Jumanji: The Next Level Review

"Jumanji: The Next Level" is the next big sequel. Courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Eddie Gilpin: “Are you still talking to your friends?” Spencer: “It’s complicated. When we first got together, we were different people.”

If some have read my first review on Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017) they will know that I extremely enjoyed that film from a clever and creative basis. In terms of how they decided to approach that film and how much joy I still experience, Welcome To The Jungle is still one of my favorite entertaining films of the last couple years. This cast has such a fun time together that a sequel was inevitable and what came from it is a totally blast once again. And quite frankly, these kinds of films are what is missing nowadays. The kinds of sequels we have been getting today are flat out embarrassing from a entertainment perspective. It’s all cash grabs and no investment for the audience. These Jumanji films have given me hope that franchises can be inventive, unique, caring and hilarious with charm, all things that should be in a film for audiences to have. While there are elements I can point out as potentially flaws, these films are rarely made, at least I think, or they come along every once in a while where a studio finally had the courage to say yes to a creative decision by the filmmakers. It is a jubilant film and let’s talk about it.

Jumanji: The Next Level is about our lead group and how they get stuck back into the game of Jumanji once again. Spencer has had troubles adjusting to college life and having a long distance relationship with Martha which then puts a toll on the group. Spencer comes back home from college for the holidays and gets to be around his grandpa. But when Spencer finally has his pushing point, he reactivates the game of Jumanji and gets sucked in. The group decides to go after him because they still care about Spencer. But in the world of Jumanji, the game is consistently changing and updating, hence creating a different storyline, and having new characters added into the mix. And while the game was broken from the outside world, the group gets sucked in and they have to play different characters from the ones they played before. This premise was one that ideally was not in favor of my taste, however, over the course of the year, the idea grew on me and people I noticed were getting excited. I was weary going in, but this story easily shocked me and had me invested the entire time because of the freshness it had.

(From left to right) Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillian and Jack Black star in "Jumanji: The Next Level". Courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Again, the cast here is having the time of their life when it came to portraying a sense of enjoyment here. Karen Gilliam, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas and introducing Awkwafina to the universe, along with Danny Glover and Danny Devito. I mean as silly as this cast sounds, they all do the job the they came for which is please an audience to a action-comedy adventure. When it comes to their acting, they constantly change the characters who are playing them. Jack Black for instance, he goes from being a college football athlete, to a woman, to another woman. I mean he shifts multiple times, as do the other characters. I really think the acting here is strong and better than what most critics might suggest.

What it really comes down to here is the skill of writing behind The Next Level that really stands out the most. I have already mentioned the words “creative” because there are so many different ideas that this film has and what the director, Jake Kasdan, does is take those ideas and just runs with them. For how the last film ended, it gave audiences essentially a wide-open approach if there was going to be a sequel and this was it. I loved just how they managed to upgrade the game to new heights and yet still have an excuse to go back into the game. And that is the best part for these writers and creators making these films for the universe of Jumanji is that this game is constantly changing. That gives these filmmakers a chance to explore new realms and storylines that it is damn near impossible to mess that up. Audience’s get to see a new kind of sequel that does not just repeat itself to be a cash grab. This film decides to actually expand on the ideas and tell a different story, while also adding more depth to the teenage characters because they are growing up. Which adding the elderly characters just made the theme become more relevant down the stretch. Its literally a universal tale that anyone can watch and relate, and it’s how you approach a franchise like this and how films can still make a great buck, but tell an original story in a sequel.

(From left to right) Nick Jonas, Jack Black, Karen Gillian, Dwayne Johnson, Awkwafina and Kevin Hart all star in "Jumanji: The Next Level". Courtesy of Sony Pictures.

While I did enjoy this film pretty thoroughly, I must admit, again like the last film, the villain in The Next Level is adequate. Much like Welcome to the Jungle, I could not get behind the villain here. While he is more of a threat here this time, he just never came across as the huge threat I was expecting. He only presents a threat near the end because of some decisions earlier in the film that lead the characters to a vulnerable moment. I will say the villain in this film is slightly better than the first, but he just is the one problem I need to address. Because the rest of the time is devoted to the obstacles this world presents to the characters and how much of a struggle that is.

Overall, I found The Next Level another gift to filmgoers since 2019 has been such a great year for film. I think fans of these films should see it and people who may be slightly interested or just want some easy-going entertainment, they should watch it. It’s a film I am strongly endorsing because we don’t get these kinds of sequels now. It may not look the best for some, but trust me, it is going to please numerous audiences. I am beyond shocked that Kasdan pulled off the impossible of creating a sequel and having the same kind of energy as the last one. Literally most of the elements that this film had surprised me because I did not expect this kind of film. Its one I will definitely revisit in time and I hope you guys check it out. The Next Level is definitely a step from what most sequels are prone to be.

Rating: B+

Run Time: 2 Hours 3 Minutes