bravestone checking his hip since it was causing him problems in the real world. Mouse goes to walk into the river and Ruby knocks him away from a hippopotamus! There are other dangers to the jungle. A plane passes overhead. Nigel Billingsley (Rhys Darby) welcomes them to Jumanji and flies them to the next location. He says everything is in the letter he sent to Bravestone who starts to read the letter. Then, we get the cutscene, very funny having the experienced players comment on the game. In a snowy castle, Jurgen the Brutal (Rory McCann) has returned. McCann is of course known as The Hound in Game of Thrones and makes a threatening villain.
He is looking for the Falcon Jewel that is worn by the village elder of Avian Province. It of course keeps Jumanji prosperous. In a night raid, Jurgen takes the jewel and seals it in a box wearing the key to it. Two of his hyenas protect the box. He has the enigmatic clue, “Follow the flame to the desert fruit.” Nigel tells Bravestone that Jurgen killed his parents. Oberon takes the map. Nigel tells them that they have drop from the plane to the desert. The seat belts retract and Nigel drops them from a hatch in the plane! Oberon has found a junkyard of desert vehicles. They encounter ostriches who are almost like velociraptors! The birds do not seem to have fear, just relentless pecking. The characters manage to escape and check their character profiles. Fridge is not happy at Oberon’s weaknesses. Bethany in the real world goes to the house of Alex (Colin Hanks) so he can help repair the machine. This is an expanded role for her character and return of Alex to the films.
The team sees hyenas and go to the smoke. It is a rowdy bar filled with Jurgen’s mercenaries. A woman in a red dress (Dania Ramirez) tries to get Bravestone to talk in a private place. Ramirez was in the Kevin Williamson series Tell Me A Story. Ruby knows that she is an ex-girlfriend, the flame, of Bravestone. Jurgen gives a speech to his mercenaries about the hyena keeper trying to steal from him so he feeds pieces of him to the hyenas! We get a thief, Ming Fleetfoot (Awkwafina) who tries to steal the key to the box caught by Bravestone. Awkwafina was of course brilliant in The Farewell (2019). She has an action role here with some of her comedy. I love the team-up of young and old working to save Spencer and solve the game. I think when it reverts to the original avatars that the film’s pace slowed for me. Jumanji: The Next Level has enough twists and fun with the same actors and some new ones to make an entertaining adventure!
Four Falcon Gems out of Five!
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