movie review jumanji

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

"Jumanji" is being promoted as a jolly holiday season entertainment, with ads that show Robin Williams with a twinkle in his eye. The movie itself is likely to send younger children fleeing from the theater, or hiding in their parents' arms. Those who do sit all the way through it are likely to toss and turn with nightmares inspired by its frightening images.

Whoever thought this was a family movie (the MPAA rates it PG - not even PG-13!) must think kids are made of stern stuff. The film is a gloomy special-effects extravaganza filled with grotesque images, generating fear and despair. Even for older audiences, there are few redeeming factors, because what little story there is serves as a coathook for the f/x sequences, which come out of nowhere and evaporate into the same place.

The film opens in 1869, as a sturdy chest is buried in the woods. "What if someone digs this up?" a shadowy worker asks. "God help them!" he's told.

We flash forward to 1969, as a little boy named Alan finds the chest in a construction site and opens it to discover a board game named "Jumanji." He rolls the dice and is instantly fascinated with the game's supernatural powers. The pieces on the board move themselves. The game communicates with ghostly messages that float into focus in a cloudy lens. And Alan is attacked by a cloud of bats.

Another flash-forward, this time to the present, as two other kids find the game in an old mansion that has been abandoned for years. This is none other than Alan's childhood home, and when the kids begin playing the game, Alan materializes. He has been in limbo all of this time, growing to manhood, and is now played by Robin Williams. His first words: "Where's my mom and dad?" Ah, but there's no time for sentimentality now. He makes friends with the children, Judy ( Kirsten Dunst ) and Peter ( Bradley Pierce ), and together they begin to explore the world of Jumanji, which contains jungle terrors. They will be attacked by lions, monkeys, rhinos, elephants, giant insects, poison darts, plants that strangle them and other plants that eat things, snakes, birds, mosquitoes, thunder and lightning, and (it goes without saying) spiders. They will wrestle with a crocodile and Alan will almost be gobbled up by a pool of quicksand that appears in the middle of the mansion's floor.

Other characters make their appearances. There's Van Pelt ( Jonathan Hyde ), a big-game hunter who has also been captured by the game; Aunt Nora ( Bebe Neuwirth ), who has adopted little Judy and Peter (somehow it is inevitable that they are orphans), and Sarah ( Bonnie Hunt ), who was the little girl who played Jumanji with young Alan on that fateful day in 1969, and now has grown up to become a reclusive fortune-teller. The town shunned her because she insisted on telling the truth about her experience with the board game.

The basic notion of the film (two kids have lots of scary adventures with Robin Williams) must have sounded good on paper. But the technicians have filled the screen with special effects, both conventional and animated, in such a way that the movie is now about as appropriate for smaller children as, say, " Jaws ." It's not bad enough that the film's young heroes have to endure an unremitting series of terrifying dangers; at one point, little Peter gets converted into a monkey that looks like a Wolf Man, and goes through the film like a miniature Lon Chaney, with a hairy snout and wicked jaws. This image alone is likely to be disturbing to small children. To me, it looked like gratuitous cruelty on the part of the filmmakers toward the harmless young character.

The underlying structure of the film seems inspired by - or limited by - interactive video games. There is little attempt to construct a coherent story. Instead, the characters face one threat after another, as new and grotesque dangers jump at them. It's like those video games where you achieve one level after another by killing and not getting killed. The ultimate level for young viewers will be being able to sit all the way through the movie.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

Now playing

Space: The Longest Goodbye

Marya e. gates.

Arthur the King

Knox Goes Away

Robert daniels.

The Synanon Fix

Brian tallerico.

Accidental Texan

A Bit of Light

Peyton robinson, film credits.

Jumanji (1995)

Rated PG For Menacing Fantasy Action and Some Mild Language

100 minutes

Jonathan Hyde as Sam Parrish

Robin Williams as Alan Parrish

Kirsten Dunst as Judy

Bradley Pierce as Peter

• Greg Taylor
• Jonathan Hensleigh

Based On The Book by

• Chris Van Allsburg

Directed by

• Joe Johnston

Latest blog posts

The End of the World is Going to be Weird on Prime Video’s Quirky, Clever Adaptation of Fallout

The Zellner Brothers Take a Walk in the Woods with Sasquatch Sunset

The Scene That Clint Eastwood Cut to Make Unforgiven a Classic

Ape Shall Not Kill Ape: A Look at the Entire Apes Franchise

Film Review: ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’

Four teenagers turn into Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan in a 'Jumanji' sequel that strands them in a jungle of no fun.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

• ‘Back to Black’ Review: Marisa Abela Nails Amy Winehouse in Every Look, Mood and Note in a Biopic at Once Forthright and Forbidding 2 days ago
• ‘The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem’ Review: A Netflix Doc Smartly Tells an Internet Hate Story: When 4Chan Met QAnon 5 days ago
• ‘Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy’ Review: A Scary Look at the Potential Soldiers of a Second Trump Reign 1 week ago

When “ Jumanji ” came out, in 1995, one’s first impulse was to consign it to the increasingly overstuffed file marked “Junky Cheeseball Robin Williams Movies.” The film’s one true distinction was its jungle beasts. The lions and monkeys and elephants and rhinos and zebras, rampaging through a kitchen, were brought to life through the then-novel miracle of digital imagery; this was two years after “Jurassic Park,” but the technology still felt bold. As an adventure, “Jumanji” was deluxe magical trash, but its creatures, so fearsomely alive, seemed to be part of some brave new menagerie.

“ Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ” is just trash, with nothing magical about it. A quartet of high-school kids gets sucked into a video-game-console update of the Jumanji board game, landing in the most generic of jungles — and that’s where they stay, except for one detour into the most generic of fake Middle Eastern bazaars. Whatever the rules of this particular game, they remain mostly unexplained and largely beside the point. It’s like watching the lamest Indiana Jones sequel ever imagined, minus Indiana Jones.

In his place, our four heroes morph into video-game avatars played by a tossed salad of movie stars, who don’t generate adventure-comedy chemistry so much as they do loudly clashing styles of showboating. The film’s notion of wit is to have Spencer (Alex Wolff), a stringbean gamer, metamorphose into an explorer-archaeologist played by Dwayne Johnson , who flinches and says “Oy vey!” like the nerd he still is inside. If Johnson, and the film’s script, had truly run with this idea, it might have been funny, but Johnson, for the most part, is just Johnson: too committed to his image to tweak it much.

One of the other kids is a hulking jock nicknamed “The Refrigerator” (Ser’Darius Blain), and the wears-out-its-welcome-in-10-seconds joke is that he gets turned into a zoologist played by Kevin Hart , thereby losing several feet of height. The other two high schoolers are female, so it may seem odd that one of them, Bethany (Madison Iseman), turns into a cryptographer played by Jack Black , but once you’ve seen Black, in tweedy hunter’s garb and big round spectacles, do his mincing impersonation of a high-school trollop (very Meanest Girl of 2003 ), it no longer seems odd, just vaguely embarrassing. The other girl, Martha (Morgan Turner), becomes Ruby Roundhouse, a commando in a halter top played by the charming Karen Gillan, who winds up playing straight woman to the three walking icons of paycheck shtick.

In “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” each of the characters has a trio of bars tattooed on his or her wrist, which means that in the game universe of Jumanji they all get three lives. Jack Black is eaten, in one very quick bite, by a gnashing hippo, and moments later — voilà! — he pops down from the sky. Johnson gets tossed off a cliff, then pops down as well. Hart eats pound cake and explodes (for some reason), and so on. Gillan, in the meantime, does some fight-dancing to Big Mountain’s reggae version of “Baby, I Love Your Way.” Did I mention that the four are trying to wrest a giant glowing emerald from the movie’s bad guy — Bobby Cannavale, with no role to play — so that they can restore it to the forehead of the looming mountain sculpted into a jaguar?

Excitement! Suspense! Childlike innocence! Ingeniously staged action set pieces! These are a few of the things you will not find, anywhere, in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” The one performer in the film who establishes his own relaxed rhythm, and stays in it, is Nick Jonas, proving once again that he’s got quick-draw acting chops. The movie has snakes and a crocodile pit and a scorpion slithering out of Bobby Cannavale’s mouth. It’s supposed to be a video-ized board game come to life, but really, it’s just a bored game.

Reviewed at AMC Lincoln Square, New York, Dec. 6, 2017. MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 119 MIN.

• Production: A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Columbia Pictures, Matt Tolmach Productions, Radar Pictures, Seven Bucks Productions prod. Producers: Ted Field, Matt Tolmach, William Tietler, Mike Weber. Executive producers: Dany Garcia, David B. Householter, Jake Kasdan.
• Crew: Director: Jake Kasdan. Screenplay: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg. Camera (color, widescreen): Gyula Pados. Editors: Steve Edwards, Mark Helfrich.
• With: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Bobby Cannavale, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Ser’Darius Blain, Morgan Turner.

