Jumanji: The Next Level

I am very fond of the first iteration of JUMANJI, with Robin Williams giving a wonderful performance and the latest in CGI, which looks either quaintly charming or charmingly quaint a quarter of a century later. The remake a couple of years ago struck me as foolish before I saw it, but it turned into a highly amusing movie, with some favored performers. It made enough money that now it is a series. If they continue at this level, it will be a pleasant movie for me to see every couple of years.

When we last saw Jumanji, it had been turned into a home video game, and the youngsters were vowing never to return. Well, by and large they do, because the last one turned into a surprise hit. They're a couple of years older, cracks have formed in their relationships, and for various reasons, two of them can't go in, because their avatars are taken by Danny Devito as Alex Wolff's grandfather, and Danny Glover as Devito's former business partner. They've been angry with each other for several years.

It's a different adventure, and it makes as much sense as any video game. The avatars get swapped around, so the acting fun consists of watching the actors playing other actors in a FACE OFF sort of way. Dwayne Johnson does a pretty good Devito imitation, but Awkwafina does a better one.

This is one movie that is not going to win any awards, but if you're not in the mood for deep-dish suffering nor for something biliously Christmas-like, this is a movie with good performers in roles and situations that will amuse you.