Or as we think it should be called, “Jumanji: Welcome To The Best Movie We Have Seen In A Long Time!”
When we first found out that there was going to be a re-imagining of our favourite family movie from the 90’s, “Jumanji,” we were so insanely excited and we couldn’t wait to get tickets to go and see it when it was released. We marked the date and started counting down the days, and then the amazing people at Cineworld made it feel like Christmas had come early by giving us some tickets to an early preview of the highly anticipated movie.
Obviously we said yes in a heartbeat and now we are so glad we did because after sitting through the whole two hours of it, we can safely say that it is one of the best movies we have seen in a long time.
…And we promise that has nothing at all to do with Nick Jonas’ undeniable hotness or Dwayne Johnson’s sexy smoulder. Those were just nice bonuses.
Now, despite what some people believed following the initial announcement of the movie, “Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle,” was definitely not a rip off of the much-loved original. Instead, it was exactly what actor Dwayne Johnson said it would be. It was simply a continuation of the 1995 classic which, while being clearly different, was also a heart-warming nod to magic of the Robin Williams led movie that we all fell in love with over twenty years ago.
There is even a mention of Robin Williams’ character Alan Parrish in this movie and we think he would definitely be honoured and happy with how it all turned out.
Another great thing about, “Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle,” was the stellar cast of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black and Nick Jonas. They all gave really memorable performances which in some cases, was one of their best. The chemistry between them was clear, and it definitely translated well on the big screen.
Dwayne Johnson played a perfect Dr. Smolder Bravestone, a hunky character with the strength of an intense smouldering look and one heck of a punch while Kevin Hart bounces off of him really well as the hilarious Franklin “Moose” Finbar. Karen Gillan brings the girl power as total badass Ruby Roundhouse who is known for her dance-fighting and insane roundhouse kicks, and then there is Jack Black who is perhaps a little too amazing in the role of popular teenage girl turned middle-aged man, Professor Shelly Oberon.
Nick Jonas’ character in the movie is a little bit different. He jumps into the action, quite literally, around halfway through the movie and the viewers will quickly realise that he is there to play a very important role in the other characters’ survival inside the jungle of Jumanji. There’s a big twist with his character of Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough but we’ll let you see that for yourselves. It’s a nice little link back to the original movie though.
The overall plot of the movie was also very enjoyable and the fact that it was based around a video game instead of a board game gave this, “re-imagining,” the modern reboot it required. If the creators of this movie had decided to centre it on another board game then we fear it wouldn’t have related as well with today’s generation as this one undoubtedly will.
We can’t fault any part of this movie because we think it was all amazing, but there were certainly some stand-out moments for us. Look out for the scene where Jack Black’s character has to go to the bathroom after his transformation from teenage girl to adult man, and an awkward yet ultimately sweet scene involving Jack Black’s character having to give Nick Jonas’ character CPR… Intense kiss of life included.
Kevin Hart’s character has a weakness of cake, and the scene involving this is side-splittingly funny, while Karen Gillan’s character has a cool stand-out scene of her own involving some awesome dance-fighting and that catchy Big Mountain song.
You’ll know which song we mean when you hear it.
All-in-all, “Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle,” is a fun, action-packed movie that will have you laughing from start to finish and that is perfect for the whole family. The characters are great, the plot is exciting, the special effects are breath-taking, and the message of the importance of friendship gives the movie a nice heart-warming undertone which will stay with the viewer a long after the movie has ended.
If you want to see, “Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle,”when it’s first released, and we would really encourage you to do so, then make sure to book your tickets for 20th December and then check back in with us and tell us what you thought of it.
Are you planning on seeing Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle when it is released? Let us know on Twitter at, @CelebMix.