More From Our Brands

Lost robert hunter manuscript chronicling birth of the grateful dead to be released, a ‘shark tank’ star’s sky-high n.y.c. penthouse seeks $38 million, shohei ohtani could be cleared by a mizuhara guilty plea, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, ahs: delicate turns back the clock, unmasking another familiar foe, verify it's you, please log in.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

• User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews
• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Review

A fun, updated take on this classic fictional world..

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle brings audiences back to its classic fictional world with a fun, updated new twist on its well-worn story. So even if some of its subplots and emotional throughlines don’t quite click, the action-packed fun and humor should still make it worth your price of admission.

In This Article

IGN Recommends

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

• DVD & Streaming

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

• Action/Adventure , Comedy , Kids

Content Caution

In Theaters

• December 20, 2017
• Dwayne Johnson as Spencer; Kevin Hart as Fridge; Jack Black as Bethany; Karen Gillan as Martha; Nick Jonas as Alex; Marc Evan Jackson as Principal Bentley; Bobby Cannavale as John Hardin Van Pelt

Home Release Date

• March 20, 2018
• Jake Kasdan

Distributor

• Columbia Pictures

Movie Review

When Spencer Gilpin is called into the principal’s office, he has a pretty good idea why: It’s because he helped a good friend.

OK, that sounds altruistic and bighearted. The truth is, he screwed up. He wrote a paper (or two, or three) for a guy who used to be his good friend back when they were both skinny nobodies living down the street from each other. Since then, Anthony “Fridge” Johnson has grown into a football hero worthy of his nickname and Spencer has, well, pretty much stayed the same stringy nobody that he always was. They rarely even speak anymore—except when Fridge needs a bit of scholastic help.

On this particular day, though, Spencer and his frowning former friend aren’t the only ones heading into the detention soup. There’s also a popular, pretty and completely narcissistic girl named Bethany awaiting the punishment axe. She was sent to the principal for putting selfies and in-class phone conversations above her teacher’s more studious recommendations. And sitting next to her is a too-smart-for-gym-class gal named Martha. She’s a bright individual who, by the way, Spencer has had a slight crush on for a while now.

After getting a little tongue lashing, they’re all sent to a small junk-clogged storage room to do a bit of heavy lifting and recycling as part of their collective penance. “You need to come to grips with who you are and who you want to be,” Principal Bentley says to the four of them. And, of course, cleaning up trash is the perfect way to facilitate that directive.

Little do any of them realize, however, that the principal is being somewhat prophetic. Oh, yes he is. For amid the piles of stuff in that closet, Fridge finds what appears to be a very old-school video game console with a cartridge labeled Jumanji jammed into its game slot.

Now, Spencer is a pretty well-versed video game guy. But he’s never heard of this one. Still, he figures it’ll likely beat ripping apart ancient magazines. So the kids plug the game into an old TV, flip the console on and choose their characters.

With a rain of sparks, some bright flashing lights and the thunder-like rumble of … Are those jungle drums? … all four teens are dematerialized and sucked into the little buzzing console.

But that’s not the most amazing thing.

What’s really incredible is the fact that they all find themselves in a deep, dank jungle. Spencer has somehow been transformed into a hulking, smoldering giant of a man: an archeologist named Dr. Bravestone. Fridge? Well he’s now in the short and diminutive body of Moose Finbar, a zoologist and weapons expert. Martha has become a Lara Croft lookalike named Ruby Roundhouse. But oddest of all is that fact that the gorgeous Bethany is now a tubby cartographer named Sheldon Oberon.

And before you can say, “What just happened!” Bethany/Sheldon gets grabbed by a passing hippo, slammed about and gobbled whole. Only to appear again, falling out of the sky, soon after that seeming demise.

Yup, this Jumanji place is going to take some getting used to.

And, it turns out, a little saving, too.

Positive Elements

The teens trapped and transformed inside this video game challenge gradually learn that they must work together, best a villainous bad guy and break a curse affecting the world of Jumanji. And along the way, these disparate adolescents (albeit clothed with decidedly adult avatars) become good friends. And they begin coming to grips with, well, “Who they are and who they want to be.”

Spencer, for example, realizes that his all-controlling fears and phobias are not always rational. Fridge learns some lessons about the value of friendship. Martha concludes that her formerly self-imposed shyness and isolation are quite limiting. And Bethany comes to grips with the fact that her social media selfie-obsessions didn’t really represent what she enjoys most in life. (In fact, at one point Bethany states, “Ever since I lost my phone it feels like my other senses have been heightened.”)

All the teens eventually understand that it takes more than muscles or beauty to make someone into an admirable person: It takes virtues such as trust, compassion and self-sacrifice.

Spiritual Elements

The Jumanji game is imbued with unexplained magic. We first see it as a board game that’s washed up on a beach (a nod to the original Jumanji film from 1996). But then the game magically transforms into a video game and pulls someone magically into its world. Twenty years later it happens again with the story’s heroes.

The video game jungle world the teens play through is all magically controlled as well. In fact, their main quest is to break a curse that beset the land after someone stole a powerful ancient jewel. This jewel gives the thief magical control over the myriad beasts and crawling creatures of the land. We also see bugs and spiders crawling around on him. For instance, a millipede crawls up and into the man’s ear; at another point, he opens his mouth, and a scorpion crawls out.

In addition, each of our heroes is given three “game lives.” Life gauges, represented by tattoos on their arms, decrease in number each time they are killed or lose a life in the game. After each “death” they disappear, and an unharmed version of their avatar regenerates and drops from the sky.

Sexual Content

There’s quite a bit of female skin on display when we meet Martha’s new Lara Croft-like avatar. Even she feels uncomfortable with the exposure and chooses to cover up a bit at one point—wrapping a borrowed jacket around her waist. Of course, Spencer’s muscular Dr. Bravestone avatar gets plenty of notice from the women in the group, too. “D–n, that is a man right there,” Bethany/Sheldon drools. But at least the brawny Bravestone keeps his shirt on.

When it comes to Bethany and her male avatar, though, there are lots of jokes, quips and visual gags tossed out concerning her gender-blurring body swap. The tubby male cartographer goes on and on about the new, uh, male appendage that he/she isn’t used to dealing with. That joke is revisited several times. And he/she also makes numerous gushing comments about the attractive males in their in-game party. When they meet another player named Alex, the guy gives an odd look to the short and stocky Sheldon after the character’s obviously girl-like reactions. Fridge tells Sheldon that the person behind the avatar is actually a very attractive girl. “If you were out there alive, you’d probably hit that,” he insists.

Later, Bethany/Sheldon gives Alex a lingering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. And after hugging him, other characters make surprised verbal note of Sheldon/Bethany’s clearly aroused (albeit off-camera) physiological response.

As far as Bethany’s real-world persona is concerned, we see her taking selfie shots that strategically expose skin. She states that her boyfriend likes it when she takes pics like that. “It’s the key to our relationship,” she says matter-of-factly. And when she reappears back in the real world, Bethany grabs her own breasts and sighs about how much she’s missed them.

Jokes are made about male genital size. Spencer and Martha kiss in both avatar and real-world form.

Violent Content

Jumanji is staged as an action-adventure game, so there are many thumping, pummeling, shooting and explosive scenes that unfold during our heroes’ jungle trek. A villainous explorer named Van Pelt sends scores of wild beasts after the teens in the game. We see several characters attacked by massive hippos, leaping and slashing jaguars, charging white rhinos and a thundering elephant. Some characters die in these attacks, though the violent deaths are always bloodless, and lives are subsequently regenerated.

The heroes are also set upon by Van Pelt’s motorcycle-riding thugs. These men shoot rifles and missile launchers. Some of them also fall from great heights. Fridge’s character literally blows up at one point.

Spencer and Martha spend several scenes flying into action and pounding various baddies. Martha’s Ruby Roundhouse is quite adept at “dance fighting” as well as leaping into the air and kicking foes in the chest and head. Spencer’s Dr. Bravestone, however, is much more straightforward: He uses duck-and-parry game moves to slam enemies into walls and literally launch them through the ceiling with massive uppercut shots. One man is killed via a scorpion sting to the neck.

Crude or Profane Language

Three or four s-words are spit out, as are a few f-word substitutes, such as “frickin’.” “H—” and “a–” both show up more than a dozen times each. And we hear a few uses of “d–n” and “b–ch.” Jesus’ name is misused once and God’s name is misused some 15 times.

