Jumanji: The Next Level
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black
Directed By: Jake Kasdan
Rated: PG-13
Welcome back to the jungle in Jumanji: The Next Level. In the follow up to the 2017 hit film, teenaged friends Spencer, Fridge, Martha, and Bethany have gone their separate ways after high school and moved on to college life. The group meets back at home for the holidays where they find that Spencer (Alex Wolff) has fixed the Jumanji game and gone back in due to some colossal lapse in judgment. Why would he do such a thing after the events of the last movie? Does he not remember they almost died? Maybe the producers of the movie studio told him he had to do it so they could get more money! Together, the group goes back to Jumanji to help their friend and defeat the treacherous game.
When I initially saw Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle a few years ago, I was surprised by how fun it was! It didn’t take itself too seriously but had some exciting action sequences. I went to see The Next Level hoping for a similar experience. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I walked away with the same feelings. This is the textbook example of an unnecessary sequel. The plot is very similar to its predecessor, the humor is weak, and there is no good buildup for the story. Why does Spencer go into Jumanji after the group destroyed the game? Just because he was feeling a bit down and “bummed out.” It'd be nice if the screenplay went deeper and had a better set up for such a major plot point, but that’s all we get.
The film boasts an all-star cast of actors. Some shine while others aren’t exactly delivering career-best performances. First up, I have to talk about Nick Jonas, who arrives in the movie entirely too late. If you don’t keep up with the JB (Jonas Brothers), they had a banner year. They released an album, documentary, and toured. I may have seen them on tour twice recently, and it is entirely possible that I went to see Jumanji solely for Nick Jonas. Was it worth it? Yes, it was, readers, because as Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough, he triumphantly showed up on a horse to save the day like the hero we all know he is. Oscar voters, are you paying attention? (Truthfully, he’s only in this movie for about 10 minutes, but if you are a fan, I know you’re going!)
Half of The Next Level’s premise revolves around the fact that Spencer’s grandfather, Eddie (Danny DeVito), and his former colleague Milo (Danny Glover) are sucked into Jumanji. When the two get to Jumanji, Eddie becomes Smoulder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), and Milo turns into Franklin Finbar (Kevin Hart.) While I found Johnson funny in the first film, this is painful to watch. His whole performance is an attempt to emulate Danny DeVito, and it never lands. The over-the-top New York accent paired with the painfully obnoxious elderly jokes never end. Every scene goes a little like this, “WHERE ARRRE WE? JuMAHNJI? WHO IS THAT? EH? ISN’T YOUR COUSIN’S NAME JUMANHJI?” Repeat that 42 times and you’ve seen the first act of this movie.
Photo belongs to Sony Pictures
Thankfully Kevin Hart is much more comedic throughout the film as Franklin Finbar. He was the highlight of the movie for me because his comedic timing always hit at just the right moments. Hart emulates Danny Glover pretty well. There’s a bit about his character speaking way too slowly that is quite funny.
Jack Black and Karen Gillan return and play several different characters because of a new “body-switching” element that is highly ridiculous and will absolutely confuse audience members. Both do what they can with the script they are given, but they cannot save this bizarre movie.
Awkwafina is a new addition to the Jumanji cast. Unfortunately, the filmmakers make her do the obnoxious Danny DeVito impression too. It’s such a poor joke that goes on way too long. I feel like the filmmakers should have just put Danny DeVito the actor into the Jumanji world instead of making everyone impersonate him. It would’ve been more entertaining.
Although the greatest villain of Jumanji: The Next Level is bad Danny Devito impersonations, the actual villain, Jurgen, is quite weak. I realize it’s a video game movie, but there’s no development of the character. By the time the team gets to him, there’s a lack of tension that doesn’t feel intimidating at all. You know the Danny DeVito impersonators will make it past Jurgen and his minions that look like they wandered off of a Game of Thrones set.
I wanted to like Jumanji: The Next Level, but its weak humor and repetitive storyline lead to an unnecessary sequel. Just watch the last movie if you want to have a fun time with the same cast.
My Rating: 5/10