Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle - Blu-ray + Digital

This is the 2017 movie that is mostly a reboot and quasi-sequel to the 1995 movie, Jumanji, which starred Robin Williams. This version starts out with four high school students named Spencer (played by Alex Wolff) who is a gaming and science nerd, Fridge (played by Ser'Darius Blain) who is a football star, Bethany (played by Madison Iseman), a self-absorbed hot chick, and Martha (played by Morgan Turner), an introverted loner, are assigned detention and forced to clean the school basement. They find an old video game that sucks them into the game when it boots up, with the twist being that they inhabit the bodies of the game characters, and find out they each have three lives with which to finish the game. Spencer becomes the leader Smolder Bravestone, (played by The Rock), Fridge becomes Smolder's sidekick, Mouse (played by Kevin Hart), Martha becomes Ruby Roundhouse (played by Karen Gillian), and Bethany becomes the cartographer played by Jack Black. The movie is about the video game characters playing people who are totally opposite themselves, so the Rock is a sickly nerd who suddenly becomes a 6'5" musclebound tank, Karen Gillian plays an introvert who basically becomes Laura Croft (inappropriate jungle attire included), Kevin Hart plays a football player turned into a 5'3" loudmouth, and Jack Black has to play a hot high school girl turned overweight middle-aged man. The movie is a good blend of action and comedy, and the cast all play off each other very well. There are some very funny moments, including Karen Gillian commenting on the short shorts she is wearing and Kevin Hart's character's inability to eat cake. There are some tie-ins with the original movie, including paying homage to Robin William's character from the original movie. The movie has to walk a fine line between honoring the original with doing its own thing, which it does well. For those who get the 4k set, the UHD disc just has the movie and then all of the extras are included on the regular blu-ray disc. The A/V quality of the UHD disc is very good, but it is not what I would call far beyond the a/v quality of the regular blu-ray disc. Both are pretty comparable. The extras include a gag reel, a music video by Nick Jonas (who has a role in the movie), and a handful of making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes that vary in length from about four minutes to just under fifteen minutes. All totaled there are about 40 minutes, give or take, worth of extras if you like going through them. Overall, the movie is very good. As I said above, it has a good blend of action and comedy, and all of the actors fit their roles very well. The Rock, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillian, and Jack Black all play their parts perfectly, and each of their characters get their moments to shine during the movie. It is definitely a more "adult" movie than the 1995 movie was and does include swearing and sex jokes. So, be aware that it is not as family-friendly as the original movie. That said, it is definitely worth watching.

I always enjoyed the late Robin Williams and his performances on stage, in movies, and on television. I didn't think, however, that the original "Jumanji" represented a high point in his storied career. The script of that original was disjointed, the direction loose, and the special effects - while startling for their time period - were used more for shock value than to help tell the story. I mention this because I have to admit that I was more than a little reluctant to see what I thought was going to be a reboot of that original. I was wrong in thinking that and wish I'd gotten this very funny, very well-written movie sooner. The reason is simple: It's full of clever writing, excellent performances by the entire cast, and well directed. The plot mirrors the original in some respects - including the fact that one of the players has been stuck in the game for 20 years - but this is not a reboot in the traditional sense because the narrative strays far and wide from the initial script. That's a good thing, in my opinion, because the original script was a not very successful blend of comedy and drama. "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is a comedy and there is no doubt about that. It does have its share of poignant moments but watching it I never got the sense that it was anything but a very clever comedy. A few words here about the performances. Dwayne Johnson demonstrates a fine comedic touch in this film, which is a little surprising given his past movies. He and Kevin Hart are very funny, especially together. For me, however, the real stars of the movie are two of the best character actors in the business: Jack Black and Karen Gillan. I first saw Black in an old "X-Files" show in the 90s when he played a very disturbed teenager. Since then I've enjoyed watching him play everything from a slacker music store employee to the director in a "King Kong" reboot. He's done drama, romance, and comedies and he's excelled in them. To watch him take on the character of a teenage girl trapped in a middle-aged man's body in this movie was a delight to watch. Gillan burst onto the scene as a "Doctor Who" companion - the famous Amy Pond - and later appeared as a bald, vaguely Asian-looking villain in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. In this movie she's a nerdy teenager who finds herself trapped in the body of a beautiful Lara Croft-like character. Her performance is spot-on and, again, a delight to watch. There are special effects in this movie but they are used not to overwhelm the story but to help tell it and that's also a very good thing. In short: A really funny, very well directed movie full of excellent character portrayals. A joy to watch.

Great movie

Jumanji is a genuinely entertaining movie with strong acting and great comedic timing. Dwayne Johnson is hilarious as Spencer, the timid kid suddenly trapped in the body of a muscle-bound hero. Jack Black is even better as Bethany, the self-absorbed teenage girl who finds herself in the body of a middle-aged male professor and discovers the strange wonder of “guy things.” Karen Gillan is believable as a nerd turned vamp, and this is one of the only movies where I can stand Kevin Hart. The ending, however, does not make much sense. Alex, played by Nick Jonas, somehow remembers the other kids even though he never actually saw what they look like. He recognizes them instantly from a distance, as if four random teens walking together could only be them, and he even knows their names after twenty years and major physical changes (including gender). His reaction is also surprisingly calm for someone whose entire life was rewritten. Despite that weak finish, the movie is still funny and worth watching. It just leaves a few head-scratching questions when the credits roll.

Un très bon film

Acheté pour les enfants super bon film drôle

excelente pelicula

It was a gift

Bello