THE first time I watched series reboot, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, I came out pleasantly surprised by how not awful it was. However, upon second and third viewings (don’t ask) the charm quickly wore off. The nostalgia lost its grip and the movie quickly followed. Jokes lost their punch not because I had already heard them, but because they never had any real structure to begin with. They relied too heavily on gags and “random” humor that rarely holds up well.
I never even considered a sequel, but considering Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle grossed nearly $1B, I should have. Danny DeVito and Danny Glover act as the gimmicks this time around, with Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart playing them, respectively. And that’s my first concern. The same cast, in the same world, in the same reincarnation of Jumanji lacks the intrigue of the first film. They already released this movie back in 2017 and I don’t see the necessity story or premise wise for a second helping (besides, you know…all of the money).
Nothing in this trailer quells my fears stemming from the first movie. It appears a large chunk of the humor is going to depend solely on everyone finding Johnson and Hart’s old man impressions absolutely hilarious. I don’t see this replicating the insane success of the first movie…or at least the same positive response.
Nothing stood out to me in this first Jumanji: The Next Level trailer. It looks like a more generic (if possible) version of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. I didn’t let out a laugh the whole three minutes. Personally, the trailer felt flat. The jokes, acting, CGI, and set pieces all came across as incredibly sanitized. Even the closing action scene just looks so fake and uninspired. Maybe this franchise will surprise me again and make me look like an idiot (a la Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), but I’m not holding my breath.
What did you think of the Jumanji: The Next Level trailer? Let me know below.
