Cody's Movie Minute

Jumanji: The Next Level Review   Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a surprise hit with audiences back in 2017, but does the sequel live up to the fun and enjoyment of the first? Jumanji: The Next Level picks up a few years after the original. After Spencer gets sucked back into the wild world of Jumanji, his friends Fridge, Martha, and Bethany must re-enter the game that they only narrowly escaped the first time. Upon arrival, however, they discover that the game has changed and is more dangerous than ever. The Next Level does what most sequels fail to do. It keeps most of the elements that made the original so good and brings what a great sequel should. It maintains the feel and fun of the first while bringing changes to its characters and locations. The situations are new and lively, the challenges unique and fun, and the movie is all the better for it. The cast returns and with major twists and turns in who they are, The Next Level owes a great amount to its incredible actors. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black all return, bringing with them all their excellent comedic abilities from the first. Among them, I can’t find a single weak link in the group. Each one of them is at the top of their game and doing things you would never expect, and doing them extremely well. Where The Next Level falters is in its focus of comedy over emotion. What I thought made its predecessor so great was how well it was able to balance its comedy and emotion. While I absolutely loved the humor in this film, and believe that it even surpasses the original in that aspect, it left me wishing that they had been able to match the feel-good heart found in Welcome to the Jungle. Jumanji: The Next Level is a very fun and exciting ride for the whole family. There is exhilarating action with exotic animals and locations. There are hilarious gags and jokes that will leave you gasping for air. The one thing it lacks in comparison to the first, however, is more heart. The combination of action, humor, and heart is what made Welcome to the Jungle such a great and thrilling ride. While The Next Level maintains most of those great pieces, it stumbles in not having quite as strong of heart as the original.