‘90s nostalgia is real. Joe Johnston’s smash hit Jumanji debuted in 1995, and it remains 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:
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