Drug and Alcohol Content

One of Alex’s in-game skills is the ability to mix great margaritas. Spencer and Martha try the blended concoctions, but spit them out. Fridge, however, gladly knocks down several glasses of the stuff, getting a little tipsy in the process.

Other Negative Elements

Spencer’s mother reinforces his personal fears about the world around him. “Remember, the world is a terrifying place,” she tells him. There are a few urination jokes in the mix here, too.

When you’re trying to craft a fun movie-house distraction for the family, it’s probably smart to think beyond the typical film formula and come up with something rollicking, wondrous and imagination-filled. So it makes sense that this pic’s moviemakers decided to harken back to a fantasy romp from the ’90s with a recognizable name and comedic pedigree.

Just sprinkle in a handful of contemporary stars, stir in an updated plot twist, whisk briskly, and you’ve got a nice little matinee pudding with just the right amount of sugar and sprinkles, right?

Well, sorta. I mean, there’s broad, believe-in-yourself fun to be had here, but …

The problem is that while trying to craft something for your typical 13-year-old’s enjoyment, the new Jumanji writing team dumbed things down, and sexed things up, a little too much. The nerd-to-video-game-hero body-swap conceit at the core of things is cute. But it offers a limited pool of ideas and giggles. And the writers go back to that shallow jungle watering hole way too often. That’s especially true with Jack Black’s tubby-guy-who’s-really-a-pretty-girl character: He/she continually sashays about with girlish vim and trades a selfie-taking obsession for an obsession with his/her anatomically male parts. ( Ew , indeed.)

Add in a lot more foul language than you might expect in a movie built for the kids, and you’ve got a fantasy actioner that’s much less, uh, fantastic than it could have been.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

Latest Reviews

The Greatest Hits

The First Omen

Wicked Little Letters

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Jumanji: The Next Level review – Dwayne Johnson ups his comedy game

The old gang re-enter the video game fantasy world for more body-swap hijinks and Indiana Jones-ish adventures, and Johnson levels-up his comedy stylings

J umanji is back, activating the time-honoured sequel device of bringing in character actors from the older grandparent generation. It is showing every sign of becoming a very solid family-movie franchise, cheerfully drawing once more on the traditions of Indiana Jones and the body-swap movies of yesteryear. And there is once again a really nice quadrophonic chemistry between its four stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black (joined by more big names this time around), and the odd-couple comedy bonding of Hart and Johnson. (A noticeable flaw is that Black does not get much of a chance to demonstrate his comedy chops.)

In the previous instalment of the franchise , four high-school kids, Bethany (Madison Iseman), Spence (Alex Wolff), Martha (Morgan Turner) and Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain), were catapulted into the VR world of the Jumanji video game, occupying avatars on a mission to rescue someone trapped inside its colossal invented landscape. And Spence got to exist inside the body of alpha-male explorer Dr Smoulder Bravestone, amusingly played by Johnson – an experience that allowed him to escape his wimpy-nerdishness, value himself for who he is, and learn that it’s what inside that counts.

Now, a couple of years have gone by, the quartet are at college and things aren’t quite as happy as we might have hoped. Spence is at NYU, lonely, stressed and pining for his bygone triumph in the imaginary world of Jumanji. Without his three friends realising it, he has retrieved the Jumanji game console and has once again made a desperate leap into the digital rabbit-hole. It looks as if the remaining three will have to leap in after him – but now we make the acquaintance of Spence’s crotchety but good-natured grandpa Eddie, played by Danny DeVito , and Eddie’s old codger pal Milo, played by Danny Glover. Through a weird quirk of fate, it is Fridge and Martha who re-enter Jumanji, bizarrely accompanied by wacky old Eddie and Milo, with Bethany left behind, to search out the object of their original quest: Alex, played in the real world by Colin Hanks and in the game by Nick Jonas. They too will wind up in this fantasy universe.

So the question of who plays who has been reshuffled and suffice it to say DeVito’s grumpy, pernickety, wisecracking old dude now occupies the mighty body of Johnson – giving Johnson a chance to show his comedy stylings, and pretty impressive they are. It is rare in the literal-minded world of Hollywood (in any genre) to let an actor show off in this theatrical way. As for Glover’s laidback Milo, he occupies the body of zoologist Moose Finbar, played by Hart – and Hart is funny in more or less the way he would have been anyway. Martha is once again biologist Ruby Roundhouse and Fridge is annoyed to find himself inside Jack Black’s body. And where is Spence? Whose body does he inhabit? Well, this is a casting reveal, and it would be unsporting to say more, but more performance comedy ensues.

What gives Jumanji its likability is that it has the emphases and comedy beats of an animation, but also the performance technique of live action – and the occasional reshuffling of avatars and players lets the actors show off a little bit further. Jumanji’s next level is rather satisfying. Perhaps the next Jumanji film will experiment with an “acoustic unplugged” version which takes place solely in the real world, or a dark version in which Martha becomes a hip games designer who introduces a Battle Royale element. But my prediction is that fans would be perfectly happy with another episode on the same lines as before.

• Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)
• Science fiction and fantasy films
• Comedy films
• Karen Gillan

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

• Discount Codes

‘Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle’ – Film Review

Guns 'N Roses-loving reboot is all fun and games

When J umanji came out in 1995 its goofy star Robin Williams was at the peak of his box office powers. Mrs Doubtfire had charmed audiences two years before and with a little help from his hyperactive blue genie, Aladdin made a mint in 1992. Jumanji was no different and became a massive global hit. Now, 22 years later, we finally have a sequel.

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (yes, there are fun and games) follows roughly the same plot as the original, but with a modern twist. This time, the titular board game has morphed into a Sega-like games console, complete with retro video cartridge. Four teenagers discover the game while in detention and are sucked into its jungle, transforming into their chosen adult avatars who each have comical strengths (dance-fighting) and weaknesses (cake). To escape Jumanji, they must save the virtual world from a curse inflicted by an evil explorer, played by Bobby Cannavale.

Each hero’s avatar is fundamentally different to their real-life persona. Muscled jock Fridge becomes zoologist Moose Finbar (Kevin Hart); academic whizz Bethany turns into kick-ass Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan); geeky Spencer is Dr Smolder Bravestone (The Rock) and popular girl Martha becomes a podgy, middle-aged nerd (Jack Black’s map expert Shelly Oberon). The performances are top notch, with Hart tempering his tendency to overact and Gillan in a career-best role. The only failure is Cannavale, whose turn as the villainous Van Pelt isn’t a patch on Jonathan Hyde’s performance in the original.

Thankfully, that’s one of few callbacks to the first film. Recent reboots, like Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens , have at times felt hamstrung by frequent references to older episodes. This can halt the narrative and limit creativity. In Welcome To The Jungle , director Jake Kasdan ( New Girl ) doesn’t find this necessary. Instead, he’s made a brand new movie that feels more sequel than remake. It might lack subtlety and lose steam towards the end, but WTTJ more than makes up for it with some hilarious set pieces and an all-star cast that oozes chemistry. We defy you not to laugh every time The Rock lets loose his eyebrow-tastic signature look. Robin Williams would have been proud.

You May Also Like

Liam gallagher and john squire on their long-awaited collaboration: “after all the dust settles, it’s 10 great songs”, mrcy are making flamboyant soulful bangers to help us fathom life’s confusion, ‘back to black’ review: marisa abela makes a worthy amy winehouse, kanii: “i don’t hold back when i express how i feel”, mae muller to headline club nme in london – get the full details, more stories, tributes paid to legendary new york dj mister cee, who has died, cailee spaeny says taylor swift is a huge fan of ‘mare of easttown’, margot robbie to produce “blockbuster” new monopoly movie, listen to architects’ savage jordan fish-produced new single ‘curse’, ‘romeo & juliet’ actress francesca amewudah-rivers backed in open letter condemning “racist and misogynistic abuse”, steve coogan pops up in ‘joker 2’ trailer – and fans are very surprised.

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Is Good, Clean Fun

Looking for a lively, wholesome movie to see with the family this holiday season? The obvious choice is The Greatest Showman , the musical that demonstrates how circus impresario P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman) didn’t exploit “freaks” by charging people money to point at them and jeer — he actually gave them a sense of self-worth! My colleague Emily Yoshida dissects the “incredibly specious empowerment metaphor holding up this rinky-dink tent” with painful accuracy — and should get combat pay for attempting to transcribe the numbskull lyrics. Move on to the next screen at the multiplex (plug your ears if you’re passing The Greatest Showman ) and see Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle . The movie has amusingly broad performances; good, bloodless scares (the characters die horribly — but have multiple lives); and self-empowering life lessons too bland to be specious. You could do far worse.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a sequel to and not a remake of the agreeable 1995 Jumanji (starring Robin Williams and the young Kirsten Dunst) based on Chris Van Allsburg’s wonderful 1981 book. In the 1995 film, players of the mysterious board game Jumanji found their reality invaded by sundry animal, human, and insect predators. In the 21st-century version, four very different kinds of teenagers in detention — yes, it’s a Breakfast Club redux — get whisked into a jungle cyberworld where they find themselves inhabiting wildly inapposite avatars.

