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7 Reasons to See Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

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I attended a Sony-sponsored #WelcometotheJunket press trip which inspired my 7 reasons to see Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle. All opinions are my own.

What if games could come to life? After reading the book Jumanji to his son’s classroom , it was that question and the sense of wonder that went with it that inspired producer Matt Tolmach to create the new Jumanji movie, and it really took shape when he reached out to director Jake Kasdan.

After interviewing the producer and director on the press trip and screening the movie, I found plenty of reasons to see Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and I encourage you to see it when it arrives in theaters December 20, 2017.

reasons to see jumanji welcome to the jungle

It’s totally different from the original film.

The original has become a well-loved classic so a retread would be a mistake. Welcome to the Jungle isn’t a remake, reboot or anything other than a new Jumanji adventure. In the words of director Jake McKenna, “The way to update it would be to take it a long way away from the original movie that we all loved so we’re not just doing what they did again… in a lesser, new version. The original had its own magnitude and resonance… and what Robin did in that movie was so important to so many people. We wanted to honor that but do something different.”

Out with the old, in with the new.

In the original movie, the characters come out of a board game, but in this inverted twist, the characters go into a video game, and it’s done brilliantly. The players turn into their avatars and have to stay within the parameters and rules of the video game, but the world is real, not digital.

It’s a video game, but it’s reality.

The reasoning behind making the movie as a video game according to Matt Tolmach was that “video games give kids the ability to be anybody through their avatars… someone you might not have the courage to be in a normal day”.  This gave the movie some emotional power yet was ripe with comedic possibilities.

In order to make the whole concept work, the world needed to feel tactile, not digital, so director Jake Kasdan told us it was important that the vast majority of the film was real, not CGI. Audiences see and feel the intense environment the characters are experiencing.

Because the movie is grounded in emotion, the stakes are all the more real. The characters discover they only have three lives each and if anybody loses all three, they’ll be stuck in the game, a point that is really driven home when they meet Nick Jonas’s character.

Female characters are empowered.

The quieter character comes out of her shell and discovers her inner badass, but both female characters experience growth on diametrically opposed arcs. How they represented the female characters and what their journey would be was extremely important to both director and producer.

It’s funny as hell. (Pardon my language, but it is.)

From the moment the characters enter the game as their avatars and discover their new physical selves, you’ll be cracking up. Jack Black’s portrayal of teenage Bethany is especially hysterical, and when director Matt Tolmach was asked about choosing Jack for the part, he summed it up perfectly, “He’s so clearly the perfect person for this. It wasn’t even an idea you had to have.”

At its heart, it’s a story about friendship and self-discovery.

The movie’s overarching idea is: “What would you learn about yourself if you could spend a day in someone else’s skin?”  It’s a concept that makes for a funny, interesting movie with emotional impact.

The four main characters aren’t friends when they find themselves together in the video game, but they come to trust and rely on each other over time, each of them making sacrifices as the bonds begin to cement. According to Tolmach, “The video game was really just a mechanism to explore the story of four kids who had to find each other in order to get through high school.”

That teenage angst tho. So relatable.

Director Jake Kasdan was really drawn to and connected deeply with the movie’s idea of “How would you live if you thought you didn’t have anything to be afraid of? And how is that different from how you live anyway? And how do you close the gap between those things?  For teenagers, fear is one of the main things driving them… what you’re afraid of can be all different things, sometimes not the right things.”

There really are so many reasons to see Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Go see it in theaters December 20th!

About Liz

Liz is a midwestern mom gone southern (accent in transition). She lives in North Carolina and loves cooking, baking, traveling, movies, crafts, hot and cold tea, wine, pizza and the occasional nap. She also revels in the fact she's a crazy cat lady.

Comments

  2. Nikka Shae says

    I can’t wait to see this movie! I have the first movie, and we still watch it too. My son was a big fan for years!

    Reply

  5. Anosa says

    Ohh, I didn’t know there is actually new Jumanji movie. Looks like its really different from the old one. Makes me excited for it. Looking forward to watch it.

    Reply

  6. My Teen Guide says

    I am so excited to watch this movie. I am a fan of Dwayne Johnson. He’s a really good actor, whether it be comedy, action or drama. My kids are equally excited too. We loved the original Jumanji, but a different story/plot would be something we’d really look forward to watching.

    Reply

  8. Sandy N Vyjay says

    Jumanji-Welcome to the Jungle looks really fascinating and promises some great times. Being passionate about jungles an wildlife, we would really love this. Will watch out for it.

    Reply

  9. My Teen Guide says

    We loved the first Jumanji film but this second one seems totally different. That’s fantastic though because sometimes a remake does not do justice to the original. Thanks for sharing your experience at the event. I will be looking forward to watching this film.

    Reply

  13. Carol Cassara says

    I have the best reasons to see this! First, the kids will love it, second Dwayne Johnson! But really, it’s a fantastic movie and I cannot wait for my kids and I to go see it when it comes out!

    Reply

  15. Rosey says

    Awesome that this came from a book read at a school. You just never know when an idea is going to pop up. I like that the women are empowered. We’ll be seeing this one.

    Reply

  18. janis says

    Looks like a really fun press trip you had. Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle looks like a really good movie, so will have to check it out at the movie theater.

    Reply

  26. Pam says

    I’m so glad that it isn’t just a Jumanji remake. The original movie was a classic, and I don’t know if they could ever redo that. But this sounds like a fun new Jumanji adventure.

    Reply

  28. Claudia Krusch says

    I have been so excited to go see Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. I loved the first one and was so happy when they announced they were making this one.

    Reply

  29. Dawn Lopez says

    I am like… SO ready for this movie! This is a fun list & I’m totally stoked about the female characters being empowered, that’s a total bonus to hear since I was previously just pretty stoked about Kevin & Dwayne being in the movie. Can’t wait! Woot!

    Reply

  33. Claudia Krusch says

    I have been so excited to see Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. I loved the first movie and was so happy when I heard they were making it.

    Reply

  34. Kathy says

    I can’t wait to see this movie. I’ve been wanting to see it since I saw the previews. It looks like it’s going to be so funny and great.

    Reply

  35. Amy Desrosiers says

    Even though I loved the first one, I am happy to see this. Now that I read more about it, I will give it a chance.

    Reply

  37. Mellissa says

    I loved the original, but now that the new one is coming I absolutely cannot wait to see this version that adds a little comedy to it. My son and I have already decided that this is one that is going on our list.

    Reply

  44. travel blogger says

    I have loved the commercials I have seen for this movie, and I am definitely going to see it. The movie looks hilarious! And I loved the original when I was a kid. I can’t wait to see it!

    Reply

  51. Joline says

    OMG I cannot wait to see this movie! I saw the trailer a few days ago and it was hilarious. I loved the first Jumanji and it’s great to hear they’re not doing a “remake”.

    Reply

  52. Michelle Waller says

    I can’t wait to see this movie with my kids!! Whenever The Rock and Kevin Hart are in a movie together, there are sure to be a ton of laughs.

    Reply

  56. candy says

    Didn’t know they had a new one coming out. Remember seeing the original and we enjoyed watching it very much. Will have to check out the new movie.

    Reply

  63. Robin rue says

    You don’t have to tell me twice, the Rock is in it so I will be there. I am excited for this movie, though – it looks cute.

    Reply

  64. Scott says

    I’m glad to hear it’s a completely different film. While I enjoyed the first one, I’m happy to know it might be a completely different story!

    Reply

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