No one was more surprised than me how good ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ was. The original ‘Jumanji’ was notable really only for the early performance of Kirsten Dunst. The 2017 update was funnier and structurally much more satisfying.
For the sequel ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, all the main cast – The Rock, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillen – return, as Spencer (Alex Wolff) and his group of friends enter the game once again. This time there are new levels to overcome and also a few new characters as Spencer’s granddad (Danny DeVito) and friend (Danny Glover) get sucked in too.
It was a wise decision to add them as they bring a new dimension and most of the chuckles to the proceedings. Otherwise, this is more of the same as the previous movie, with the four main stars all given rein to play against type with good comic effect.
The story feels a little bit flabbier this time, but it is still pretty good fun.
Rating: 7 out of 10