Review: ‘Jumanji: The Next Level', An Effective Sequel To The Smash Jungle Hit

Way back in 2017, it was considered an unnecessary cash grab to do a “legacy sequel” to the classic 1995 hit Jumanji, especially since Robin Williams’ charm was no longer around for us to enjoy.  The idea of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart headlining a Jumanji movie just sounded insane.  However, everyone was proven wrong as Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle was funny, action-packed, fun, as it spun the video game movie genre on its head (and is probably the best video game movie made to date) and ended up clearing $962 million worldwide.  It’s almost a no brainer that a sequel would be greenlit.  But since we got everything we needed out of the first Jumanji sequel film, what new could they bring to the table, or would it suffer from Sequelitis?  With Jumanji: The Next Level, the series managed to once again reinvent itself and deliver a very fun movie while continuing to honor the groundwork laid previously.

A year has passed for the gang after they experienced the events of the first film.  They have graduated high school and are all now in college, but because of their experience being inside a video game, they all remain tight, they even have a WhatsApp group chat.  While everything seems to be going good for the group, things aren’t so good for Spencer (Alex Wolff) as he’s suffering a case of the Holiday Blue after breaking up with Martha (Morgan Turner) as he returns home for the holidays.  To make matters worse, he has to share his room with his crotchety grandfather Eddie (the always awesome Danny DeVito).  He basically realizes that his time in the game was better than in the real world, rebuilds the game (the group destroyed), and goes in to play once again.  That leaves Martha, Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain), and Bethany (Madison Iseman) to come to his house when he’s a no-show for their planned group brunch.  After they all meet Grandpa Eddie and his uninvited friend Milo (Danny Glover), they hear the drums and realize Spencer’s in the game.  They decide they have to once again go in and rescue their friend.

However, things are a little different.  The game as glitched as a result of the team destroying the game before, and they aren’t using the same avatars they did last time, except Martha who luckily ends up as game character Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan) again.  Everyone else, it’s all different.  Grandpa Eddie ends up getting sucked into the game and is in Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), who was Spencer’s previous avatar.  Grandpa Eddie’s friend Milo is also involuntary brought in the game and goes into "Mouse" Finbar (Kevin Hart), Fridge’s previous avatar.  Fridge ends up in Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon (Jack Black), who was Bethany's previous avatar.  They are now in the game trying to find Spencer, who is now a new character Ming Fleetfoot (Awkwafina) Are we confused yet?  Speaking of Bethany, where is she?

The body-switching makes the film very interesting as now the actors are acting in completely new roles. Dwayne Johnson is having a ball doing his best Danny DeVito impression as he lays it on thick. Kevin Hart is incredibly hilarious as he does his best Danny Glover “old black man” impression, complete with long-winded conversations that he takes at ill-opportune times. The MVP however, is Jack Black, who does his absolute best Kevin Hart impersonation. While it may feel like he’s going for “black voice,” he’s swinging for the fences and is completely hilarious. Half the time Johnson and Hart are playing old people who not only don’t understand the concept of a video game, but they have to repeatedly be told that they are in a video game and not dead or “in Florida.”

Even though their main objective is to try and find Spencer, this is Jumanji, and they have to win the game.  Nigel Billingsley (Rhys Darby) is back as the NPC guide and gives them a mission to save Jumanji from Jurgen the Brutal (Rory McCann- good to see a GOT alum getting some work after Westeros).  So off they go on their quest, which of course Spencer is bound to show up to help.  Also helping is Alex (Colin Hanks) who after hearing of their predicament goes back into the game as "Seaplane" McDonough Nick Jonas.  Once again, everyone has special abilities (although they are a little different this time with different strengths and weaknesses) and they have three lives or else will die in the real world as well.

The film does try to veer into drama territory as there’s a conflict between Grandpa Eddie and Milo that goes through its combative-to-happily friends cycle of conflict, it feels clunked in and the resolution at the ends of the film “sorta” works.  The same does for Spencer and Martha as they deal with their breakup.  However, the exploration that Spencer’s life in the real world sucking and him wanting to go back to the video game is an interesting parable for how many people live their lives on social media.  But let’s keep it real, the comedy and the spectacle, is what makes this movie work.  As stated before, the actors playing against their previous roles (except Karen Gillan) and how they have to do a different type of acting and improvisation than they did in the first film and it completely works.  There’s a moment that involves body-swapping and the characters and their avatars are changed once again, which allows the actors to once again flex their muscles, especially Awkwafina who is hilarious in the third act.  While a small bit of the magic from the first film (as it was a completely new concept) has faded a little, the decision for the film to remix itself makes it a funny and worthwhile experience.