The upshot is that Dwayne Johnson (playing a nerd who finds himself in Dwayne Johnson’s body) gazes on his own humongous biceps with the same kind of amazement that the rest of us do, while Karen Gillan (the repository of the brainy misfit girl) looks down at her impossibly long legs as if thinking, “How do I walk on these things?” Jack Black (inhabited by a blonde high-school girl) simpers in horror at his own squat reflection, while the diminutive pop-top Kevin Hart — the avatar of a black kid built like a linebacker — screams, “Where’s the rest of me?”

The plot is by the numbers, but that’s okay since the characters are inside a game in which the plot is by the numbers. They need to work together to survive various lethal obstacles (rhinos, hippos, wildcats, Bobby Cannavale) and restore a precious gem to its rightful place atop a mountain. If they don’t, they’ll be stuck in the game forever. The proof is in the form of Nick Jonas as the avatar of a guy who has been there since 1996, when someone evidently found the Jumanji board game that was tossed away in Jumanji .

If director Jake Kasdan will never be confused for an action stylist, he’ll never be taken for a stumblebum, either. He hits his marks. And who cares if the CGI looks artificial? It’s an artificial world. Actually, I wish that Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle had looked even more artificial — that Kasdan had pushed the boundaries. Why stick with the jungle when there could have been multiple settings — Camelot, the Old West, outer space? Maybe those will be the sequels. Can the filmmakers come up with new ways to showcase Johnson’s pecs?

It’s fun to watch Johnson use the sight of his own body to teach himself not to run screaming from peril and get up the nerve to kiss Gillan, who has to learn to smolder like a femme fatale, as well as come to terms with her sudden talent for martial arts. (Gillan is a superb physical comedian — it’s as if she’s standing outside herself watching her own body kick ass.) All the characters have to learn that they “only get one life,” even though they actually get three, which comes off as a mixed message. The Greatest Showman lyricists would have tried to make a song out of that:

You only get one life/

Or maybe three/

So go and ride your light/

Into a tree/

’Cause you’ll come back again/

And get eaten by a rhino/

La-la-la albino …

• vulture homepage lede
• movie review

Most Viewed Stories

• Cinematrix No. 33: April 10, 2024
• Shōgun Recap: A Funeral in Edo
• Mark Knopfler on the Most Patient and Wistful Music of His Career
• Vanderpump Rules Recap: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Breakup
• Tokuma Nishioka Brought the Shōgun Set to Tears
• Every HBO Show, Ranked

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Jumanji: the next level, common sense media reviewers.

Charming sequel offers generational humor but can get dark.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Promotes teamwork, communication, courage, empathy

Characters are brave and empathetic and know how t

Several leads are people of color, including Brave

Like the first film, many scenes of danger and dea

A couple of kisses (both in avatar form and in rea

Frequent use of "goddamn" and "goddammit," as well

Sony brand displayed a couple of times; other bran

One scene takes place in a bar, another at a celeb

Parents need to know that Jumanji: The Next Level is the sequel to 2017's hit Jumanji reboot. Stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan all return. And Danny DeVito and Danny Glover are added to the mix this time for some multigenerational humor as Spencer (Alex Wolff)…

Positive Messages

Promotes teamwork, communication, courage, empathy, and generosity. Teamwork requires trust and honesty. Other messages include the idea that people need unconditional friends (their "team") all through life and that when you feel insecure and lonely is when you most need to reach out.

Positive Role Models

Characters are brave and empathetic and know how to solve problems and work together as a team. Eddie and Milo are as helpful and adaptable as they can be and learn from past mistakes and forgive each other.

Diverse Representations

Several leads are people of color, including Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson, who's Black and Samoan), Mouse (Kevin Hart, who's Black), Ming (Awkwafina, who's Chinese-Korean American), Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain, who's Haitian American), and Milo (Danny Glover, who's Black). Though most have agency and positive qualities, male characters vastly outnumber women, and sometimes ethnic stereotypes are in play, like having Ming be the only character dressed in non-safari clothing (her coat has a standing collar, and she dons a Mulan-style high bun), and White characters using African American Vernacular English (AAVE), or "Blaccents," when embodied by Fridge.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Like the first film, many scenes of danger and death (though most of it just temporary). In game universe, characters start out with three lives, and each ultimately gets down to one life after dying in various ways. Some deaths are comically gruesome, like being attacked by a snake, ostrich, or mandrill; plunging to death; or being flattened by a rock. In an opening game sequence, it's explained that a villain killed a character's parents and had his fighters burn and pillage a village. Sad reference to terminal illness.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A couple of kisses (both in avatar form and in real bodies) between Martha (as Ruby Roundhouse) and Spencer (as Bravestone). Grandpa Eddie (as Bravestone) kisses a former flame a few times, while everyone else stares at them. Nonsexual conversation about a eunuch (which a character has to pretend to be) and his legendary "sacrifice" and lack of testicles. Eddie flirts with an acquaintance in real life. A male character who assumes the body of a woman briefly talks about "boobs."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Frequent use of "goddamn" and "goddammit," as well as "s--t" and "holy s--t." Language also includes "son of a bitch," "crap," "hell," "stupid," "damn," "sucks," "boobs," "balls," "oh my God," "go screw yourselves," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Sony brand displayed a couple of times; other brands briefly shown or discussed include Apple, Instagram.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

One scene takes place in a bar, another at a celebration where adult background characters hold drinks.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jumanji: The Next Level is the sequel to 2017's hit Jumanji reboot. Stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson , Kevin Hart , Jack Black , and Karen Gillan all return. And Danny DeVito and Danny Glover are added to the mix this time for some multigenerational humor as Spencer ( Alex Wolff ) and his motley crew of friends are sucked back into the perilous Jumanji video game for another high-stakes adventure. Violence remains a little edgy, with the game characters dying in various ways, including animal attacks, being struck by poisoned darts, falling, and being blown up -- but all without showing any blood. Language includes frequent use of "goddamn," and "holy s--t," as well as a couple of references to body parts ("boobs," "testicles," "balls") -- but not nearly as many as in the previous movie. There's also less flirting and sexual tension in this installment, though characters still kiss, and there's general "smoldering" by Bravestone. A little bit of background drinking is seen. Though the main ensemble has racial diversity, there's also ethnic stereotyping in the character of Ming (Awkwafina) and when White avatars use African American Vernacular English (AAVE), or "Blaccents," when embodied by a Black character. Still, there are clear themes of teamwork, communication, empathy, and courage throughout. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (113)
• Kids say (129)

Based on 113 parent reviews

Funny and entertaining, not as good as the last one

Good for all ages, what's the story.

JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL takes place the year following the events of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle . Spencer ( Alex Wolff ), Martha (Morgan Turner), Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain), and Bethany ( Madison Iseman ) are either in college or on gap years. When Spencer comes home for the holidays, he's supposed to hang out with his Grandpa Eddie ( Danny DeVito ), who has moved in temporarily while recovering from hip surgery. On the day the Jumanji survivors are supposed to meet up for breakfast, Spencer is conspicuously missing, so the friends head to his house, where they discover the still-broken Jumanji video game in his basement. They figure that's where he is and decide to follow. But something goes awry, and both Eddie and his estranged best friend, Milo ( Danny Glover ), are transported into the game, too. They end up as Dr. Bravestone ( Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson ) and Mouse Finbar ( Kevin Hart ), while Fridge is Professor Oberon ( Jack Black ), and Bethany is left behind altogether. Martha, at least, is still Ruby Roundhouse ( Karen Gillan ). The reconstituted team must find Spencer and also play the game while accompanied by two seniors who are having trouble reconciling their circumstances -- not to mention their new muscular bodies.

Is It Any Good?

The return of the likable cast from the first movie and the addition of DeVito, Glover, and Awkwafina make this sequel an entertaining twist on the original -- and funnier than expected. In Jumanji: The Next Level , Hart is quite amusing while speaking in Glover's slower, more deliberate cadence, and even though The Rock's DeVito impersonation isn't always spot on, the gimmick works enough of the time to garner laughs throughout the film. Gillan carries most of the story as Martha/Ruby, who must be steadfast while everyone else, including athlete Fridge (in the unathletic avatar of Oberon), acts confused or frustrated. The game aspect isn't as compelling here as the characterizations, because audiences familiar with the first movie know that all will be well, despite the various fight sequences, killer animals, and puzzles to survive. At its heart, this franchise is about finding your people, your team: the unconditional friends who can help you overcome the toughest odds and the most perilous situations.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Jumanji: The Next Level . Did it change the impact knowing that the characters were inside a game? What about the idea that dying repeatedly could force characters to die in real life as well?

