Review: Jumanji

A remake that manages to succeed.

“It's not a classic, but it doesn't need to be. It aims to be a fun throw away film, and it works for an easy night out.”

Whilst its an easy thing to complain about a remake like this, the film works well enough as an updated remake of the original (including a couple of nice reference to the original).

What works:

The cast: The Rock leads the way, demonstrating why he's been a siccessful actor that keeps getting better. He's just such a likeable guy, and he works in these less than serious situations. Kevin Hart is his usual self, but a little more subdued that usual, which helped because otherwise he would become annoying. Jack Black works really well in his role as a teenage girl stuck in a middle aged fat man's body, clearly having a lot of fun with his dialogue. And Karen Gillan works well as the only true female character, however, the film doesn't give her a lot to do, other than kick some butt at various times.

What doesn't work:

The villain is very silly, but that's to be expected. The film is a little predictable, but it doesn't detract at all.

Overall:

It works well enough to make it a fun experience for a Saturday night or, as we saw it, on Christmas night.