Sabertooth Reviews - Jumanji (2017) (Patreon)

So the mate and I went to a double feature and the second movie we went to was the remake of the movie classic Jumanji.  This movie has gotten mixed reviews by both critic and movie-goer alike, so I thought I would put in my own two cents on the matter.  

Potential spoilers ahead.

Jumanji once more pairs together The Rock with Kevin Hart and brings in Karen Gillan and Jack Black in an ensemble movie that sucks four kids into Jumanji, which has reincarnated itself from board game to video game.  Unlike the first movie, which took place in the real world with fantasy elements brought into it, this one brought the four kids into the video game world to become the characters they chose in order to complete the game and escape.  I will admit I came into this movie with low expectations and wondered if it was going to be able to continue the spirit of the Jumanji concept.

Needless to say, it worked for me.

Now first and foremost I am a gamer myself, and if you are one too then you will find this movie definitely plays to the video game concept that it built itself off of.  The fact that the kids are now essentially their characters with a certain number of lives and having to navigate through a pre-programmed world gave a lot of room for funny references and to build up it's own world.  The plot moved along well and in my opinion carried on the spirit of Jumanji as a game that gets way too involved in your personal life.  It also had a few throwbacks to the original movie but didn't get too bogged down in the nostalgia.

This being the second movie that The Rock and Kevin Hart had paired up in they manage to keep a similar momentum that they had in Central Intelligence, with Kevin Hart being the fish out of water that is just trying to keep up while The Rock plays the 'nerd trapped in a jock's body' that has a very appropriate set of skills for his setting.  Karen Gillan is also once again in her element as she somewhat reprises her role from Doctor Who as the unknowing badass, and though Jack Black feels a bit tacked on he plays his role as a phone-obsessed teenage girl very well.

The movie is by no means perfect, the 'fight scenes' get a bit repetitive and the dialogue does get a little cliche at times as well as the nerd confesses love to other nerd scene.  The pacing remains solid though and more often than not we found ourselves laughing at their comic antics.  It was cute and silly and definitely worth a watch, especially if you happen to be a fan of video games.  

All in all it's a fun movie to get lost in for a few hours where you can definitely let out your inner nerd.