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AVAILABLE FROM APRIL 11
JUMANJI: WELCOME
TO THE JUNGLE (PG
Rent NEW RELEASES from Foxtel Store, including the top pick from film critic MARGARET POMERANZ
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8 Foxtel APRIL
It’s been 22 years since the original
Jumanji burst through screens starring
the incomparable Robin Williams. Now
comes not a sequel, but a continuation,
featuring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
Jumanji was first envisioned as a board
game that unleashed the horrors of the
jungle on its unsuspecting players. This
time around it’s a video game console
that literally sucks people into that jungle
- a world in which by conquering various
levels of difficulty they can eventually win
their freedom. In this case, it is restoring
a stolen jewel into the eye of a monolithic
jaguar statue that was taken by ruthless
adventurer Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale).
He now rules the depleted kingdom of
Jumanji in a corrupt and dissipated way.
In the real world, four high-schoolers
from different walks of life come together
during detention. They are nerd Spencer
(Alex Wolff), who is caught copying his
own essays for the arrogant football
jock ‘Fridge’ (Ser’Darius Blain); Bethany
(Madison Iseman), the beauty queen
living in her own narcissistic head; and
Martha (Morgan Turner), a bright loner.
When they find an old computer game,
they shirk their punishments to play.
After choosing an avatar, the group is
zapped into the game and the real fun
comes with their alternate reality selves
(pictured from left): Fridge becomes
a miniaturised version of his former self,
portrayed by Kevin Hart; Martha turns into
a bad-arse babe (Karen Gillan); Bethany, to
her horror, mistakenly picks cartographer
‘Shelly’ and he turns out to be the male
Sheldon – played hilariously by Jack Black;
while Johnson transforms Spencer into
the muscular, but still nerdish, hero.
The premise seems kind of ridiculous,
but director Jake Kasdan creates a great
romp and it’s notable that many of the
visual effects were produced in Australia.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is perfect
entertainment for the whole family.
- Margaret Pomeranz
8 Foxtel APRIL