When Sony announced they would be rebooting the Robin Williams-led classic, “Jumanji”, the news wasn’t met with the warmest reception. Add in the fact it was less than a year after Williams’s 2014 death and you can argue the reception was almost disastrous. However, 4 years and $962 million later, it looks like Sony got it right with 2017’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and it was so right they had to do it again. Jumanji: The Next Level picks up a year after the previous film with Spencer deciding to go back into the game after his year wasn’t the best and the remaining members of the original crew, along with Spencer’s grandfather and his estranged friend, going back to save him from the dangers they escaped during their initial trip into Jumanji. It’s easy to assume this sequel will be nothing more than a retread of the movie we watched in 2017 with a sprinkle of Danny DeVito (in a limited role) and Danny Glover (in a more limited role), but that assumption couldn’t be more wrong.
At this point, it must be said that Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart are magic whenever they are onscreen together. In what is their 3rd pairing, Johnson and Hart’s chemistry transfers well as they play the video game avatar versions of Danny DeVito and Danny Glover, respectively. It may or may not be intentional, but Johnson and Hart’s connection is definitely reminiscent of the Walter Matthau-Jack Lemmon pairings seen in the “Grumpy Old Men” movies. However, The Next Level isn’t solely the Johnson and Hart show. Jack Black proves once again why he is one of Hollywood’s top chameleons. In the first film, he convinced us he was a popular, self-absorbed teenage girl trapped in a portly, middle aged professor’s body. In this film, Black plays the part of a college athlete trapped in that same portly, middle aged professor’s body. The beauty of what Black does is he mirrors all confidence and bravado of the lone black character in the film’s core real world cast (Fridge, played by Ser’Darius Blain) without going into what would amount to blackface or “acting black”. Karen Gillian gives another solid performance in her return as Ruby Roundhouse with her blend of being the ultimate weapon in a fight but flexible enough to shift to comic relief at a moment’s notice.
Jake Kasdan returns as director and producer, but adds writer to his plate for this trip to the property and it’s definitely felt through out the film. Similar to his work on ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat”, Kasdan puts a great deal of heart in the story to accompany the comedy. The action and adventure we expect from a Jumanji sequel is still there, but the film spends a good amount of time focusing on the characters’ broken real-world relationships. That departure is works and saves The Next Level from what could have easily been a rehash of the previous film.
Jumanji: The Next Level is an upgrade over its predecessor. The Johnson and Hart duo wins again, but Jack Black might repeat as the real MVP in this installment. Adding the plotline involving the characters’ real-world relationships was an excellent move by Kadsan that not only saves this film, but also keeps the rebooted Jumanji universe fresh and ripe for additional films if that’s a direction they choose to go. In terms of the format that’s best for viewing The Next Level, IMAX definitely isn’t necessary. However, 3D might be the way to go for this one.
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