Film Review - Jumanji: The Next Level (12A)

No, no, no! I'm the old fat dude!

In pure dollar terms 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was the biggest blockbuster surprise of the last decade. Part of the reason was its deft blending of comedy and adventure, but more was due to how imaginately it subverted the expectations of everyone who had seen the Robin Williams original. Whatever the cause, the film's outlandish level of success meant that this sequel was destined to exist - only question, would it be more than a cynical exercise in wringing cash from the built-in audience? I can happily report that with the original creative team on board, Jumanji: The Next Level stays original and creative. It's also a lot of fun.

High school is over for our Breakfast Clubby quartet - and while three of them have moved on emotionally and geographically, geeky Spencer is in a hometown rut. Secretly he longs to be video game character Dr. Smolder Braveheart all over again. Thus when his friends arrive home for Christmas break, they find that he has reconstructed the magical game they thought had been destroyed and vanished inside it. What can they do but follow him? However the damaged game is playing by different rules this time. When Spencer's ailing grandfather (Danny DeVito) and the friend with whom he fell out decades before (fellow-Danny Glover) get dragged into Jumanji as well, virtually no one ends up as the avatar they expected. Add to that their new quest - one that turns out to be fraught with even more peril than before.

The big achievement of The Next Level is that it takes all that made its 2017 predecessor so much fun - the video-game tropes, the crackling banter, the sharp visuals - and mixes things up enough to keep them fresh. With the bickering protagonists of Welcome to the Jungle now firmly united in friendship, it's inspired to have them teamed with a pair of grumpy old men, painfully trying to explain the rules of what's going on as the usual Jumanji madness breaks out all around. And while Karen Gillen's Martha gets to revisit her Amy Roundhouse character (a move which grounds the potentially confusing experience for the audience), Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black all get to play entertainingly against their original types.

This plot device is never less than entertaining, but works particularly well in Hart's case. While Black was the most consistently hilarious character in the Jungle, this time it's the diminuative star of The Upside and Night School who shines, his high-pitched motor-mouth shtick replaced with something very different. And just when that seam of comedy threatens to reach exhaustion, the screenplay stirs the body-swap plotline even more. What is truly impressive - and a credit to the more mature actors - is how easily you can follow the thread of the teens' character journeys through a variety of video game personas. In other words, you never lose track of who's who, however break-neck the pace of the narrative, and stay invested as a result. 

The rebooted franchise should also be commended for keeping a tight focus on character interactions, no matter how furiously the action hurtles along. The joke-heavy dialogue never lets up - even when our heroic band are fending off a vicious monkey attack miles in the air - and an impressively high percentage of their gags raise a laugh. Visually the sequel is a step up from before, with Laurence of Arabia desert vistas and craggy snow-capped peaks providing respite from the traditional Jumanji jungle. Throw in some great support performances that I won't even spoil and you have as satisfying a family-friendly advanture as you're likely to watch this Christmas and most others.

There's a concensus among critics that Jumanji: The Next Level is a solid sequel, complimenting but not quite matching Welcome to the Jungle, due to the underlying concept no longer being fresh. Well maybe it's because I came to the Jungle two years late with the surprise already spoiled, but I actually preferred this new one. It made me laugh more, it thrilled me more and  - in its sub-plot of two older characters reviewing their life choices - it even moved me a little bit more. The makers should probably quit while they're so far ahead, but from the end-credits that's not going to happen. If they do go for the trilogy (and there's around zero per cent chance that they won't) let's hope the writers have enough ideas in reserve to re-summon that Jumanji magic. This time around it was so worth it.

Gut Reaction: I laughed, loudly and a lot, including every damn time Hart opened his mouth. On a few occasions I even got properly enthralled.

Memorable Moment: The mandrill bridge attack. One of those occasions that properly enthralled me.

Ed's Verdict: 7.5/10. A worthy companion piece to the first (new) Jumanji, The Next Level is a great comedy showcase for multiple talents and (occasional genital references aside) a terrific family night out. Pass the popcorn and enjoy the ride.