Jumanji: The Next Level a comedic adventure – Blu-ray review

Jumanji: The Next Level is here to entertain.

Jumanji: The Next Level picks up a year after the events of the first film, when the teenagers went into the video game.

Life doesn’t feel the same for college-going Spencer (Alex Wolff) — he misses the life of handsome adventurer Dr Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), his avatar in the game. So he goes home to his grandfather Eddie (Danny DeVito) and reveals how unhappy he is.

When Spencer doesn’t show up for brunch with his friends, Madison (Morgan Turner), Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) and Bethany (Madison Iseman) figure out that he’s probably gone back into the Jumanji game and they decide to bring him back.

The avatars are the same once again: Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon (Jack Black), Franklin “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart) and Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). But this time, the teens don’t return as the same avatars. They also realize that grandpa Eddie and his friend Milo (Danny Glover) are now also part of the game — a game that has changed since their last adventure in the jungle.

Jumanji: The Next Level takes you on an action-packed adventure with hilarious one-liners from a cast that gets to experiment with a range of characters as they swap avatars a few times in the film. Dwayne attempts his best Danny DeVito impression while we get to see Jack Black play a teen girl again — and in that brief scene we realize how hilariously he played that.

While the first film will always remain a favorite, this sequel does deliver laughs and proves that the cast assembled have great comic timing and bring out the best in each other. Their chemistry is what works, even with newcomers like Awkwafina, whose role fits her like a glove. I just preferred if the characters didn’t swap bodies too frequently as it gets confusing at times.

I did enjoy watching the film, and even on Blu-ray, the LOLs keep rolling. I’d recommend this one for friends and families. Click here for a complete movie review. ~Marriska Fernandes

Blu-ray and Digital Bonus materials include:

Rhys Darby Wants To Jingle: Remember Jack Black and Nick Jonas’s unforgettable theme song from the first one? Now, Rhys Darby takes it to the next, next level.

Body Swapping: Snapping Into Character: In the latest Jumanji adventure, the avatar roles are turned on their heads with new characters and hilarious performances.

Scene Breakdown: Ostrich Chase: A very memorable scene is the epic ostrich chase scene. In this featurette, the filmmakers and visual effects team breakdown the creation of this memorable scene.

Scene Breakdown: Mandrill Bridges: A scene breakdown involving the mandrills attack.

Awkwafina Cat Burglar: To prepare for her roles as pickpocket Ming Fleetwood, Awkwafina gives a hilarious look behind the scenes.

NPC Confessions: Jurgen The Brutal: The arrogant warlord, Jurgen The Brutal, gives a candid confession about playing the bad guy.

Grow Up: Danny DeVito and Danny Glover help Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart get in touch with their inner grumpy old men.

Telenovela: A hilarious promo with Kevin Hart.

VFX Pre-Vis: Zeppelin Battle: A computer model that shows the visual effects and the final picture breakdown of the thrilling Zeppelin battle.

VFX Pre-Vis: Ostrich Chase: A computer model that shows the visual effects in a side-by-side comparison of the ostrich chase.

AR GAME: The 4K HD, Blu-ray and DVD combo pack includes a collectable, interactive map employing Augmented Reality to get into the world of Jumanji using a smart phone. Users can create their own 8-bit Avatar for a fun experience.

Gag Reel

DVD Bonus Materials:

Body Swapping: Snapping Into Character: In the latest Jumanji adventure, the avatar roles are turned on their heads with new characters and hilarious performances.

Back Together: Reuniting the Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black talk about reuniting for the sequel.

Level Up: Making Jumanji: The Next Level: A behind-the-scenes take on the new adventures.

Originally published on Tribute.ca.