Want to hear more from the actors and creators of your favorite shows and films? Subscribe to The Cinema Spot on YouTube for all of our upcoming interviews!
As we approach another new year, we have another revived franchise. The early screenings of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle have just gone through, and we here at Geek Motivation got a first look at this belated sequel. Now the question remains. Is this a good action/comedy flick or just a simple cash grab of a popular name?
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is the story of 4 teenagers who are sentenced to detention. While they complete their detention chores, they find a video game called Jumanji. They plug it in and get sucked into the world of the game and become the avatars they chose. Together, this group of unlikely heroes must use their complementary skills to beat the game and escape Jumanji.
I went into Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle expecting it to just be a cash grab. I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong. I really underestimated this movie. The action is surprisingly exciting. Sometimes the CGI in these sequences pop out too much, but that’s the only real problem with that feature. The movie diversifies the set pieces to fit fairly well with the pacing of the plot. It also mixes in a wonderful score to keep the intensity up. There’s a good sense of escalation with each action sequence.
For the most part the comedy is on point. Every character gets their comedic moments but some characters definitely outshine others in comedy as the movie goes along. While some actors stretched their legs with the type of comedy they performed, others just stuck to their usual humor. It’s filled with humor for both gamers and non-gamers alike. The film also does a great job at weaving the comedy into the action and leaving it out when it’s unnecessary. Some jokes are interesting because they are set up in the beginning of the game and have huge punchlines that pay off further into the plot.
While Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle got a lot of elements right, it does not go without it’s shares of problems. The ending came off as a bit rushed. Especially since the game teaches at least two of the characters the same exact lesson. One character in particular experienced little to no growth or development. The villain of the game becomes more and more bland as the movie approaches the end.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle may not be a perfect movie, but it is an overall fun and exciting action-packed comedy that I think everyone will enjoy watching. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle releases on December 20th.
7/10
For more movie news and reviews, keep up with Geek Motivation on Twitter and Instagram.
