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Film Review - Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle
6 years ago
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle is a film that surprised me. Not only is it a decent film, but I didn't know it was about kids getting trapped in a computer game until just before I watched it.
The plot starts by setting up a bunch of kids (if you hate kids in films, don't worry, they aren't in it much) who fall into broad types. There's the coward, the loner jock, the nerd, and the self absorbed instagram thot.
Soon they are transported into Jumanji, which is now a games console instead of a board game. Each person turning into one of the characters from the game that are at odds with their personality. The coward gets the Indiana Jones esc Dr. Bravestone, the nerd gets the Lara Croft esc sexy kung fu expert Ruby Roundhouse, etc.
The cast at this point are perfect for their archetypes. I found it funny that Jack Black plays the eccentric professor when he played the eccentric film professor in one of the many King Kong remakes, and The Rock? He played this type of character in another film also called Welcome To The Jungle, which is kind of cheating.
The film is kind of clunky early on as it explains basic concepts like NPCs and limited lives as if the audience has never played a computer game before. But after that, the film gets good. It's a typical adventure movie/game with the characters moving through the different "levels" each making up typical adventure set pieces, almost like an extended episode of Reboot. I won't spoil the ending or anything that happens, but it's fun.
While I could knit pick this or that, there are 2 problems I want to mention. First is the overuse of CGI. I know, I know, I complain about this stuff too much, and here it's justified by being both a game, and because the nature effects couldn't realistically be done practically. But whenever Ruby Roundhouse does a flip and it cuts to a wide shot with a bad CGI puppet, I can't help but think it could have been better.
The other complaint is harder to explain, but the best way I can describe it is to say there's a lack of threat. I don't remember much about the original Jumanji, but I vaguely remember 6 inch killer mosquitoes and giant killer plants. The jungle here doesn't really have anything on that level. There's also little sense that the characters are in real danger. Maybe it's the video game layer with things like extra lives and characters skills that is getting in the way?
Despite my complaints, I liked Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. It's a fun film. Not exactly a classic or anything, but it's a fun time if you like adventure games or films.
The plot starts by setting up a bunch of kids (if you hate kids in films, don't worry, they aren't in it much) who fall into broad types. There's the coward, the loner jock, the nerd, and the self absorbed instagram thot.
Soon they are transported into Jumanji, which is now a games console instead of a board game. Each person turning into one of the characters from the game that are at odds with their personality. The coward gets the Indiana Jones esc Dr. Bravestone, the nerd gets the Lara Croft esc sexy kung fu expert Ruby Roundhouse, etc.
The cast at this point are perfect for their archetypes. I found it funny that Jack Black plays the eccentric professor when he played the eccentric film professor in one of the many King Kong remakes, and The Rock? He played this type of character in another film also called Welcome To The Jungle, which is kind of cheating.
The film is kind of clunky early on as it explains basic concepts like NPCs and limited lives as if the audience has never played a computer game before. But after that, the film gets good. It's a typical adventure movie/game with the characters moving through the different "levels" each making up typical adventure set pieces, almost like an extended episode of Reboot. I won't spoil the ending or anything that happens, but it's fun.
While I could knit pick this or that, there are 2 problems I want to mention. First is the overuse of CGI. I know, I know, I complain about this stuff too much, and here it's justified by being both a game, and because the nature effects couldn't realistically be done practically. But whenever Ruby Roundhouse does a flip and it cuts to a wide shot with a bad CGI puppet, I can't help but think it could have been better.
The other complaint is harder to explain, but the best way I can describe it is to say there's a lack of threat. I don't remember much about the original Jumanji, but I vaguely remember 6 inch killer mosquitoes and giant killer plants. The jungle here doesn't really have anything on that level. There's also little sense that the characters are in real danger. Maybe it's the video game layer with things like extra lives and characters skills that is getting in the way?
Despite my complaints, I liked Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. It's a fun film. Not exactly a classic or anything, but it's a fun time if you like adventure games or films.