Talk about how the characters of Jumanji: The Next Level must use teamwork , communication , empathy , and courage to conquer each level of the game and ultimately succeed in their mission. Why are those character strengths so important in the game, in the movie, and in real life?

Although Ruby Roundhouse is still in her crop-top and short-shorts outfit, there's less of a focus this time on her sex appeal and more on her strength and abilities. What do you think of the change in perspective for the character? Why do you think so many video games feature "sexy" female characters or avatars?

Discuss the intergenerational humor in the story. What did the older men learn from the teens, and what did the kids learn from the seniors?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 13, 2019
• On DVD or streaming : March 17, 2020
• Cast : Jack Black , Karen Gillan , Kevin Hart , Dwayne Johnson
• Director : Jake Kasdan
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors, Polynesian/Pacific Islander actors
• Studio : Columbia Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Adventures , Friendship , Wild Animals
• Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Empathy , Teamwork
• Run time : 123 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : adventure action, suggestive content and some language
• Last updated : April 2, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Guardians of the Galaxy

Ready Player One

Best action movies for kids, best family comedy movies, related topics.

• Communication
• Wild Animals

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

All 4 'Jumanji' Movies, Ranked

1995 saw the release of the fantasy adventure movie Jumanji . Starring the late great Robin Williams , the film features a bold and original plot that mixes fantasy, action, adventure, and a heartwarming message about family and growing up. Jumanji was a surprising box office hit, spawning an animated series and a live-action film spin-off before receiving two indirect sequels in the 2010s.

Although only four films have been produced in the franchise, Jumanji is a successful and beloved saga that has successfully reinvented itself to stand the test of time. The films are original, funny, and emotional, making for excellent family entertainment that is both fascinating and emotionally resonant. Each film in the Jumanji series is good in its own right, but a few are objectively better , thanks to their refreshing approach, witty humor, and the performances of their ever-reliable ensembles.

'Zathura: A Space Adventure' (2005)

Director: jon favreau.

From Iron Man director Jon Favreau came Zathura: A Space Adventure . A standalone spin-off of Jumanji based on the eponymous novel by Jumanji author Chris Van Allsburg , the film replaces the jungle setting for space and follows two siblings who find themselves in an intergalactic adventure when they start paying a game whose dangers they can't possibly comprehend.

The main issue with Zathura is that it lacks a strong lead figure. While Jonah Bobo and a then-thirteen-year-old Josh Hutcherson are likable enough, the film lacks a Robin Williams-like leading man to guide the action. The siblings and their older sister, a delightfully awkward Kristen Stewart , are compelling enough, but they just can't support the story's weight by themselves, and a barely-there intervention from Dax Shepard didn't really help. Despite some truly impressive visual effects that capture the terrifying vastness of space and Jon Favreau's confident directing, Zathura feels small-stakes and limited, lacking the sense of danger that the original Jumanji had in spades . Zathura is by no means a bad movie, but compared to every other entry in this franchise, it can't help but feel like a letdown.

Release Date November 6, 2005

Cast Dax Shepard, Josh Hutcherson, Kristen Stewart, Jonah Bobo, Tim Robbins, Frank Oz

Runtime 101

Genres Family, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Writers John Kamps, Chris Van Allsburg, David Koepp

Rent on Amazon

'Jumanji: The Next Level' (2019)

Director: jake kasdan.

Dwayne Johnson , Jack Black , Kevin Hart , and Karen Gillan returned for Jumanji: The Next Level , the 2019 sequel to their near-1-billion-grossing 2017 hit Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle . The film sees the same teenagers become trapped in the Jumanji video game once more, joined by their old ally, Alex, and two unsuspecting companions: Spencer's elderly grandfather, Eddie, and his estranged friend, Milo.

Like its predecessor, The Next Level gets a ton of mileage out of casting its four likable leads in unexpected roles. The incredible Jack Black once again steals the show, but Johnson shows far more range than in any of his previous appearances. Embracing the absurdity of playing an older man trapped in the body of a hunk, Johnson steals many of the film's best moments with surprisingly sharp comedic timing. Similarly, Karen Gillan is at her best here , delivering another confident performance that keeps the whole thing grounded. Jumanji: The Next Level isn't as refreshing as its predecessors, but what it lacks in originality, it more than makes up in action and adventure thrills . It successfully entertains audiences of all ages and does what a second film in a franchise should: it leaves audiences longing for a third entry.

Jumanji: The Next Level

Release Date December 13, 2019

Cast Kevin Hart, Danny DeVito, Karen Gillan, Donald Glover, Awkwafina, Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, Nick Jonas, Colin Hanks

Rating PG-13

Runtime 123 minutes

Genres Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Writers Jake Kasdan, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg

Watch on Starz

'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' (2017)

Revitalizing the Jumani saga seemed like a fool's errand. How could any film compete with the originals' legacy? However, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle doesn't try to, and that's why it works. The film follows four teenagers spending detention together. When they find a mysterious video game, they get pulled into the dangerous world of Jumanji, assuming the avatars of four archetypical video game protagonists.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is far sillier than the original 1995 movie, but that's good. The four main characters have incredible chemistry together, doing some genuinely heavy lifting to raise a funny but unsurprising screenplay. However, it's Jack Black who steals the movie with his performance as a teenage girl trapped in the body of an overweight scholar. A tremendously gifted comedian, Black does so much in the role, elevating what could easily be an offensive character and turning it into the film's heart. Beyond the performances, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle succeeds as a purely entertaining adventure movie , featuring grand action setpieces and convincing visual effects. It's funny and ridiculously rewatchable, qualities that make it a worthy successor to the 1995 original.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Release Date December 20, 2017

Cast Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson

Runtime 119 minutes

Genres Comedy, Action, Adventure

Writers Chris McKenna, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan

Watch on Hulu

'Jumanji' (1995)

Director: joe johnston.

In the '90s, few actors could compare to Robin Williams . The star of commercial juggernauts like Mrs. Doubtfire and acclaimed darlings like Dead Poets Society was already a two-time Oscar nominee and one of Hollywood's most bankable stars when he starred in Jumanji . The plot centered on two children, played by Bradley Pierce and future Oscar nominee Kirsten Dunst , who discover the seemingly inoffensive board game of Jumanji. However, it soon releases Alan Parrish, who's been stuck within Jumanji's violent world for decades, alongside incredible dangers that threaten to wreak havoc in the real world unless they beat the game.

Benefitting from a truly original premise, groundbreaking visual effects, and a tremendously charming performance from Williams, Jumanji was a box-office hit despite mixed reviews. However, time has been kind to it, with many now considering it among the all-time best adventure movies. Beyond the flashy VFX, Jumanji is a classic coming-of-age story about growing up and bridging generational gaps . Williams, Dunst, Pierce, and the vastly underrated Bonnie Hunt make for an inspired team, supported by the scene-stealing David Alan Grier and Bebe Neuwirth and perfectly antagonized by '90s character actor Jonathan Hyde . Endlessly rewatchable and ridiculously quotable, Jumanji is a timeless '90s classic that only gets better with age .

Release Date December 15, 1995

Cast Bradley Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Jonathan Hyde, Bonnie Hunt

Runtime 104 minutes

Genres Family, Comedy, Adventure

Writers Chris Van Allsburg, Jim Strain, Greg Taylor, Jonathan Hensleigh

NEXT: The 10 Best Adventurers in Movies, Ranked

Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

Jumanji Parent Guide

Although marketed as a family movie, parents will want to be careful about showing it to young viewers who may be frightened by the scary images..

When a couple of children (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) begin to play the board game Jumanji , they accidentally unleash jungle animals, a great white hunter (James Handy) and Alan Parrish (Robin Williams) -- a young man who has been trapped in the game for the last 26 years.

Release date December 14, 1995

Run Time: 104 minutes

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by rod gustafson.

If you thought landing on Boardwalk with a hotel was bad news, wait until you give Jumanji a try. This mysterious board game has the potential to suck up people and not spit them out again for a couple of decades—when some other naive fool stumbles across it and decides to play.

Robin Williams takes on the role of Alan Parrish, the unfortunate boy who disappeared into the world of Jumanji twenty-six years ago. He returns the day another set of children (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) blow the dust off the intriguing box. Nor is he the only thing to suddenly be released by a roll of the dice. In fact, each turn produces a new surprise, such as stampeding animals, crazed monkeys, and mosquitoes big enough to put the chicken wing industry into a nosedive.

