Welcome back to the jungle in Jumanji: The Next Level. The gang is back and goes back into Jumanji to rescue one of their own, but the game is broken. With the same characters, but new abilities, Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwanye Johnson), Professor ‘Shelly’ Oberon (Jack Black), Mouse Finbar (Kevin Hart), Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), ‘Seaplane’ McDonough (Nick Jonas), and Ming Fleetfoot (Awkwafina) will have to find their way out of this new level with new threats at every corner. Jurgen the Brutal (Rory McCann) has plans to rule over Jumanji and if he succeeds, it will be game over for the gang.

Jumanji: The Next Level is an astonishing film. The cinematography is excellent. The nature shots help establish the environment in which level two of Jumanji takes place. The writing of this movie is amazing. The writers took the film to the next level with the humor and plot line. The screenwriters include a few great plot twists in this film that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats till the very end. The writers also had a great underlying message in this film. The script shows how anxiety and social media can cause people to become unhappy with the life they live and seek something greater. The CGI work is spectacular. The visual effects create a sense of reality in the video game world. This movie was casted perfectly. The chemistry between the characters is sensational especially in this challenging film where the video game characters must portray the teenagers playing the game. Black and Hart’s characters bring the comic relief throughout the film, making sure the lighthearted-ness does not get lost in the dramatics. Johnson does a phenomenal job at portraying Danny DeVito’s character in this film, acting like an elderly man throughout the film. The fight scenes are very well choreographed. The score captivates the audience, keeping them immersed in the motion picture. Many have criticised the reasoning for making another movie for the Jumanji series, but despite criticism this film dominated the box office becoming one of the most popular movies this Christmas season.

I absolutely loved this film. This movie took everything that worked with the first spin-off and made it so much better. I thought this film was the best of the Jumanji series. Bringing on DeVito in this film was a great idea to have some fresh, new characters to throw a wrench into the gears of escaping Jumanji. I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed the previous Jumanji film or is looking for a good laugh. This is a must see film. The theme song Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses sets a perfect tone for the movie. There is also a mid-credit scene that is a great set up for another installment in this franchise. I rate this movie a 5 out of 5 film reels.