Jumanji

1995, Interscope Communications et al

In a way, this adaptation of a children's book is Robin Williams personified: frenetic, random, and prone to bursts of insanity. It had good ingredients and intentions; it simply didn't coalesce into a cohesive whole, and critics were at best tepid about it—although audiences didn't seem to care, and it was a box office success (likely thanks to Williams' draw). Its spiritual successor, Zathura, had very similar creative issues, although it was a box office flop.

DKS 4/10/18

GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:

Tolerable

 

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

2017, Columbia Pictures et al

Having low expectations going into yet another example of Hollywood's conceptual cannibalization, I was surprised to find it was far and away more entertaining than it had any right to be. For one thing, the cast was actually really good at spoofing their teenage counterparts. Although Kevin Hart was a bit too much to take as the comic relief (and skated uncomfortably close to being a non-PC stereotype), Jack Black utterly nailed it as a self-absorbed teenage girl, and the Rock demonstrated borderline awesome acting chops. The script was almost flawless, the action was expertly-crafted, the effects well above average, and the pace swift but not too frenetic. Director Jake Kasdan made sure the film didn't overstay its welcome, and it earned nearly a billion at the box office against a $100 million budget. Plus a sequel.

DKS 4/10/18

GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:

Smells Like Roses!

 

Jumanji: The Next Level

2017, Columbia Pictures et al

Can they do it again? Almost. It's the same, but just different enough. This time, the twist is that our original crewmembers don't always wind up occupying the same avatars as last time, resulting in some confusion at first, but it's worth sticking with it. We also acquire new main characters, portrayed by Danny DeVito (not my favorite actor), Danny Glover and Akwafina. The Rock isn't quite as good imitating DeVito as he is his teenage counterpart; however, newcomer Akwafina's take on DeVito is absolutely priceless. It does get a bit frenetic at times, as is expected, but it also has a bittersweet sub-plot that results in some genuinely moving moments.

DKS 9/24/22

GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:

Almost Nice

 

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