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Why Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle Works

It’s more than the jokes, action scenes and eye-candy

There is always a risk when a studio decides to reboot or add another chapter to a story that has already become so iconic to and so well loved by a generation. There’s always the fear of disappointment, not living up to its predecessor and misuse of characters, premise and the universe that the original virtually built. And it was no exception with Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle.

But where others have failed, Welcome To The Jungle has succeeded.

The cast is stellar

You really cannot go wrong with a cast that consists of some of the biggest names in the industry. Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Nick Jonas worked well as a group and their chemistry was evident from the very beginning. They were awkward when they had to be awkward, funny at just the right moments and sarcastic when it was appropriate. And to see Kevin Hart get shown up by The Rock? That alone was reason to buy the ticket.

The comedy is spot on

With Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Kevin Hart at the helm, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle was never going to be much if it wasn’t going to be a comedy. Fortunately, each man delivers. And with the help of Nick Jonas and Karen Gillan, there are laughs from every member of the audience.

The action scenes are amazing

At its core, the Jumanji franchise is an action one—whether that meant running sway from wild animals or outsmarting Van Pelt. Welcome To The Jungle does not forget this vital feature and even builds on to the scenes that we remember from the 90s. Everything is more fast-paced, more colorful and generally more exciting.

The film essentially stands on its own

There isn’t a direct parallel to the original film except for the game itself. Welcome To The Jungle does not tell the story of the descendants of Alan Parrish, Sarah Whittle or Judy and Peter Shepherd. The game itself even takes on a digital transformation and, as the trailer shows, reality is not disturbed by the game’s world since the players are taken into Jumanji instead.

But it pays tribute to the original when it has to

That being said, Welcome To The Jungle does pay tribute to its predecessor when necessary and only when appropriate. There are throwbacks to Robin William’s character and the film follows the same rules: Players must finish the game.

Catch Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle in theaters with GMovies, available via the App Store and the Play Store.

Images via facebook.com/JumanjiMovie

Adie Pieraz

grew up with numbers but fell in love with words by the time she reached her teenage years. She likes to surround herself with mellow music, delicious food and funny fail videos.