A lot of people were skeptical when they learned that Jumanji was getting a sequel. Many felt that the original Robin Williams feature should be left alone. However, the movie is coming whether we like it or not and now we have the first critic reactions to it. Remarkably, the response seems to be fairly universal. The movie is, well, a lot of fun. Our own Corey Chichizola recently got a peek at the finished film and he may put many at ease who are afraid Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle won't compare well to the original. He says the new movie is so different that there's no need for comparison.
By a similar token, CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg says he was "pleasantly surprised" by the new film, quietly admitting that he wasn't sure how such a film would turn out. But, he says the film makes great use of its cast and that the movie is fun. At the end of the day, you can't ask much more than that.
In a similar fashion, Brandon Davis calls out every member of the cast as being great. The Rock and Kevin Hart continue to impress in their second film together, but according to Davis, Jack Black is the real star of the new Jumanji. It also appears that, while the new film is quite different than its predecessor, there are a few easter eggs out there for fans to enjoy.
The biggest change between the original Jumanji and Welcome to the Jungle is the premise, that puts the characters inside of a video game, rather than bringing a board game to life. It seems that the movie does a good job with this concept, as Slashfilm says it's one of the good video game movies, by which he means, it's one of the movies that takes the video game aesthetic and does something interesting with it, rather than trying to adapt an existing video game.
It seems pretty universal that if you're looking for a fun time at the movies this holiday, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle might be your ticket. The film stars The Rock, Karen Gillan, Jack Black and Kevin Hart and is set for release December 20.