Although marketed as a family movie, parents will want to be careful about showing it to young viewers, as they are likely to be frightened by the many intense scenes. Other possible concerns are the depiction of inept police officers, magic and sorcery, as well as a trophy hunter with a semi-automatic weapon and murderous intentions. Also disappointing is a scene where crowds of looters take advantage of the ensuing chaos, which is handled with a casual attitude implying stealing is a crime of parking ticket magnitude.

For teens, Jumanji does deliver an action-packed adventure story—with the added bonus of no obscenities or sexual references. While the premise may sound like child’s play, the thrills and excitement are actually better suited for older eyes. After all, even from my adult point of view—those mosquitoes were big!

About author

Rod Gustafson

Jumanji parents' guide.

When Judy and Peter track down Sarah Whittle (Bonnie Hunt), in the hopes of more information about the game, they find the grown woman is still suffering from the events of her childhood. How can unresolved issues affect a person’s future sense of peace?

The most recent home video release of Jumanji movie is December 5, 2017. Here are some details…

Related home video titles:.

Kirsten Dunst Remembers Her Jumanji Co-Star Robin Williams: 'Most Generous, Kind, Funny Person'

Kirsten Dunst reveals the gift that Robin Williams gave her after filming wrapped on the original Jumanji.

• Kirsten Dunst reflects on working with Robin Williams in Jumanji , praises him as generous, kind, and funny.
• Jumanji , a family favorite film starring Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, has since spawned a modern franchise.
• Bradley Pierce also praises Robin Williams for protecting him and Dunst, making the work environment fun and easy.

Kirsten Dunst has reflected fondly on her time working with the late, great Robin Williams in the beloved fantasy adventure film, Jumanji . Speaking with Variety , Dunst, who was just 13 years old when she starred in the family blockbuster, remembers Williams as being generous, kind, and funny while revealing that the actor and comedian gifted her her first computer as a wrap gift when production on Jumanji ended.

"It was an Apple, the ones that came in all those different colors. He was like the most generous, kind, funny person.”

Directed by Joe Johnston from a screenplay by Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor and Jim Strain, Jumanji centers on a supernatural board game that releases jungle-based creatures and dangers with every roll of the dice. Starring Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde and Bebe Neuwirth, Jumanji is now a family favorite for many, and has since spawned a modern franchise led by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black.

Robin Williams’ Daughter Shares Her Favorite Movie of His: 'It Reminds Me the Most of Him'

As well as praising Williams for his kindness, the actress also commended another of her famous co-stars, Tom Cruise, with whom she shared the screen in 1994's Interview with the Vampire .

"There’d be a gorgeous Christmas tree fully decorated in my dressing room from Tom. He treated me like a princess."

Jumanji Star Bradley Pierce Praises Robin Williams for Helping Them Feel Comfortable on Set

*Availability in US

Not available

Dunst is not the only star of the original Jumanji to have praised Robin Williams’ conduct, with Bradley Pierce revealing back in 2020 that the actor was not only an inspiration for the young actor, but also protected both him and Dunst from the pressures of the industry.

"Getting to work with Robin was so special because he's just such a talented and amazing performer and person. He inspired everyone around him. He was able to take what should have been, or at least could have been, an incredibly stressful work environment with all the challenges of creating a heavy special effects movie with all of the moving parts and all of the cast and crew, and he really made it fun and easy, even playful, most of the time. We always got in a good take before they would let him play, and he would just kind of go crazy for a take or two, it was just so memorable."

Kirsten Dunst can next be seen starring in Civil War from writer and director Alex Garland. Civil War follows a team of journalists who travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating American Civil War, which has engulfed the entire nation. You can check out the official synopsis below.

“From filmmaker Alex Garland comes a journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.”

Civil War has been met with critical acclaim and is due to be released in theaters on April 12, 2024.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Civil War Link to Civil War
• Monkey Man Link to Monkey Man
• The First Omen Link to The First Omen

New TV Tonight

• Chucky: Season 3
• Fallout: Season 1
• Mr Bates vs The Post Office: Season 1
• Franklin: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Dora: Season 1
• Good Times: Season 1
• Beacon 23: Season 2

Most Popular TV on RT

• Ripley: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• Parasyte: The Grey: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• Sugar: Season 1
• A Gentleman in Moscow: Season 1
• We Were the Lucky Ones: Season 1
• The Gentlemen: Season 1
• The Regime: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Fallout Link to Fallout
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

CinemaCon 2024: Day 2 – Universal Showcases Nosferatu , Twisters , Wicked , and More

Fallout First Reviews: A ‘Violent, Fun, Emotional, Epic’ Video Game Adaptation, Critics Say

• Trending on RT
• Play Movie Trivia

Jumanji: The Next Level

2019, Adventure/Action, 2h 3m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Like many classic games, Jumanji: The Next Level retains core components of what came before while adding enough fresh bits to keep things playable. Read critic reviews

You might also like

Where to watch jumanji: the next level.

Watch Jumanji: The Next Level with a subscription on Hulu, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified..

AMCTheatres.com or AMC App New

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

Theater box office or somewhere else

By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

Jumanji: the next level videos, jumanji: the next level   photos.

When Spencer goes back into the fantastical world of Jumanji, pals Martha, Fridge and Bethany re-enter the game to bring him home. But the game is now broken -- and fighting back. Everything the friends know about Jumanji is about to change, as they soon discover there's more obstacles and more danger to overcome.

Rating: PG-13 (Some Language|Adventure Action|Suggestive Content)

Genre: Adventure, Action, Comedy, Fantasy

Original Language: English

Director: Jake Kasdan

Producer: Dany Garcia , Hiram Garcia , Dwayne Johnson , Jake Kasdan , Matthew Tolmach

Writer: Jake Kasdan , Jeff Pinkner , Scott Rosenberg

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 2019  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 13, 2019

Box Office (Gross USA): $316.8M

Runtime: 2h 3m

Distributor: Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Production Co: Matt Tolmach Productions, The Detective Agency, Seven Bucks Productions

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

View the collection: Jumanji

Cast & Crew

Dwayne Johnson

Karen Gillan

Morgan Turner

Ashley Scott

Madison Iseman

Ser'Darius Blain

Danny DeVito

Danny Glover

Colin Hanks

Rory McCann

Jurgen the Brutal

Marin Hinkle

Vince Pisani

Pharmacy Manager

Dorothy Steel

Village Elder

Jennifer Patino

Bravestone's Mother

Jake Kasdan

Screenwriter

Jeff Pinkner

Scott Rosenberg

Dany Garcia

Hiram Garcia

Matthew Tolmach

Executive Producer

David B. Householter

William Teitler

Gyula Pados

Cinematographer

Mark Helfrich

Film Editing

Steve Edwards

Tara Timpone

News & Interviews for Jumanji: The Next Level

Kevin Hart vs. Dwayne Johnson: Who’s the Ultimate Buddy-Comedy Star?

Weekend Box Office Results: Sonic Goes Super With $70-Million Holiday Weekend

Weekend Box Office Results: Bad Boys for Life Is 2nd-Highest MLK Weekend Opening Ever With $73.4 Million

Critic Reviews for Jumanji: The Next Level

Audience reviews for jumanji: the next level.

I think the sequel is a touch better than the first and the adult actors are allowed to show their talents more! Glover and Devito are a welcome addition and the film is funny thrilling and enjoyable. 03-29-2020

Jumanji was a dormant franchise, deserving a series of films. I'm actually hoping they can bring Zathura into the series somewhere. The Next Level is not a bad sequel. In fact, the character side of it was more interesting than the avatar game side. The character mixed up was different, but I felt it lacked what made the original and sequel, good. The sequel is not as good as the previous films, but it maintains high quality and no easy routes. I was somewhat disappointed they chose to go this way with the DeVito and Glover characters, they are heavyweights of the acting world and they are essential bit players. The series is growing and a little time off is well earned to step towards the next adventure. The series is due to explode soon and I think another film is warranted with all the bridging the series is doing with the first film. Not a great sequel idea, but it is still fun and will bring smiles to the family. 12/03/2020

Same as the other film: funny (though annoying at times), action-packed, adventurous, with great performances :)

Avoids sequel fatigue with the inclusion of many fresh elements, particularly character spins, but could've used a better defined villain to up the stakes some. You won't feel cheated though, and the ending's light touch forgives much of what lead up to it.

Movie & TV guides

Play Daily Tomato Movie Trivia

Discover What to Watch

Rotten Tomatoes Podcasts

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

Kirsten dunst talks ‘civil war’ and refusing to let fear into the equation.

