Jumanji The Next Level movie review

MOVIE TITLE:     JUMANJI 3

RATING:    PG-13

LENGTH:     2 hours, 3 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE:   B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

We’re back in the popular Jumanji video game and franchise with this action sequel directed by Jake Kasdan.  This entertaining action flick includes a lot of new characters, locations, sub-plots, and skills.  As expected, this movie takes the old story to…umm….a NEW LEVEL.  The key to the success of this franchise is one word: fun.

When Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle opened in theaters, it was up against Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which everyone assumed would just crush box office sales and leave the new Jumanji film in the dust.  Instead, audiences loved Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and they both did very well.  Well, time for a repeat because they’re both headed to compete in theaters again this Christmas season!

If you liked the last movie, you’ll get a kick out of this one.  If you didn’t like the last one, pick a different movie to watch.  There are a ton of great choices in theaters now!

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

• Some profanity, mostly uttered by Danny DeVito’s crusty character.  (4 scatological terms, 10 anatomical terms, 32 “mild” obscenities, rude gestures, name-calling), 12 religious exclamations).
• Danny DeVito’s character sleeps with a C-pap machine. Kids may not know what that is, so you can explain how it helps people breathe while they’re sleeping.
• Violence
• Talk of various “private” body parts, like in the last movie.
• Your kids may want you to explain what a eunuch is.
• People and animals in perilous situations.
• There is talk of an evil man and the people he has killed.

THEMES:

• Change
• Fear
• Friendship
• Unity 
• Overcoming your insecurities
• The premise of the movie is actually a serious statement on the pull of the virtual world.  One of the characters wants to escape reality and feel better about himself by going back into the video game where his avatar was much better than he was.  We all want to feel more confident.
• Aging is a strong theme in the movie, brought by the characters of Danny DeVito and Danny Glover.  That subplot provides the most tender moments, as well as running gags about how old people don’t understand technology very well.  Director Jake Kasdan was really interested in telling a story from different perspectives related to the phases of life the characters are in.  He stated, “Just because you’re older, doesn’t mean you stop discovering things about yourself.”

THINGS I LIKED:

• It’s great to see our favorite characters again.  But wait!  There’s more!
• Danny DeVito and Dwayne Johnson combo.  Hilarious.  This is the first collaboration of Danny Glover and Danny DeVito since their movie I’m Still Here.
• I’ve never seen Kevin Hart talk so slowly and calmly before!  He does a nice impression of Danny Glover.
• Awkwafina was a fun surprise as Ming and she did a great impression of Danny DeVito.
• Jack Black filmed a bunch of behind-the-scenes footage he called “Jablinski Games” on his YouTube channel.  He has the funniest lines in the movie as Bethany.
• The desert dunes scenes were filmed at the Glamis Dunes in California.
• I loved seeing Bebe Neuwirth in a short scene.  I’ve always been a fan.  I don’t know why she’s not listed with the cast on IMDB.
• I got a kick out of the running gag of swapping bodies.  It was absolutely needed and a clever way to keep things fresh.
• Some of the CGI looks really great, particularly the scene with the vicious mandrils and the cool set pieces.
• There is a lot of back-and-forth banter between characters that provides most of the humor.  The movie has heart and humor.
• I’m glad they actually played the Guns N Roses song “Welcome to the Jungle!”  Yes!

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• • The film gets a rather slow start.
  • LOTS of exposition
  • Some super fake-looking stunts
  • The plot line is pretty thin as motivation for the gang to get back into the video game.  I get it though.  We all want to feel special.
  • If you haven’t seen the reboot Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, you’ll be confused.  You can check out my review of Jumanji Welcome To the Jungle here.
  • Unlike Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle , there aren’t very many references to the very first 1995 movie in the franchise.
  • The villain is forgettable.
  • Knowing that the characters can die twice before truly being in danger drops the tension immensely.  It’s not until some of the characters only have 1 life left that you begin to worry about them.
  • The plot is pretty similar to the last one.  I guess they’re going with the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

FUNNY LINES:

• “ I don’t think he went out. I think he went back in.” – Martha    (Karen Gillan)
• “Did I die and become some kind of small, muscular Boy Scout?” –  Mouse Finbar/Fridge    (Kevin Hart)
• “Why the long face?” – Alex   (Nick Jonas)  said to the horse

INTERESTING LINES:

• “Getting old is a gift.  I forget that sometimes, but it is.” –  Eddie   (Danny DeVito)

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Coming soon!

@TrinaBoice