I’ve mentioned before many times, even on the Tomcast 2020 podcast, that I have a certain formula for remakes. First, the remake should have a distinctive reason to exist and not simply be some kind of shot-for-shot rehash. Second, it shouldn’t be a remake of a beloved classic of some kind. Most remakes fail at least one of those tests, but the 2017 Jumanji remake/quasi-sequel largely did by making what may be one of the best video game-based movies I’ve seen, and it isn’t even based on a real video game.
Well, the movie was a hit, so here we are two years later with a sequel because that’s how these things work.
Time has passed for for the original foursome, still friends as they go their separate ways for college. But while Bethany (Madison Iseman), Martha (Morgan Turner), and Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) have all adjusted pretty well, Spencer (Alex Wolff) is rather miserable out in New York City by himself with a crappy part time job and his old insecurities popping up. Home for Christmas, he has to share his bedroom with his cranky grandpa (Danny DeVito) while the old man recovers from hip surgery. But he does remember his time in the Jumanji game as a moment when he could be brave, strong, and cool, and he did salvage the bashed cartridge at some point between movies.
After missing a breakfast meeting with his three friends, they decide to check Spencer’s house. But only Grandpa Eddie and Eddie’s estranged friend Milo Walker (Danny Glover) are in the house, so it can only mean one thing: Spencer is back in a game he can’t possibly win on his own.
Except the game is still not working right, and while Martha does find her way back to the Ruby Roundhouse body (Karen Gillan), Fridge is stuck in Jack Black’s Professor Oberon and game newcomers Eddie and Milo are inside Dwayne Johnson’s Smolder Bravestone and Kevin Hart’s Mouse Finbar respectively. Something has gone really wrong.
Yes, it would seem the group will not be replaying the same game again, and this time, they also have two senior citizens along for the ride who don’t quite understand that they’re in a video game at all.
Jumanji: The Next Level is a lot like most sequels: it mostly repeats what it did the first time only bigger. Awkwafina appears as new player character Ming Fleetfoot, and Game of Thrones Rory McCann is bad guy Jurgen the Brutal, but that probably isn’t what people come to these movies for. They come to see the central foursome playing video game characters as other people. It’s not quite as effective this time around. Last time, I really dug Black’s teenage girl persona, but he seems to be leaning more into a stereotype of a young African American man. Likewise, Johnson spends most of the movie doing a so-so “old man voice” as DeVito’s avatar. There’s a lot of good comedic moments here as a result, but the voice never quite works.
But on the flip side, Hart actually more or less nails a Danny Glover impression, speaking more slowly than the motormouthed comedian is generally accustomed to do, and in a lower pitch that actually works pretty well. Plus, the always-welcome Awkwafina makes a fine addition to the cast.
In fact, the second Jumanji did exactly what it set out to do: told a fun story. Sure, it may be something of a retread of the first, but that is probably all fans of the first movie would have wanted anyway. It’s not great cinema, but it can be a fun time at the movies.
Grade: B-
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