‘90s nostalgia is real. Joe Johnston’s smash hit Jumanji debuted in 1995, and it remains a children’s classic. The original starred Robin Williams in one of his most iconic roles. Rather than replace Williams with any one actor, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, directed by Jake Kasdan (Bad Teacher and Sex Tape), fills his shoes with four stars: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan. The actors portray the avatars of four high schoolers who have been accidently sucked into a videogame, not a board game (the trailer jokes that board games are too old-fashioned for young people in 2017).
The latest trailer explains more of the film’s premise. Each avatar, as is the case with most videogames, has a limited amount of lives, unique abilities, and weaknesses (Hart can’t eat cake because when he does, he explodes). The trailer also showcases animal hijinks, over-the-top action, and CGI-heavy special effects that sadly conjure unpleasant images of Sony’s Ghostbusters reboot.
While the original remained rooted in the real world (think Jurassic Park in your backyard), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle wants to appeal to a younger audience, but in doing so, Kasdan might alienate fans of the original.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle opens on December 20 from Sony Pictures.
Watch the trailer below: