First Take: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle- it’s all fun and games here

SYNOPSIS-
Four teenagers discover an old video game console and are literally drawn into the game’s jungle setting becoming the adult avatars they chose.

This film has been bathed in negativity since it was announced, it’s damn near impossible to think of a Jumanji without the legendary Robin Williams, but somehow, incredibly, Jake Kasdan has been able to make a film that honours the legacy of the 1996 classic, while updating the story for a modern audience to understand. And considering that I had been bracing myself for an Emoji Movie style rant, this is a major win for Jumanji.

For a family film like this, the pacing is everything, and Kasdan’s direction is pretty much spot on throughout aside from a few problematic scenes in the second act- add to that a script from Chris McKenna, Jeff Pinkler, Scott Rosenberg and Erik Sommers, and you have a film that uses the Chris Van Allsburg book as inspiration for a more modern take on the only board game- sorry, video game that’s more difficult to win than Monopoly. It’s shot incredibly well by Gyula Pados, and with a Henry Jackman score adding the obligatory old school music to the film, this is super faithful to the original.

The cast are just as good, with Dwayne Johnson (still not used to referring to him as anything other than The Rock) is on fire as per usual, and paired with Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and his Central Intelligence comic partner Kevin Hart, they are able to create magic on the big screen, and with a supporting cast that includes Bobby Cannavale and Nick Jonas, I can safely say that this film will be a success regardless of what fans of the original say- families will enjoy it a lot.

THE VERDICT

With great humour, a plot that audiences both young and old can engage with, and a great cast doing some good work, Jumanji is a great film to take the kids to this Christmas. While it may not do ‘Paddington numbers’ as I’d say at the local cinema, it’ll be a great alternative to Star Wars. 

RATING- 4/5