Dwayne and Kevin do it again. This time with a little help. Following on the success of 2016’s “Central Intelligence,” Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart team up again, this time to break a curse that has been placed on “Jumanji.” Johnson and Hart get some help this time around from Jack Black and Karen Gillan in this sequel to the 1995 classic “Jumanji” which starred the late Robin Williams.
They embody the avatars of a group of high schoolers who have been placed in detention for bad behavior, where they stumble upon the old video game and is soon sucked into the world of “Jumanji.” Together, they are able to combine their strengths and overcome their weaknesses to save Jumanji” and in the process deliver a movie that is funny and entertaining from beginning to end.
The movie is fantasy and not one to be overly critical of, for me. The filmmakers do take the time to setup their premise however silly it might be. Jumanji spends just enough time concerned with some of the issues – self-consciousness, acceptance, friendship and self-worth – the kind of issues young adults deal with during those formative years, and has some real moments of sentiment and enough story to support all the laughs. There are plenty of laughs. This is the most fun I have had just laughing in a theater in a long time. And, FYI: you can say it by its name – Jumanji!
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