One of 2017's best surprises was "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," an unexpectedly funny and inventive sequel to 1995's board-game-themed fantasy "Jumanji." Updated to center on a video game, "Welcome to the Jungle" presented four teenagers who enter a virtual world and are transformed into unlikely avatars, resulting in the amusing sight of Dwayne Johnson as an insecure nerd, Karen Gillan as a wallflower, Jack Black as a ditzy girl and Kevin Hart as a swaggering jock. It was charming and clever, with a "be yourself" message that hit just the right note of corny wisdom.
"Jumanji: The Next Level" attempts to rebottle that lightning and sadly fails. Though the main cast returns, the movie suffers from a classic case of sequelitis. There's some potential humor in a new wrinkle _ this time, the avatars have jumbled up their personalities _ but the plot feels thin, the jokes likewise and the actors struggle to entertain as the movie goes through its mostly familiar paces.
The film begins on a poignant note: Sensitive Spencer (Alex Wolff), who understandably enjoyed being the rugged Smolder Bravestone (Johnson), returns to the fantasy world of Jumanji. His loyal friends (played by Ser'Darius Blain, Morgan Turner and Madison Iseman) go back in to get him, but they also inadvertently drag along two bickering old friends, Eddie and Milo (Danny DeVito and Danny Glover, respectively). The result is a mix-up of what should be monumental proportions.
