Four high school kids discover an old video game console and are drawn into the game’s jungle setting, literally becoming the adult avatars they chose. What they discover is that you don’t just play Jumanji – you must survive it. To beat the game and return to the real world, they’ll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, discover what Alan Parrish left 20 years ago, and change the way they think about themselves – or they’ll be stuck in the game forever. – Sony Pictures Entertainment

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was directed by Jake Kasdan (son of Lawerence Kasdan, the writer of Empire Strikes Back). The film was also written by Jake Kasdan with a bunch of others; Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg, and Jeff Pinkner.

Honestly I had very low expectations for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and wasn’t planning on seeing it. I love the original Jumanji, it is easily one of my favorite childhood movies. I just couldn’t see how they could make a sequel or reboot or whatever you wanna call it. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has no right being as good as it is but goddamn, this movie is a good time.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle might just be the best video game movie. Times are a changing and kids don’t play board games. To continue tormenting kids Jumanji has to change too, so Jumanji is a video game now. At first I wasn’t sold on Jumanji turning into a video game but the movie did it justice and the change made sense. Surprisingly this movie totally honors and respects what came before without shoving it down your throat. Look out for a Robin Williams Easter egg.

The Breakfast Club meets Jumanji. Four kids who don’t see eye to eye and have their differences are stuck in detention together. They find Jumanji and there off on an adventure of excitement, discovery and they might just learn something to bring back to the real world like being brave or not judging a book by its cover. The world of Jumanji is set up just like a video, there’s none player characters, levels and, a map. All the characters have special skills and everybody gets 3 lives. The story itself is set up just like a video game aside from the real world stuff. The video game setting totally works and adds a lot of humor to the movie. The only part of the movie that doesn’t benefit from the video game setting is the villain. The villain is totally one dimensional and is literally just there to be an antagonist. I have no idea what the guy is about but he is creepy and menacing. The villain gets a pass though this is supposed to be a video game from the 90’s and I don’t think they were really well known for their fleshed our characters.

The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Nick Jonas. As you would expect with that cast; this movie is quite funny. There was some real solid action scenes but it’s the comedy that sold me on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Everyone in the movie is playing a character vastly different from their normal roles aside from Kevin Hart who just played Kevin Hart. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Nick Jonas are in game characters, the teenagers who find Jumanji and later sucked in are placed in the bodies of those characters which leads to the laughs. In the body of Dwayne Johnson is a nerdy kid who is afraid of just about everything. Karen Gillan is a shy, timid girl. As said earlier Kevin Hart is Kevin Hart. Jack Black absolutely stole the show, in the body of Jack Black is a super popular, social media obsessed teenage girl. There was no bad acting in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle even the kids did a good job with the screen time they had. It’s hard to look back at this movie and not think about how hilarious Jack Black was. Surprisingly he can play a teenage girl pretty well. Jack Black is always funny but this time it was top tier comedy.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is 100% a film for the whole family. This movie has big action, big laughs and big heart. I had fun from start to finish. This movie really is a blast. Fans new and old will enjoy this one. Totally original yet faithful and respectful to the first one.

I give Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle an 8 out of 10, would watch again.

“Bye, Dude.”