Jumanji: The Next Level- Review and Discussion Questions
Reviewed by the Ranger & Princess
What to Know Before You Watch:
Movie: Jumanji 2- The Next Level
Rating: PG-13
Age Suggestion: 12 and up
Running Time: 2 hours
Release Date: December 13th, 2019
Stars: 3 1/2 out of 5
Themes: friendship, adventure, self-image, sacrifice
Warnings: This movie has intense action scenes, thematic violence, and some cursing.
Quick Summary
Picking up a year or so after the first movie, the four friends have all graduated high school and are in the adult world trying to figure out who they are. Coming home for Christmas break, they discover Spencer has reentered Jumanji. When they go to rescue him, some new friends tag along and they discover the new level of Jumanji. With new twists and turns, will the friends be a able to beat the next level and escape Jumanji again?
You do not need to have seen the first movie to enjoy this one! There will be a few points that would make more sense if you had watched or read about the first one. A comedic action flick that’s a great movie to laugh along with during the Christmas break but not a a cinematic marvel. If you go in anticipating a light hearted, slightly adventurous comedy- we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Have you seen the first Jumanji movie yet? You can check out the 2017 version here and the 1995 version here!
Discussion Questions
1) Even though they were scared, Spencer’s friends went back into the game for him. What have you done for your friends like that?
2) Every character had strengths and weaknesses, things that make them unique. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
3) Even though she’s an adult now- Bethany went to another adult for help when she didn’t know what to do. What adult would you turn to if you didn’t know what to do and didn’t want to talk to your parents or guardian?
4) What character would you want to be in the game?
5) Sometimes growing older is scary, but as they say in the movie, it is a gift. What are you looking forward to as you grow older?
Review
-Characters & Acting: The acting was phenomenal. It is not easy to act like another person in another persons body, and they all pull it off flawlessly. Kevin Hart and Jack Black made me laugh out loud on a regular basis. The characters had a lot of great moments and good development. Even though you have seen most of them before, it felt like you got to know them all over again and you walk out of the theater feeling like they are real and you know them. A great cast and great chemistry all around.
-Script & Story: the story was great. You don’t technically have to watch the first movie to get this one but we highly recommend it. The creators knew that you expected a good outcome just like the first, but used that to deliver unexpected twists and turns that kept you engaged and guessing. They did a wonderful job reinventing the world of Jumanji, bringing fresh stories to each of the characters and intertwining them with the new characters. During this movie I laughed out loud, got worried and nervous, and teared up, though I mainly was laughing. It is a hysterical script that will appeal to all ages.
-Film Quality: The quality of the film was amazing. The CGI was great. It didn’t ever distract from the movie, but made it more immersive. The movie took you to a lot of different lands, rather than just being in the jungle. The scenery was incredible and overall it was a beautifully made movie.
–Favorite Moments: Our favorite moments were all the scenes involving Jack Black playing Bethany, and all the scenes involving Danny Devitos character. Every one made us laugh hysterically. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart have incredible chemistry that just makes you know they are best friends. Over all we laughed really hard at least once every 5 minutes so there are too many to count.
-Other: This movie has lot of things you can learn from it. I think the most prominent and powerful were the ideas of growing old and of friendship. The idea that growing old is hard and sometimes we forget that it is a gift- this was such a beautiful reminder. As we age and take on more responsibility, it is easy to forget that we are lucky to get one more day with the people we love and this movie powerfully reminds you of this.
It also reminds you of the struggle of insecurity and the fear of being vulnerable, even with those who matter to you the most. This movie reminds us that those who matter to you the most are the ones who will love and accept you, even if you change or are scared. It is such a beautiful reminder to rely on those you love.
Compared to the original: we think this one is just as good as the original. Although playing off the structure of the original, this movie takes you on a new adventure. the new additions to the cast and the new developments in the lives of the returning characters make you feel like it it it’s own movie. The comedy only got better, and so did the story. Overall Jumanji: The Next Level was a great, light-action-comedy, watch.
What to Check Out Next:
If you enjoyed this review, you might like our review of Playing With Fire, Descendants 3, The Addams Family, or Dora and the Lost City of Gold
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog uses affiliate links, we only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.