Jumanji: The Next Level

A mostly tedious retread, Jumanji: The Next Level follows several characters (including Alex Wolff’s Spencer and Morgan Turner’s Martha) as they’re once again sucked into a video game landscape and, in the guise of their various avatars, forced to complete a mission involving a fearsome villain and a magical necklace. There’s never really a point at which Jumanji: The Next Level is able to wholeheartedly justify its existence, as the film, directed by Jake Kasdan, suffers from a pervasive been-there-done-that feeling that’s rarely (if ever) alleviated – with the erratically-paced narrative exacerbated by an often ludicrously overlong running time of 123 minutes. The picture’s failure is especially disappointing given the promise of several key elements, including the charisma (and novelty) of Dwayne Johnson’s turn as Danny DeVito’s in-game avatar, although such positives are generally crushed beneath the weight of a relentless emphasis on larger-than-life action sequences. (This is especially true of a climax that just feels endless.) It’s clear, ultimately, that Jumanji: The Next Level is at its best in its quieter, smaller moments, which is certainly indicative of the picture’s failings as a holiday-timed blockbuster release.

** out of ****