The actor also reveals if the team behind the new 'Jumanji' movies have approached her to reprise her role from the 1995 original.

By Brian Davids

Brian Davids

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Comment

For someone who’s about to release a cautionary tale about the current state of America, Civil War star Kirsten Dunst is remarkably unfazed. 

Related Stories

Events of the week: 'ripley,' 'civil war' and more, cailee spaeny remembers staring at the back of taylor swift's head at golden globes: "i couldn't believe this was my life".

You often hear actors say that they know they should accept a role when it scares them in one way or another, but Dunst is not someone who finds fear to be an effective motivator, even if her role seems frightening within Civil War ’s politically charged context.

“I am the total opposite. I am not afraid. The last place I would work from is fear,” Dunst tells The Hollywood Reporter .

The A24 film, which also serves as the indie studio’s priciest pic to date at $50 million, is ultimately an anti-war movie, and Dunst is also not worried that certain partisan viewers will misconstrue the film as a call to arms.

“I think that democracy is taken for granted, and that’s dangerous, but I didn’t think that [this was our future] when I was making the film,” Dunst says. “[ Civil War ] will start a lot of conversations. The media is making this polarization and feeding it, but this movie really shows you: ‘Don’t do this.’ It’s really about treating each other like human beings.”

Below, during a recent conversation with THR , Dunst also discusses how her husband, Jesse Plemons, ended up in the film at the last minute, before addressing whether the Jumanji franchise has ever asked her to reprise the role of Judy Shepherd, her beloved character from the original 1995 film.

I am the total opposite. I am not afraid. The last place I would work from is fear. It feels like freedom to play somebody like this, and to me, it ends up being a cathartic experience. So I don’t operate from a place of fear at all; that would close me up as an actor.

Lee Smith is a no-nonsense combat photographer who will do whatever it takes to capture her subject. You’ve probably seen a version of this mindset on movie sets, but what did you figure out about the psychology of someone who will risk life and limb to get the shot or the photo?

I was most influenced by the documentary Under The Wire (2018), the Marie Colvin documentary. When I saw that, I was like, “This is what these journalists are, and this is what I want Lee to be like,” which is not about herself in any way. She’s there to report in the most authentic and fearless way, [and communicate], “This is what we do.”

As I was watching this film, I genuinely asked myself if I was watching a sneak preview of our own future. Did you ever ponder that question during filming? 

There are people in this country who claim to want a civil war. They’ve even put the phrase on T-shirts. So I do wonder if some people will misinterpret this anti-war movie as some sort of rallying cry. You really don’t have any anxiety about it?

I think that [ Civil War ] will start a lot of conversations. The media is making this polarization and feeding it, but this movie really shows you: “Don’t do this.” So I think that it will make people want to talk to each other and have conversations, and to me, it’s really about treating each other like human beings. The film has a lot of humanity and a lot of hope as well.

During your downtime, you functioned as Cailee Spaeny’s agent. Was there one particular day that impressed you so much that you just had to speed dial Sofia Coppola?

( Laughs .) Well, I knew that Sofia had met Cailee [for Priscilla ], and Cailee and I talked about that. So I said to her, “I’m going to text Sofia.” It was the [combination] of just starting to work with her and meeting her, and then doing that scene in the [hotel] lobby together felt really effortless and wonderful. There was an energy to working together that I knew that Sofia would really love in Cailee.

( Laughs .) I had my way of playing it, but I didn’t think that technically about my own eyes. I probably had something that I was thinking about, or a note from my script, but I don’t remember or I would tell you. But Come and See (1985) was a big influence for us, and we watched it before we filmed the movie. It shows this young innocent boy and what the horrors of war do to him. It’s a Criterion Collection Russian film. And the girl in the beginning of the film is wearing this green dress, so I asked the costume designer [Meghan Kasperlik] if we could make a green dress as an ode to that film that we all watched together.

The photos that made it into the movie belonged to the still photographer, but assuming you and Cailee had working cameras, did you still compare your developed photos?

I used a digital camera with a Leica lens so I could pull my own focus. I wanted to do something. I didn’t want it to be automatic focus; it’s not as cinematic. But, yeah, we would look at our photos, and I saw some of [Cailee’s photos] developed. So we actually took photos, and she actually had film in her camera during the whole movie.

Lee deletes a very powerful photo at a certain point. Was that a personal line she just couldn’t cross? 

Lee has a panic attack during the third act war zone. Did the sounds on the day do a lot of the work for you?

The last two weeks of filming were very intense. The sound [on the day] was similar to the film because Alex chose to use full rounds of blanks instead of halves or quarters, which are usually used on a film. He wanted it to feel as immersive as possible in the way that he portrayed it. So it was very, very loud for two weeks, and it definitely got into our bodies.

If Lee Smith was able to enjoy this movie as an audience member, I think she’d be beaming with pride over how the final sequence unfolded. The mission was the priority. Do you agree or disagree?

I haven’t spoken to any war journalists about the film, so I’m very curious what their point of view will be on the way that we performed the film as a group. So, yeah, I just hope that … As soon as I got the role, I was like, “Give me the camera Lee works with,” and I never took the camera off. I just wanted to look like my camera was part of me. In a way, [ Civil War ] is a love letter to war journalists, so I would just hope that they felt like we did them right. Alex Garland also grew up with war journalists. His father [Nicholas Garland] is a political cartoonist for a newspaper, so that really was his way into writing this film.

Did Alex see Jesse Plemons loitering near your trailer one day and say, “Hey, you. Get in makeup”? 

I love movies that leave you with an equation to solve, and Power of the Dog did that in such an impactful way. I can still feel the tension of your famously uncomfortable piano scenes. Between you practicing piano and Jesse practicing his El Camino song, “Sharing the Night Together,” whose practice rounds took up more oxygen in your household? 

For sure, my piano. I hadn’t played piano since I was little, and that doesn’t really count. So I just played over and over and over again, and I learned another piece, too. So that definitely [took up more oxygen]. But Jesse has done things that have taken over as well. One was something he never did, but it was something he worked really hard on. So it depends on what you’re playing or the craft. It’s like me with the camera; I suddenly took pictures of everyone all the time.

I wrote this before the hubbub over a recent interview, but I worship at the altar of Midnight Special . Was that the movie that helped open the floodgates of “sad moms,” as you put it?

With every last film you do, you get a lot of scripts that reflect what you’ve just done. So, after Melancholia , I was getting a lot of more depressing roles, and then I did Bachelorette instead. And then, after Power of the Dog … So it just happens that way, and that’s why I did this movie.

They have not!

Their loss!

( Laughs .) My son likes to watch Jumanji [1995]. Well, not as much anymore, but he used to. He’s over it.

I do have some MJ-related trivia for you, though. It’s been making its way around the internet this week. You (as MJ), Emma Stone (as Gwen Stacy) and Zendaya (as MJ) have all played characters who dated Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and then all of you went on to play tennis players as well. How’s that for a Venn diagram? 

That’s very fun. I’ve never thought about that, but I love it. I don’t even know what to say, but it’s kind of cute.

I’m a very messy toothbrusher, and so the famous scene in Bring It On always perplexed me because Torrance and Cliff were both such neat and tidy toothbrushers. Was any part of your real-life toothbrushing style on display there?

No, not at all! They clearly had a crush on each other, and brushing your teeth in front of someone is very intimate. So that was reflected in how we brushed our teeth. It was a conversation rather than actual teeth brushing. It was a tension and a chemistry of two people who like each other, doing something really intimate together. So it was a little more performative in the brushing.

*** Civil War opens exclusively in movie theaters April 12. 

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Jonathan nolan initially disagreed with christopher nolan over ‘dark knight rises’ villain, cinemacon: donna langley talks universal’s big year amid industry angst, ‘wicked’ lights up cinemacon with ariana grande, cynthia erivo and director jon m. chu, ‘wicked’ casts peter dinklage as dr. dillamond the goat, blumhouse shows off creepy first ‘wolf man’ footage, trailer for ‘see no evil’, lee isaac chung’s ‘twisters’ touches down at cinemacon with glen powell, daisy edgar-jones.

'SNL': Kristen Wiig Doesn't Want to Get 'Jumanji'-ed Her Best Sketches

Wiig also plays a Pilates instructor from hell and attempts to deliver some terrible news from a go-kart!

The Big Picture

• Kristen Wiig's return to SNL showcased her brilliant character work, as she made every sketch enjoyable.
• The Jumanji -inspired sketch with Wiig escaping a board game was a standout moment of the night, full of comedy and wit.
• Wiig's portrayal of a terrifying Pilates instructor and a family with mysterious bad news were equally hilarious and well-executed.