3.5 out of 5

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Review: ‘Feast Of The Seven Fishes’, A Christmas Dinner You Don’t Want To Miss

With Last Christmas and now Feast of the Seven Fishes, the holiday movie season is officially upon us! It is a couple of days before Christmas in 1983 and Tony Oliverio (Skyler Gisondo) is in a rut. He’s gotten into art school but immediately decides to decline so he can continue working in his family’s restaurant. On top of that, he’s single for another holiday season. On a bright note, the Oliverio’s traditional Christmas Eve feast – the feast of the seven fishes – is right around the corner so that will be a great, and delicious, celebration. Tony’s cousin Angelo (Andrew Schulz) convinces Tony to come out with him and his girl Sarah (Jessica Darrow). Apparently, Sarah has a friend Beth (Madison Iseman) that Angelo and Sarah want to introduce to Tony and see if the sparks fly. Beth has been dating Prentice (Allen Williamson) a rich and pretentious schmuck from school that her parents absolutely approve of because he can provide the life they want for Beth. Prentice has decided to go on a skiing trip instead of joining Beth for the holidays and that is not something she is willing to forgive. Sarah convinces Beth to come out with her that night and meet Angelo’s cute cousin Tony and put Prentice squarely in the rearview mirror, which she eventually agrees to.

Tony and Beth hit if off and end up having a great night together – except for one stop at the strip club where Tony gets into a fight trying to convince his ex-girlfriend Katie (Addison Timlin) to stay off the pole. While that might be a turnoff to some, Beth found it sweet – she must have the heart of a saint. Tony’s uncle Frankie (Joe Pantoliano) does what Tony doesn’t have the stones to do and invites Beth to the Oliverio’s feast of the seven fishes. Of course Beth accepts the initiation – she just met Tony the night before, so the next logical step is to meet his whole family during date #2. Beth doesn’t realize the night that she just signed up for – the Oliverio family have this feast down to a science and she is in for a night she, or her stomach, won’t soon forget.

Feast of the Seven Fishes has a lot going for it and at the top of the list is the score. The music seems to really drive the film and couldn’t be more enjoyable – it manages to not only capture the holiday spirit, but also be quirky and punchy to match the film’s characters. That is not easy to do, and Feast of the Seven Fishes hits it out of the park. Throughout the film, we keep meeting more and more of the Oliverio family, which is full of fantastic characters. The banter and interactions of Tony’s uncles Frankie and Carmine (Ray Abruzzo) and grandpa Johnny (Paul Ben-Victor) are a blast to watch while Beth’s interactions with Tony’s ultra-religious and old school grandma Nonnie (Lynn Cohen) are hilarious as well as slightly terrifying. Robert Tinnell, who wrote and directed the film as well as the original graphic novel of the same name, interjects the spirit of graphic novels throughout the film – which is a unique and welcomed addition. Feast of the Seven Fishes is a good-hearted and enjoyable holiday movie and if you have 90 minutes to kill, I’d definitely recommend a watch – the fish montage alone is probably worth it.

3.5 out of 5

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Blumhouse-Amazon Movie 'Nocturne' Casts 'Euphoria' And 'Annabelle 3' Stars As First Details Emerge

Blumhouse is looking to bring their winning streak from the big screen over to television through their 8-picture streaming deal struck with Amazon Studios last year. And now we're learning more about the first movie from Blumhouse TV as part of that deal, titled Nocturne, a supernatural thriller that has already cast a pair of rising stars.

Deadline reports Sydney Sweeney (HBO's Euphoria) and Madison Iseman (Annabelle Comes Home) are set to lead Nocturne, about "an incredibly gifted pianist who makes a Faustian bargain to overtake her older sister at a prestigious institution for classical musicians." Sounds a lot like Netflix's bonkers thriller The Perfection, another horror centered on rival classically-trained musicians.  Also in the cast are Jacques Colimon (The Society) and Ivan Shaw (Casual), with British-Irish filmmaker Zu Quirke making his writing/directing feature debut.

Sweeney recently played one of the Manson girls in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Iseman also played Bethany in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and will be reprising the role for the upcoming sequel.

Further details aren't really necessary given Blumhouse's killer track record. If they're behind it, expect a certain level of genre quality, even if this movie isn't expected to get much of a theatrical run, if any at all.

