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Review: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

 Now that the Oscars are over, I'm back to doing whatever movie I've watched to far this year. This post will contain spoilers.  

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle


Summary

    A reinvention of the 1995 film in video game form. Four teenagers, Spencer (Alex Wolff), Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner) are stuck in detention when they find the video game version of Jumanji and decide to play. As opposed to the first Jumanji, the four are transported into the game and become video game characters, Dr. Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Franklin Finbar (Kevin Hart), Professor Oberon (Jack Black), and Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). 

    They discover that to escape the game they need to save Jumanji by returning a stolen jewel to the Jaguar statue. Each character has different skills that contribute to their team, meaning four teenagers who barely interact have to work together. On the way they find Alex (Nick Jonas), who is another teen who had previously tried to play the game. Together they are able to navigate the game and save Jumanji. 


One Sentence Review

Rating: 8/10

    I thought this was a fun film and I can rewatch it all the way through without getting bored.

 

The Tiny Details

    A lot of my favorite parts are the connections back to the original film. Starting with the opening scene where Jumanji is still in the form a board game but then quickly evolves to a game cartridge when it realizes that teenagers don't play board games as often. The second connection I loved was seeing Alan Parish's house from when he lived in Jumanji, though Alex was living in it, they kept the inscription, and they made a point to have a quick conversation about it. I also really liked that they kept yelling "Jumanji" to end the game, so it stayed consistent. 

    Other than that, I loved the characters all of the main actors really had great chemistry for the film and a lot of the jokes were funny. I usually am not a fan of putting The Rock in films, but I really enjoy his banter with Kevin Hart, and I think that cancelled out my dislike. This film is just a lot of fun and I have fun watching it every time, sure there are definitely some problems with the visuals and dialogue but it's nothing you can't look past, after all the movie isn't up for an Oscar. It's also a great spin-off of an old film and you don't see those often. 

Favorite Characters

5) Spencer

    He annoys me as a character until he's transported into the game and then I liked how he stepped up to the leader position and the character developed well.


4) Fridge

    Had some really funny lines and that's what made me like him.


3) Nigel

    An NPC in Jumanji, something about his happiness is contagious and I like how nonchalant he is because he's just a video game character.


2) Bethany


    The icon herself, so many great lines. Also, Jack Black just never fails to make me laugh and this character was no exception. 


1) Martha

    I loved her character development from shy to confident while within the game. Though I just love Karen Gillan in films too so that makes me slightly biased. 


Best Quotes

  5) "You don't get in water with a backpack, everybody knows that" - Finbar

4) "Are you gonna help or are you too pretty" ... "I'm too pretty" - Bethany

3) "NOO I'm an overweight middle-aged man" - Oberon"

2) "Zoology bitch" - Finbar

1) "I'll recite in verse/ return the jewel and lift the curse/ of you wish to leave the game/ you must save Jumanji and call out its name" - Nigel


An Inspired Playlist


For this playlist I obviously had to include The Jumanji Overture as well as Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N' Roses because those go without saying, I also included Ruby Roundhouse's dance fight song - Baby, I Love Your Way by Big Mountain. Here are a few other songs that fit this film's vibes: 

Paradise City - Guns N' Roses - It's more like take me to Jumanji but I think another Guns N' Roses song would fit the film so well. 

Thunderstruck - AC/DC - The whole film, being an action movie gives rock music, and it needs an AC/DC song for that as well 

Eye of the Tiger - Survivor - In the film it's the jewel of the jaguar but it feels interchangeable to me

Maneater - Nelly Furtado - Ruby "Killer of Men" Roundhouse

Stacy's Mom - Fountains Of Wayne - This is literally just Bethany at the end of the film when she sees Alex outside the game

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