The odd bunch is back again, in the oddest game you have known. “Jumanji: The Next Level” keeps things in more or less at the same level as its 2017 predecessor, and still manages to pack a punch.
In many ways, this new film of the franchise would seem like an easier job than the 2017 release, “Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle”. The challenge for that film was to bring back an idea which worked over two decades ago, in the 1995 Robin Williams-starrer “Jumanji”, and reorganize the 90s fantasy comedy for the new-generation mind space. “The Next Level” is merely following up on what worked a couple of years ago.
Like any smart sequel aimed at cashing in on the popularity of a franchise that’s up and running, “The Next Level” tries to deliver what worked once, with a bigger bang. Most of it should thrill the humongous hardcore fan base. The big action scenes and boisterous gags are all in place, and the climax ties up the adventure with a trademark aplomb.