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Review: 'Annabelle Comes Home' Expands 'The Conjuring Universe' With More Laughs Than Scares

Just a few days removed from the techno-Chucky of Child's Play, a much more terrifying doll of pure evil goes on a rampage in Annabelle Comes Home. The latest chapter in James Wan's The Conjuring Universe, home to successful spinoffs such as The Nun and The Curse of La Llorona, is a glorified teaser for the franchise's expansion. And while the genuine frights are familiar, they share equal footing with enough dark humor to make it worth having Annabelle bust out of her holy glass shell.

The Conjuring's first official crossover finds Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in glorified cameos as demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. The ghostbusting duo are scurrying home to put the cursed Annabelle doll, a grotesque thing that looks like the model for Joker's smiley disposition, someplace where it can do no harm. A near-roadside tragedy alerts Lorraine to the Annabelle doll's true power, one which would later cause all sorts of damage to someone the Warrens very much would like to protect.

So no, this isn't a story about the adult Warrens. It's actually about their daughter, Judy Warren, played by rising star McKenna Grace. Grace is young but she's an old hat to the horror genre already, having appeared in Amityville: The Awakening, an adaptation of The Bad Seed, and she has an upcoming role in Ghostbusters 3. As Judy, she has the same grim disposition and paranormal "sight" as her mother, which doesn't go over so well with the kids at school.

This is an intriguing twist by writer/director Gary Dauberman, who has been the mastermind behind many Conjuring spinoffs and the smash remake of Stephen King's It. We've seen the Warrens beat back the forces of evil enough times, but what's it like to be a kid with parents who most people believe are frauds? What's it like to be gifted with the same otherworldly powers as your mother, but not have the experience or emotional ability to handle them? The answer is that she's treated as an outcast, whose only guests at her birthday party are her straight-arrow babysitter Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman), and her *ahem* spirited best friend Daniela (Katie Sarife) that we know is trouble the moment we see her.

Like most horrors, Annabelle Comes Home thrives on idiotic decision-making. In this case, it's Daniela whose obsession with the other side finds her scheming her way into the Warrens' locked room of deadly artifacts where Annabelle awaits. Before long, Daniela has put her grubby mitts on everything, and they all come alive to wreak havoc. It's here that we see glimpses of what the Conjuring Universe could turn out to be. Annabelle's presence invites the presence of other demons ready-made for their chance in the spotlight. There's The Ferryman, who puts coins over his victims' eyes like Charon on the river Styx; there's a haunted TV that portents a bloody future for the viewer, and a possessed suit of samurai armor that echoes with the screams of a violent past in feudal Japan. Just make the movies, already! There's even a Hellhound that could make for a werewolf movie if Wan decided to really stick it to Universal's failed monster-verse.

Dauberman doesn't do anything new in regards to the way Judy and the others are terrorized, relying on an assortment of jump-scares and loud musical cues to do the heavy lifting.  It's the sheer volume and variety of ghosts that make this fun and different, but it also means we see a lot less of Annabelle herself. Fortunately, her ethereal companions pick up the slack. Not only might we see them get their own spinoffs, it's possible Judy Warren becomes a focal point as she copes with having one seriously screwed-up childhood. It may sound like Annabelle Comes Home is turning the Conjuring into Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, but horror comes in all shapes and sizes and a little diversity wouldn't hurt.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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'Annabelle Comes Home' Trailer: The Demonic Doll Is Back, And She's Brought Friends

A horror-themed cinematic universe? It seemed unlikely until James Wan's The Conjuring movies introduced an entire roomful of haunted artifacts, including the creepy Annabelle doll. The Annabelle spinoffs have been nearly as successful, and already they are up to their third movie with Annabelle Comes Home. And just as The Conjuring led to the launch of multiple new franchises, this film seems like it's looking to do the same thing.

Annabelle Comes Home could be considered the first official crossover, as Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's Ed and Lorraine Warren make an appearance. They aren't the focus, however. Instead, the attention goes to their young daughter Judy, played by Captain Marvel and Gifted's McKenna Grace, whose babysitter stupidly unleashes the demonic doll. Annabelle proceeds to animate other possessed items, setting up the possibility of further movies down the road.

Making his directorial debut is Gary Dauberman, who wrote the previous Annabelle movies along with Stephen King's It, and fellowing Conjuring flick The Nun. 

Also starring Madison Iseman and Katie Sarife, Annabelle Comes Home opens June 26th. 

