In this climate of remakes, reboots, and exhaustive franchises, there was one film that appeared to be about as welcome as a lump of coal at Christmas, and that was the follow-up to 1995 Robin Williams family flick Jumanji. Only this time it would transfer the board game to the video screen, and star the omni-present Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, rather than the late, great Williams.
Well, it seems we needed to pack our cynicism away, because from initial early screening reactions, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle appears to be a winner.
Was expecting the worst but have to admit the new #JUMANJI movie is a lot of fun. I’d even say it is one of the best “video game movies” ever made, maybe under only King of Kong, Scott Pilgrim, Edge of Tomorrow & Wreck It Ralph (none of which are adaptations).
— /Film (@slashfilm) November 27, 2017
Happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle. It's fun and funny in equal measure, and makes smart use of its great stars. Not much of a universe-builder for a fantasy sequel, but definitely a reinvention that works. pic.twitter.com/2I0vPg4zt3
— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) November 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/katerbland/status/935158901762416641
There’s a lot of laughs and heart in #Jumanji. Cast has some pretty special chemistry and the game angle totally works. Props to @TheRock @KevinHart4real @karengillan and Jack Black for playing kids so well!
— Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) November 27, 2017
I can now say that the biggest surprise of the holiday season is #Jumanji. It's super entertaining & very funny w/ terrific cast chemistry (especially b/t @TheRock & @KevinHart4real). Video game fans will dig it even more. See it w/ the whole family pic.twitter.com/e6FOPwjsB5
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) November 27, 2017
SEE ALSO: Watch three new clips from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
We’ll let you know what we think when our review drops in the next week or so, but does this change your mind about seeing Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, or had the rather fun trailers already won you over?
In the brand new adventure Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the tables are turned as four teenagers in detention are sucked into the world of Jumanji. When they discover an old video game console with a game they’ve never heard of, they are immediately thrust into the game’s jungle setting, into the bodies of their avatars, played by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan. What they discover is that you don’t just play Jumanji –Jumanji plays you. They’ll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, or they’ll be stuck in the game forever…
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is set for release on December 22nd 2017 and sees Jake Kasdan (Sex Tape) directing a cast that includes Dwayne Johnson (The Fate of the Furious), Kevin Hart (Central Intelligence), Jack Black (Goosebumps), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), Rhys Darby (Hunt for the Wilderpeople), Nick Jonas (Scream Queens), Alex Wolff (The Sitter), Madison Iseman (Still the King), Morgan Turner (Remember Me) and Ser’Darius Blain (Star Trek Into Darkness).
