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Movie review: We should have more 'Jumanji' movies

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David Dizon, ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ERxHD_n6hws?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><p>MANILA -- We really should have more Jumanji movies. Here&#x27;s why. </p><p>Arriving in Philippine theaters Monday, the action-adventure film &quot;Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle&quot; by Jake Kasdan picks up from the original movie starring Robin Williams and gives it an upgrade. </p><p>Chris Van Allsburg&#x27;s story of a haunted gameboard that brings its magical threats to life has always had a timeless appeal that should be easy to translate to movies. In the first Jumanji movie, the threats are more homebound -- Alan Parrish and three friends must fight mischievous monkeys, carnivorous plants and a big game hunter to complete the game and undo its spell on their lives. </p><p>In &quot;Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,&quot; the game is not stuck on a tabletop; instead of fighting it out on a mansion, four teenagers are sucked into the titular jungle where they become videogame avatars fighting some really scary threats. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/life/01/08/jumanji-1.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></figure></div><p>This leads to laugh-out-loud moments as the &quot;nerd&quot; character Spencer (Alex Wolff) is transformed into Dwayne Johnson&#x27;s heroic Dr. Smolder Braveston; the jock character Anthony &quot;Fridge&quot; Johnson (Ser&#x27;Darius Blain) becomes Kevin Hart&#x27;s dimunitive zoologist Franklin &quot;Mouse&quot; Finbar; the wallflower Martha Kaply (Morgan Turner) turns into Karen Gillan&#x27;s red hot slayer of men Ruby Roundhouse; and finally, the self-absorbed Bethany Walker (Madison Iseman) is transformed into a man - Jack Black&#x27;s Professor Sheldon &quot;Shelly&quot; Oberon. </p><p>A fifth character - Alex Vreeke (Nick Jonas) - is the new Parrish stand-in, stuck in the game for two decades with no hope of getting out. </p><p>Together, the new Jumanji players must learn the value of teamwork so that they can finish the game. There&#x27;s a Nickelodeon movie feel to the proceedings, right down to the first teen characters, except with a bigger budget and brand-name stars. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/life/01/08/jumanji-2.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></figure></div><p>There is also a twist absent from the first Jumanji - characters are given three lives in the game, die three times and you are &quot;dead&quot; in the real world as well. The action scenes are better executed here but the videogame feel doesn&#x27;t put the characters in any real danger even against movie villain John Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale), a demonic figure who wants to control the Jaguar’s Eye and claim dominion over the land. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/life/01/08/jumanji-3.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></figure></div><p>What elevates the material from high-budget timewaster to charming diversion is the cast&#x27;s performances. Johnson&#x27;s Dr. Bravestone is a badass without any discernible weaknesses except his shyness towards women. Hart does his usual schtick as annoying loudmouth - his death as a result of a weakness to cake is played for laughs. Nick Jonas does his best impression of Shia LaBeouf, while Jack Black plays his/her character as a vapid caricature. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/life/01/08/jumanji-4.jpg?ext=.jpg"/></figure></div><p>The real MVP here is Gillan, who plays the eye candy Lara Croft-like character Ruby Roundhouse. Aside from kicking butt, Gillan also does two of the funniest scenes in the movie - one, a flirtation scene that&#x27;s been done a million times in previous movies but still sells laughs, and a kissing scene with Johnson that is hilarious in its awkwardness. Gillan is a cypher in her previous movie role as Nebula in &quot;Guardians of the Galaxy&quot; but her willingness here to go to great lengths for a laugh works like gangbusters. </p><p>So is there a space for more Jumanji? You bet. Hollywood may be riding the reboot train till it breaks but this one gets it exactly right - likeable leads, a family-friendly feel, story that doesn&#x27;t meander, judicious use of CGI and well earned laughs. It&#x27;s even got a surprise or two, depending on your movie knowledge. </p><p>&quot;Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle&quot; does not outlast its welcome, which is a good thing. This one is going to have a long shelf life.</p><p>Now bring on the Zathura remake. </p>

Movie review: We should have more 'Jumanji' movies

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Movie review: We should have more 'Jumanji' movies

David Dizon,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 08, 2018 01:56 PM PHT

|

Updated Jan 08, 2018 06:09 PM PHT

Read More:

jumanji

dwayne johnson

kevin hart

karen gillan

jack black

jake kasdan

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