Review of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

By Dave B.

When four high school students decide to play a video game that they uncover in the basement of their school while serving detention, they’re sucked into the game and transported to the land of Jumanji. They find themselves in the bodies of the characters that they selected and discover that if they don’t beat the game, they’ll either be trapped in it forever, or they’ll die.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) isn’t the greatest movie of all time, but it serves it’s purpose of being uncomplicated fun. The cast is fantastic and the four leads (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black) are all charming and funny. The humor in the film consists of more hits than misses, at least if you like your humor a bit on the stupid side (which I do). And the land of Jumanji is gorgeous and the movie is filled with better than decent CGI and special effects. 

That’s not by any means to say that Jumanji is perfect. Far from it. The plot couldn’t be more predictable, the villain is completely two-dimensional, and at just shy of two hours long, the film drags a bit at times, especially when the dialogue focuses on teenage hormones and the group dynamics brought about by them. But these flaws are generally overshadowed by Jumanji’s lighthearted simplicity, fantasy-world appeal, and energetic pacing.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is an easy movie to recommend because despite being unchallenging in every way, its fun. It’s the type of movie that you watch when you want a few laughs, heroes who you’re happy to root for, and an ending that leaves you feeling satisfied and optimistic in general. Sometimes, a feel-good, family-friendly blockbuster is just what you need and when that’s the mood you’re in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle should be on the list of movies that you consider watching.

Rating: 6/10