Jumanji Next Level Movie Review

Going into this review I was a little apprehensive. I really enjoyed Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle. My concern was could they some how capture the fun and excitement of the second sequel to the Robin Williams (RIP) original? In a word, yeah. Yeah, they did. If you had not seen Welcome to the Jungle yet, then The Next Level will seem disjointed to you quite a bit. Mainly due to very little having been done to rehash, for new viewers, just who these people were. For those of us that remember Welcome to the Jungle fondly, this sequel is a fun romp with more Ruby Roundhouse on top.

Next level means many things

The previous installment had several levels to it but for the most part, the terrain was not all that different. It was mostly jungle scenery with some clearings and such – typical jungle. The characters moved around and generally advanced as characters would in such a game.

This is where the sequel misses quite a bit. Character development.

We meet Danny Glover and Danny DeVito but are not given a lot of background on them. While they do have a believable reason for not being in the previous movie, it is a strained connection at best. They get mixed up and are entered into the world of Jumanji with most of the team as they try to save Spencer.

Spencer apparently kept the console and entered the game again to escape a boring life. Since returning from Jumanji he has been bored in life and out of touch with the rest of the group.

Character mix-up

Considering we now have two new players in the game, Glover and DeVito, we end up with mixed up characters. Martha still gets to be Ruby Roundhouse but Fridge, the job of the group, ends up getting Professor Sheldon Oberon, best known for cartography. Devito playing as Eddie gets Dr. Xander “Smolder” Bravestone while Milo, Glover, is Franklin “Mouse” Finbar.

The only thing this change does early on is give Johnson and Hart a reason to play with accents and facial expressions. They are also able to play old roles in a new manner since they are inhabited by “new” players.

Later we see the return of Alex (the man lost in Welcome to the Jungle) as himself and Bethany (former Professor Oberon) who is now a horse. Spencer is a new character, an Asian master of cat burglary – and a female. He was hoping to get Bravestone again but was put in a new character role.

New characters new angles

It is interesting how the two new characters work with each the group in real life and in Jumanji. Let’s just say it is quite funny seeing an Asian master of cat burglary portraying, speech and all, like they are from New Jersey. While it will probably be offensive to many, it was unique and at least brought something different to what could have been a stereotypical, for movies like this, character.

Each persona has a new ability, most don’t come in handy other than “Mouse” and his mastery of linguistics. Early on it is unknown what or why this is considered a “pro” in his stats. It does come in handy later though, for one in knowing it is Bethany that got stuck as a horse.

I won’t ruin it for you, but linguistics is the best used new ability in The Next Level.

Seeing red

As mentioned previously, there is considerably more Ruby Roundhouse in The Next Level. She is given more screen time either posing, gratuitous shots of her chest in frame, or talking/action roles.

I am not complaining in any way. I think Karen Gillan does a great job playing the “unsure badass”, even in this sequel. While there are hints of that uncertainty for Roundhouse, it is clear she has grown comfortable with the situations, more than the first movie.

There are no awkward “dance fighting” scenes here and that is a shame because that was a funny sequence in Welcome to the Jungle.

Lack of story in my review

I am leaving out the story in this review because I don’t want to spoil it. There is action, suspense, some comedy, and there is even some emotional stuff. It is like being on a rollercoaster that is set to about three-quarter speed – still a fun ride but never really reaches critical levels.

I am not saying they hit cruise control here, just there is so much going on and there are so many stops for imposition. It just messes with the flow, most of it is due to Glover and DeVito’s stories being mixed in.

Jumanji the Next Level is a good fun romp through the game world again. The locales are varied, and the action is handled quite well. If you are a fan of Welcome to the Jungle, then definitely check out The Next Level. It is worth a rental. I watched it via Vudu, but if you prefer physical copies check out eBay or Amazon. These are affiliate links that I will receive a small commission if you use (though it costs you nothing extra). Thank you for the support.

Tell me in the comments what movie I should review next. New or old, it is all fair game.