JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL
***
Dir: Jake Kasdan (12A 120 mins)
After the surprise success of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a so-so comedy actioner based on the 1995 Robin Williams film, the gang returns with another body-swapping video game escapade. The original cast of Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black and Kevin Hart are back as avatars but this time not for high school students. Alex Wolff’s character Spencer has disappeared into the game and his teenage friends (mean girl Bethany, sports jock Fridge and nerdy Martha) have to save him. Along for the ride are Danny DeVito as Spencer’s grandfather and Danny Glover as his ageing friend. So instead of all the teen characters going back in, two of them are replaced: Dwayne Johnson now channels Danny DeVito, Kevin Hart is Danny Glover and Jack Black is now a sports jock instead of a mean girl. Only Gillan’s Lara Croft-esque ass-kicker has the same controller, Megan. This enables different comedy schtick to unfold in more extreme jungle scenarios with added deserts, ice caps, monkey and ostrich attacks, creating affable (if forgettable) family fun.
Opens December 11
[wpdevart_youtube]I-pPtS1HUB4[/wpdevart_youtube]