Kristen Wiig came back to Saturday Night Live to promote her new Apple TV+ series Palm Royale with musical guest Raye . And, to top it all off, she joined the Five-Timers club in the process! The episode as a whole reminded us why Wiig was one of the best cast members the show has ever had. Each sketch featured brilliant, hilarious characters for Wiig, and, for the most part, they were all new! Sorry, the Target Lady did not make the cut, but she does have her own commercial now.

It's tough to narrow down the best sketches of the night when every single one is enjoyable, but there are a few that can't help but take the spotlight . From Jumanji to Pilates, here are the three best sketches from Wiig's episode.

Jumanji, Ticket to Ride Style

The fear of getting sucked into a board game has become a very real thing since the release of the 1995 film Jumanji . We watched as Robin Williams escaped from a game he was sucked into as a child and the rest was history. So, when a woman (Wiig) is meeting her boyfriend's friends for the first time, and they want to play a game called "Ticket to Ride," she has some relatable fears about getting pulled into the world of the game.

It is truly hilarious watching Andrew Dismukes bicker with Wiig about the logic of the movie Jumanji. Naturally, she is upset about being sucked into the game, but he keeps pointing out that in the movie, we all see Alan get out of the game as the monsters from the Jumanji Jungle spill out after him. It all comes to a head when he opens the "Ticket to Ride" box and Will Forte jumps out because they were, in fact, being "Jumanji-ed" into the game and only Wiig's character gets to be free since she asked not to be "Jumaji-ed." Even if it is one of Williams' best movies .

Kristen Wiig Is a Pilates Instructor From Hell

There is nothing worse than a Pilates class, so why not make it a horror movie? If only it came out at the same time as Immaculate and The First Omen . It could have been a trifecta. Wiig is playing a Pilates instructor who is all but tormenting her class into working out. The sketch plays on the cult-like horrors of joining a Pilates class, like being surrounded by machines that look like torture devices and people with better bodies — including an 11-month pregnant Heidi Gardner . That and Ego Nwodim 's leg almost breaking in half to stretch it out.

Sarah Sherman plays a woman warning her friend about Pilates as a class and the horror movie set up for the sketch is truly just one of the more clever things that Saturday Night Live does well. The sketch has a "Papyrus" vibe from when Ryan Gosling hosted years ago. While not the most original, it is hilarious to think about a Pilates class as a horror movie setting.

Go-Karts and Family Drama

What is worse than bad news? Bad news when your parents refuse to tell you about it. Wiig and James Austin Johnson , who has become one of the best cast members outside his cold open appearance as Donald Trump , are playing parents who take their kids to an amusement park of some sort to celebrate their daughter's ( Chloe Troast ) birthday. Their son (Dismukes) and daughter are waiting with them for the go-karts to work again, and they decide that it is time to tell their children that after the go-karts, they have some bad news to share.

In a truly hilarious fashion, both the kids continue to tell their parents to just tell them what is going on, and yet the parents keep saying after other rides or when a woman named Sheila gets there. It is clearly a "we're getting divorced" sketch, but we never hear either parent say that, leaving the sketch on an eternal cliffhanger!

The full episode of Saturday Night Live is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.

A famous guest host stars in parodies and sketches created by the cast of this witty show.

Watch on Peacock

Saturday Night Live recap: Kristen Wiig gets a starry induction into the Five-Timers Club

The snl alum returns to studio 8h for a predictably great episode.

Just a few months after our most recent inductee into the Five-Timers Club—that would be Emma Stone, who hit her fifth hosting gig this past December—we saw another 30 Rock regular receive one of those coveted smoking jackets on this week’s edition of Saturday Night Live : that would be SNL legend Kristen Wiig, who joins fellow former cast members like Chevy Chase, Tina Fey, and Will Ferrell in the elite group

Wiig, who was a daffy and dominant force during her seven-year tenure on the sketch comedy series from 2005 to 2012, is making the promo rounds for her new Apple TV+ series Palm Royale . And while diehard fans might be disappointed not to see the return of the comedienne’s most famous original characters—spoiler alert: there’s no Gilly, Dooneese or Target Lady to be found—Wiig leveraged both her own comic genius and plenty of her famous pals to put on one of the best installments of the season.

Opening monologue: Five time’s a charm

After a very skippable March Madness cold open —it felt like such a missed opportunity to not have Sarah Sherman pop in for a Caitlin Clark cameo—Wiig’s opening monologue livened things up with Hollywood cameos galore. Fellow SNL greats like Will Forte, Fred Armisen and Martin Short returned to Studio 8H to honor this week’s host, as did actual Five Timer Paul Rudd .

But then some decidedly non- Five Timers Club members like Girls5Eva ’s Paul Pell, Matt Damon, Jon Hamm and Ryan Gosling showed up to jokingly downplay the jacket’s significant (“They pretty much hand those out to everybody like free maxi pads!”) before sweetly serenading Kristen.

Lorne & Co. clearly have a soft spot for Wiig—her “She’s a Rainbow”-soundtracked farewell episode was one of the most moving editions of the decades-spanning franchise—and her Five Timers Club induction was no exception. (Speaking of Lorne’s favorites, loved seeing that Martin Short can still break him.)

The best drinking game of the night:

If you took a drink every time the word “Jumanji” was uttered last night, you’d very much be unalive right now. In this silly sketch, Wiig plays a woman meeting her boyfriend’s buddies (Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, Andrew Dismukes) during a casual house hang.

However, things take a turn when one of them suggests breaking out a boardgame, which Wiig’s character refuses to play because she’s afraid of getting “Jumanji’d.” Why? Because “Jumanji is a series of jungle emergencies,” of course. The comedy continues to crank up the more furiously Wiig and Dismukes debate the details of the 1995 Robin Williams-led children’s movie. (“The kids don’t go into Jumanji, the Jumanji comes out of Jumaji!”) Good stuff.

The best satire of the night:

“From the creator of Saw X and the marketing director of Alo comes a chilling new look at girl horror,” begins this sharply written movie trailer for the horror film Pilates, which features Chloe Fineman and Molly Kearney attending a Pilates class for the first time.

Anyone who has been menacingly called “Mama!” while entering a yoga-studio torture chamber of foot straps, hand straps and “one pound” dumbbells knows exactly what chills and thrills lie ahead. Namely, “eight gorgeous women, one gay man not wearing underwear and, sometimes, Kaia Gerber.”

The best character break of the night:

Hooray for Heidi Gardner! She officially has a recurring character in Trudy, the uber-dedicated secretary the performer debuted back in the Pete Davidson-hosted season 49 premiere. This time around, Trudy has company in Tootie (Wiig), the second secretary of a Don Draper-esque boss (played, naturally, by Jon Hamm) who is equally eager but ineffectual. (Yes, she picked up her boss’s baby daughter, but may be housing said infant in a fine-cabinet drawer.)

Garner and Wiig ham it up with the physical comedy here, jostling around a cocktail shaker between their chests and flailing about in their undergarments, but the skit gets good when it goes wrong: when Wiig as Trudy struggles to fling herself through the office desk, requiring the comic to hysterically attempt a take two. And any remaining composure the actors had is entirely tossed aside when Gardner fail-flops through a breakaway wall.

The best (and only) return of a Wiig classic:

As mentioned, Wiig didn’t utilize her Rolodex of recurring characters much during her fifth hosting gig, but we did see get a characteristically eyeroll-heavy “Weekend Update” cameo from Aunt Linda, that perpetually cranky Karen of a film critic. A lot has changed in the 14 years since Linda last paid us a visit: she’s divorced, for one, and the “Update” seats are occupied by entirely new people, not that she’s noticed. (To Colin Jost: “Well, hello Seth! Someone’s gotten some work done.”)

Aunt Linda has finally caught up on the biggest movies of last year and she has thoughts. She wasn’t the biggest fan of Oppenheimer (“directed by Christopher No-Thanks!”) and she didn’t take to America Ferrara’s feminist-101 monologue in Barbie (“I love wearing a bra!”). But even grumpy Linda couldn’t deny the infectious charm of Ryan Gosling (“He’s very hard to make fun of”), nor the power of the Paw Patrol   movie. (“Dogs saving the world in uniforms? Here’s my alley and this movie went straight up it!)

Stray observations

• Though delightful, the Gosling cameo last night wasn’t entirely a shock: Ryan is imbuing Studio 8H with his Kenergy as SNL host next week, April 13, to promote his new action-comedy The Fall Guy . He’ll be joined by country crooner Chris Stapleton as musical guest.
• What do you think of the Five Timers Club? Does it still host the same panache as in the past or is the frequency dulling the prestige?