Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Hollywood has entered a period when new ideas are hard to find. We're seeing a series of remakes. Producers are selecting old favorites and remaking them for a new audience. Older animated movies are being released again as live-action films, like Cinderella (2015) and The Lion King (2019). Some films have simply been updated to appeal more to modern moviegoers. A small number are successful, like Freaky Friday (2003), which replaced all the 1970s costumes and sets with twenty-first century ones. Others bombed, like Freaky Friday (2018).
When I went to the movie theater with my kids to see Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, I didn't have high expectations. I was worried that the filmmakers would ruin a good story, which is what the first film gave us back in 1995. The original film starred Robin Williams, a favorite actor of mine, and a young Kirsten Dunst. She played one of two siblings who started playing an adventure game that was all too real...and dangerous. Robin Williams played a man who had grown up in the jungle of Jumanji and who could help the brother and sister safely end the game. The original movie was rated PG, and it was a family movie with many laughs and a few life lessons.
The 2017 version of Jumanji is rated PG-13, which immediately told me that the tone would be different, and I was thankful that my children were old enough to handle the introduction of more mature themes and language. I worried that the cast being led by Dwayne Johnson meant that it would be a superficial action movie with big explosions and choreographed fights.
I enjoyed being proven wrong. Yes, there were explosions and fights, but the humor and heart were tightly woven into the story. This wasn't a remake, but rather a continuation. There were references to the earlier game played, but this new game was adapted for digital natives, whose lives are immersed in technology. The story focused more on friendship than family, but the lessons about trust, courage, and loyalty were still there.
I've now watched this sequel to Jumanji several times. I always laugh at the same jokes, and I'm always touched by the human connections made by the characters. I give credit to Dwayne Johnson for playing a character with vulnerability and also to Kevin Hart for knowing when to set humor aside and play out a serious scene.
What I love most about this newer version of Jumanji is the added lesson of acceptance – accepting yourself with all your flaws and learning to be the best you can be because no one else can live your life for you.
KEY VOCABULARY
remake (countable noun) a movie that is produced simply to update an older version of the story
appeal (verb) be attractive to; engage
set (countable noun) the background, furniture, and other things used to create a scene in a movie
bomb (verb) do poorly in theaters; fail
be rated (passive verb) judged to be appropriate for a certain audience
PG (movie rating) parental guidance suggested
PG-13 (movie rating) parental guidance needed and not recommended for children under 13
tone (countable noun) the quality or feeling of something
superficial (adjective) not serious and without deep meaning
choreographed (adjective) If movements are choreographed, they're planned.
weave (verb, past participle: woven) put together tightly
adapt (verb) change
digital native (countable noun) someone who grew up with a lot of modern technology
immerse (verb) surround
vulnerability (uncountable noun) ability to be hurt easily
flaw (countable noun) mistake or weakness
