A rare case of the welcome sequel, the second (or, rather, third?) Jumanji does indeed take us to the next level. It's pretty standard stuff, much like the first, and pulls out the typical stops for sequels: bigger, louder, with more eye-popping visuals than you can shake a stick at. Yet this movie also manages to stay fresh, interesting, hilarious, and surprisingly moving. And as you might have predicted, there is a mid-credits scene that confirms there will, indeed, be another installment for those who seek to find a way to leave their world behind.
The Next Level begins a few years after the previous film, as our quartet of heroes have returned to the real world empowered and successful. They've all learned their life lessons, that is, except Spencer (Alex Wolff), whose miserable transition to college and disintegrated relationship with Martha has left him feeling weak and alone. He returns home for winter break and reassembles the broken pieces of the Jumanji game before getting sucked in again. When his friends discover his disappearance, they enter the game again to rescue him. But a few fresh surprises await them.
Because of the game's damage, it ability to suck players in seems random, as are the avatars each player embodies. And so begins a magnificent series of scenes depicting the actors we love playing new characters, perhaps nowhere more brilliantly than in Jack Black's Dr. Oberon. When the characters discover pools of water that can switch avatars, we're treated to a sort of body-snatcher comedy sketch that allows the actors some great room to show their skills. Similarly, due to the game's dangerous unpredictability, it also sucks in a few extra players, such as Alex Vreeke (Nick Jonas/Colin Hanks), Spencer's grandfather Danny DeVito, and DeVito's estranged business partner Danny Glover (both of whom have character names that I can't remember and don't really matter).
Soon enough, the whole team is "Welcomed to the Jungle" along with their new comrades, and attempts to channel the essences of the two Dannys make up the primary shtick that carries the film. By the time this gimmick gets a little old, we're thrown into some dazzling action sequences including an ostrich stampede and a mandrill assault on swinging rope bridges. We're introduced, moreover, not only to the jungle but to a desert and a snowy mountain peak; the production design is nothing short of stunning, as are the visual effects. Though this film's Big Bad -- Jurgen the Brutal, played by Rory McCann -- is neither as fun nor iconic as Bobby Cannavale's in the prior picture, it doesn't need to be. We're not here for the villain or the plot; we're here for laughter, adventure, and heart-warming character development, and The Next Level delivers these in spades.
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