Jumanji: The Next Level

The film tackles the value that is most relevant to children— friendship.

Technical assessment: 3.5 ★★★✬✩
Moral assessment: 3.5 ★★★✬✩
CINEMA rating: V13
MTRCB rating: PG

Jumanji: The Next Level is the second sequel to the 1995 original Jumanji, following 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The story revolves around Martha, Fridge, and Bethany’s journey back to Jumanji to rescue their dear friend, Spencer, who was sucked back into the game when he was trying to fix it. Unexpectedly, Eddie, Spencer’s grandfather and his old friend, Milo also got into the game. With upgraded avatars, they all gear up for the next adventures they have to take and levels they have to win in order to get out of Jumanji once and for all.

One of the most commendable aspects of this film is its cast. Dwayne Johnson (Dr. Smolder Bravestone), Jack Black, (Professor Shelly Oberon), Kevin Hart (Mouse Finbar), Karen Gillan (Runy Roundhouse), and Awkwafina (Ming Fleetfoot) did an excellent job acting as teenagers. They stayed true to their character and were consistent in portraying the person in their avatar. Their acting was fun and hilarious which contributes to the overall entertainment factor of the film. Apart from the star-studded cast, another notable do up in this sequel is the visual effects. One who has watched the previous installment of the Jumanji franchise would readily notice this. The plot is exciting enough to sustain interest of the viewers. Overall, Jumanji: The Next Level can easily please audiences looking for light and uncomplicated cinema entertainment.

​Like its predecessors, the film brings not only excitement and fun but also positive values to its viewers, especially the younger ones. Obviously, the target audience of the film are children and the film tackles the value that is most relevant to them — friendship. Within the premise of a video game, this value is made more evident. In the film, Spencer’s friends were so willing to run the risk of not getting out of the game just so they could save him. This sends a positive message of compassion and a sense of sacrifice. This theme of friendship is not only seen with the teenage characters but also with the older characters, Eddie and Milo, whose friendship stood the test of time. In Scripture, the value of friendship is also consistent. Both the Old and New Testament speak of friendship that leads one to goodness. But the greatest example of a friend, as Jesus said, is one who lays one’s life for his/her friends. Isn’t it just nice to see this kind of friendship highlighted in a secular film? — AL

DIRECTOR: Jake Kasdan; LEAD CAST: Dwayene Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Danny Glover, Danny DeVito; CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gyulla Pados; PRODUCER: Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Matt Tolmach, William Teitler, Jake Kasdan; PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Columbia Pictures, Seven Bucks Productions, Hartbeat Productions, MattTolmach Production, The Detective Agency; EDITING: Steve Edwards; GENRE: Fantasy Adventure Comedy; COUNTRY: USA; LANGUAGE: English; RUNNING TIME: 123 minutes