Jake Kasdan’s followup to the surprisingly fun 2017 sequel tweaks the code but ends up glitchy.
It’s easy to underestimate journeyman comedy directors like Jake Kasdan, but his career is filled with charming, under-the-radar gems like Freaks and Geeks, and the 2008 music biopic spoof Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. All that goodwill finally paid off with 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a big-budget remake of a ‘90s movie about the deadly perils of playing board games. It was way more fun and emotionally complex than it had any right to be, and ended up grossing over 950 million worldwide. Now comes the inevitable sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, which plays out more like the cash grab people assumed the first would be. But still, it’s packed with enough fun, witty moments to not be a waste of time, despite a few questionable story choices.
This time, the gang from the previous film — Spencer (Alex Wolff), Martha (Morgan Turner), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) — are now out of high school, but still struggling to figure out who they are when they aren’t playing characters in a cursed video game. Spencer, especially, misses being the strong, brooding Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) as he struggles to get by at NYU. He misses him so much that, when the four friends plan a reunion back in their hometown, he decides a better idea would be to run back inside the scary, dangerous video game. His buddies (who are much better friends than I am) decide to rescue him, finding themselves back in Jumanji on another epic adventure.
To its credit, The Next Level does its level best to avoid just repeating the same formula as the previous film; now, Kasdan has thrown 75-year-old Danny DeVito and 73-year-old Danny Glover into a huge, kid-friendly blockbuster. DeVito plays Spencer’s grandfather Eddie (essentially a kid-friendly Frank from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), who stays with him and his mother following an injury. Glover plays Milo, an estranged business partner of Eddie who stops by to make amends before finding themselves sucked into the video game along with the kids. In an additional twist, the new players don’t get to pick their avatars, which means Eddie now controls Bravestone and Glover slides into the diminutive body of zoologist Franklin “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart).
What made the previous Jumanji film work was that it had a charming Breakfast Club heart in an action-adventure body. This sequel swaps The Breakfast Club out for Grumpy Old Men, which doesn’t work as well, especially when the movie tries to do both at the same time.
…plays out more like the cash grab people assumed the first would be.
The idea of aging bodies finding new life (three lives, to be exact) in a video game can be worth exploring, and the film sometimes hits deceptively sad notes on it thanks to some tender moments between Johnson and Hart. But it bumbles it by not knowing how much time to spend with them, and also sticking poor Glover into a horse body for big swaths of the story.
Still, as in the last one, watching actors playing video game characters while also being played by the real-life characters is a delightful treat. Johnson doing his best DeVito and Hart nailing Glover’s slow cadence is by far one of the film’s highlights and a neat way to allow two stars locked into their existing personas to stretch a bit.
The rest of the cast, including the returning Karen Gillan and Jack Black (and Awkwafina as the newest avatar, a cat burglar named Ming) are also having a blast with the material, even if some of the body-switching gets a little cringe-worthy. It’s like watching an all-star basketball team that plays no defense, but it’s still fun to watch them throw down some alley-oops.
Kasdan, returning with cinematographer Gyula Pados, stages the kid-friendly action setpieces with refreshing panache and clarity for a blustering studio film of its type. A perilous journey across a series of rotating, broken bridges late in the film is a particular highlight, a whirlwind jumping puzzle filled with ravenous mandrills that feels like something out of Uncharted.
This Jumanji may not build off the previous one in totally successful ways; like a lot of video game sequels, there will be at least something in the new one that reminds you of why you liked playing the first one. But you’re probably better off just replaying what you already have.
Jumanji: The Next Level puts another coin in the slot and fires up a new game December 13th.
Jumanji: The Next Level Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country has Interstellar?
Maybe you’ve just seen Oppenheimer and have the strongest urge to marathon—or more fun yet, rank!—all of Christopher Nolan’s films. Or maybe you’re one of the few who haven’t seen Interstellar yet. If you are, then you should change that immediately; the dystopian epic is one of Nolan’s best, and with that incredible twist in ... Which Netflix Country has Interstellar?
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to Watch ESPN With A Free Trial
One of the major concerns people have before cutting the cord is potentially losing access to live sports. But the great thing about live TV streaming services is that you never lose that access. Minus the contracts and complications of cable, these streaming services connect you to a host of live channels, including ESPN. So ... How to Watch ESPN With A Free Trial
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT Sports With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT Sports With A Free Trial
How to Watch Comedy Central With a Free Trial
It’s no coincidence that many of today’s biggest comedians found their footing on Comedy Central: the channel is a bastion of emerging comic talents. It served as a playground for people like Nathan Fielder (Fielder For You), Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), Tim Robinson (Detroiters), and Dave Chappelle (Chappelle’s Show) before they shot ... How to Watch Comedy Central With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial