JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

US, 2017, 119 minutes, Colour.
Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Bobby Canavale, Rhys Darby, Tim Matheson, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Maribeth Monroe, Ser Darius Blain.
Directed by Jake Kasdan.

Back in the 1990s, there was a film of the board game, Jumanji, an action adventure, featuring Robin Williams and, if memory serves, stampeding rhinoceros. In this version of the board game, there are more than four adventurers in the land of Jumanji, a fantasy land that blends jungle and overtones of middle eastern towns and markets. In the rhinoceros stampede is back.

The film opens in 1996, a young man finding of the board game (but not having seen the film!), Switches on the game and disappears, leaving his home dilapidated over the next 20 years and his father a psychological wreck.

2017. Much more up-to-date. We are introduced for different students. Spencer is a raking nerd who writes assignments for fellow students. One of these students his Fridge, an African-American? sports hero wanting a scholarship. Then there is Martha, rather misanthropic, shy and awkward, wanting to study rather than socialise. Quite by contrast is the glamorous Bethany, incapacitated in life without her phone, flirtatious and unconscious of her interviewing in other people’s lives. They are all put in detention.

And, what do they find in detention but an old tradition of Jumanji – with choices with whom they might identify in the game. They press the buttons, drawn into the game, and there they are, in the form of the characters they have chosen.

And here is one of the advantages of the film, some humour that adults might enjoy as well. Spencer the nerd now appears in the form of Dwayne Johnson, tall, strong and musclebound. But, inside, he is this still the same nervous and awkward Spencer, amusement for the audience in seeing Dwayne Johnson coping with his inner nerd. Fridge, on the other hand, has become a zoologist and has grown up to be diminutive, Kevin Hart, a screen motormouth if ever there was one. Martha has become the glamorous and tough heroine, Karen Gillan. Bethany, on the other hand, has made a mistake in interpreting the name of her character and she is transformed into – Jack black. And there is quite some amusement to be had in seeing Jack black as male, trying to come to terms with his inner Bethany, always with the touch of the feminine.

So, off they go, encountering a British explorer who gives them a mission, to recover a stalled jewel, taken by the archvillain Bobby can avail and restore it to a mountain crag which is in the form of a Jaguar with the jewel forming its eye.

There are some corny adventures, some wisecracks, some heroism and some cowardice, hippopotamus swallowing, Jaguars pursuing, elephant rides, sweeping and swooping helicopter ride through canyons, pursued by enemies and a surveillance Eagle, enough adventures to keep audience attention. Old-time Saturday matinee stuff.

They also meet the young man who disappeared 20 years earlier, Nick Jonas, and they team up with him to get the helicopter, to get themselves to the mountain, to fulfil the mission with quite some acrobatic derring-do and get back home to ordinary life.

This kind of adventure always has some kind of moral and the four characters learn about themselves, learn to be their better selves, Spencer and Martha being attracted and having a kiss, and all being well unless they should find themselves trapped in yet another game.

The target audience is adolescent boys (either in age or in mentality).

1. The popularity of the game? The film of the 1990s? This updating?

2. A fantasy for younger audiences? Older audiences? Game-players?

3. The 1996 setting, the ordinary American town, homes? 20 years later? The same time, the high school, homes and families? The school principal and the office? Teachers? Detention? Sports?

4. The fantasy world? Hawaiian and Australian locations? The mountains, the valleys, the city, the market? The vehicle centre? The flights, the helicopter? Bikes and pursuits?

5. The special effects, being drawn into the Jumanji world? The animals, hippopotamus, rhinoceros pursuit, the elephant, the insects and scorpions? The bike riding and stunts? The deaths, landing back to earth through the year? Effects for the imagination?

6. The 1996 setting, the boy, finding the game, starting it – and the light seen from the street and his disappearance? The later images of the house, his aged father?

7. Spencer, at home, games, writing essays? Fridge, sports, Spencer writing his essay? The teacher noting the similarities? The visit to the principal? The threats and attention? Bethany, self-preoccupation, on the phone during exams, vanity? Detention? Martha, serious and studious, the sports mistress, criticising her? Detention?

8. The group in detention, together, the different characters, interactions, likes and dislikes? The discovery of the cassette, plugging it in? The effect, their being drawn into the game?

9. The choosing particular characters? Spencer and his becoming Dwayne Johnson, his opposite, size, Braun? Yet his continued diffidence? Fridge, so ologist, becoming diminutive, with Kevin Hart incessant patter? The reserved Martha, her becoming the glamorous warrior? Bethany, her mistake in interpreting the name, incarnated as Jack black? Bearded, middle-age, fat – but his performance as a reincarnated Bethany, the feminine touch, discovery of her maleness, the innuendo?

10. The arrival of Nigel, jovial, giving them the mission? The jewel, its having been captured by Bobby? The group and their fears, Bethany and the death experience with hippopotamus, landing back to earth? Their having three bars for three lives? Each death at the bar disappearing?

11. The initial reactions, criticisms of each other? Spencer amazed, being the Prof, eventually using his skills, his strength in the fights? Fridge and his knowledge of animals? Martha and her having to fight, the dancing fight? Bethany and the training for Martha to use her wiles?

12. Going into the town, the market, fridge exploding with the cake? The snakes, retrieving the jewel? Fridge having it – and losing it from the helicopter? The finding it again, the rhinoceros surrounding it, the pursuit of fridge? Spencer and his picking it up?

13. The encounter with Alex, his being part of the missing map? His life in Jumanji? 20 years? His identity? His wanting to get out, not reaching the right level? Working with the group? Going to the hut with the vehicles? Martha and her seduction, her fights? The getting the helicopter, the flight through the valleys, Spencer fixing the mechanism, they’re going higher?

14. The crime, the surveillance, reporting to Bobby? The pursuit on the motor bikes?

15. Each of the characters becoming their better selves? Collaboration, self-sacrifice? Affirmation? Spencer and the attraction to Martha – and the comedy of the kiss? Bethany and her attraction to Alex?

16. Reaching the Jaguar, to restore the jewel? The various difficulties, motorbike pursuits, spent on the motorbike? Fridge and the elephant? The climb, Martha, willing her death, landing back to earth, Spencer catching her, the restoration of the jewel?

17. Nigel, congratulating them on their mission? The issue of going back to real time? Their return?

18. The different selves, friendships? Meeting Alex, his restored life, family, his father?

19. An entertaining fantasy for younger audiences