Perhaps that’s why Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle comes as such a nice surprise. More than 20 years after the Robin Williams original, the sequel finds clever ways to return to the mysterious board game, making it fresh and engaging.
It helps that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and boasts some shrewd casting. Four youngsters are sentenced to detention: nerdy Spencer (Alex Wolff), Jock “Fridge” (Ser’Darius Blain), brainy wallflower Martha (Morgan Turner) and shallow, self-absorbed Bethany (Madison Iseman).
They discover the game, choose avatars and are sucked into the jungle world where none of their new personalities fit.
Spencer has become the strapping Dr Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Fridge is now his pint-sized sidekick Mouse Finbar (Kevin Hart), Bethany is Lara Croft-style babe Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan) and poor Martha is shocked to discover she is an “overweight, middleaged man” called Professor Oberon (Jack Black).
Together they must face rampaging rhinos, slithering snakes and snapping jaguars to restore an emerald to a giant statue and win the game.
It all makes for an amiable, jocular treasure hunt that is much better than you might have expected and lots of fun.