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'Annabelle Comes Home' Trailer: Playing With Cursed Dolls Is A Very Bad Idea

How many warnings does it take? Since the very first time the creepy cursed Annabelle doll appeared in The Conjuring, we knew it was not to be trifled with. It's in a locked room of other accursed objects, behind a thick glass...what more do you need? Well, there have been two movies already about the doll being out there causing havoc, and now a third, Annabelle Comes Home, which has debuted its first trailer.

This marks the first major crossover of The Conjuring Universe as Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga's Ed and Lorraine Warren will appear in the film, although they are not the focus. That falls to McKenna Grace (Captain Marvel) as their daughter Judy, whose idiot babysitter goes into the off-limits room and starts messing with shit. I mean, there's a cursed samurai armor in there! Imagine what damage that could do. We often talk about the dumb choices people make in horror movies, but this is really up there.

Annabelle Comes Home co-stars Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, and is written and directed by Gary Dauberman who has freaked the crap out of us writing the first two Annabelle movies, as well as Stephen King's IT. Dude knows horror. So does producer James Wan who seems to have the Midas Touch when it comes to building franchises.  Look for the film to arrive on June 28th.

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'Jumanji 3' Is Bringing Back Nick Jonas And All Of Its Teen Stars

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was an unexpected hit, earning more than $900M worldwide. It didn't take long for a sequel, technically the third film in the franchise, to move ahead with returning stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black. But other stars who helped make that film a success are coming back, even if it may only be for a brief spell.

THR reports that Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Ser’Darius Blain, and Morgan Turner are all reprising their roles as the high schoolers who are transported into the Jumanji video game. Their personalities are what inspire the avatars played by the movie's biggest stars.  Chances are they won't have too big of a role which explains why they are signing on so late.

Also confirming his return is singer Nick Jonas, who is actually building himself quite an acting career. He took to Twitter to excitedly announce his comeback as Alex, a pilot who has been stuck in the Jumanji game for years...

Guess who’s back... Let’s go people! The #Jumanji sequel is on the way and I couldn’t be more excited to bring Alex back to the big screen 💪🏼 Full article is up at https://t.co/pRf3pD54WZ @jumanjimovie @KevinHart4real @TheRock @karengillan @jackblack pic.twitter.com/N2Ublm8ZVZ

— Nick Jonas (@nickjonas) February 6, 2019

Story details are still under wraps, like what form the game will take this time, but we do know there will be new additions to the cast. Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito are all onboard even though we know nothing about their characters.

Once again directed by Jake Kasdan, Jumanji 3 opens December 13th.

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Review: 'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween' Does The Monster Mash With Less Jack Black

The original Goosebumps movie was more than just a tip of the hat to fans of R.L. Stine's horror novels for kids, they were an attempt to reach out and grab a new audience. The surprisingly sizable box office shows some accomplishment in that regard, but the seasonal sequel Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween has a much narrower focus. It's almost solely for those who enjoyed the first movie, which makes the strange, uneven presence of Jack Black such a puzzler.

As Stine himself, Black was by far the biggest name Goosebumps had but he wasn't guaranteed to return for the sequel. Two scripts, one with Black and one without, were written and somewhere along the way maybe the pages got mixed up. The first half of the film shows almost zero interest in Stine, and certainly there's no sign of Black. And then out of nowhere he pops up on the scene in what amounts to a glorified cameo, so out of place that it's like he wandered in from a different movie. Maybe he did? The House with a Clock in its Walls seems like a reasonable culprit.

Kids who have yet to partake in the gory frights of Blumhouse or Stephen King won't care about the bizarre casting. Goosebumps 2 is perfectly enjoyable Halloween entertainment, full of decent kid-friendly "scares", some passable monster effects, and a story that zips along enough that adults won't get too bored. In the Halloween-obsessed town of Wardenclyffe, best friends Sonny (It star Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) have a fledgling junk business, and in the process of cleaning out an old haunted-looking house they discover not only a blank R.L. Stine manuscript, but his evil ventriloquist's dummy, Slappy. When they open the book, Slappy is released into the world to cause all kinds of mischief.  Jack Black voiced Slappy in the first movie but in another nod to the sequel's fractured production, he's voiced by Mick Wingert even though Black is in the movie.

Slappy is by far the best thing Goosebumps 2 has going for it. The kids are pretty bland, and that includes Madison Iseman as Sonny's older sister Sarah. She joins them when Slappy uses his magical powers to turn Halloween costumes, decorations, and even candy (evil Gummi Bears!!!) into living creatures, forming his own makeshift family. But you kinda find yourself rooting for Slappy, who has the maniacal streak of Chucky without the homicidal tendencies.  He's not even really scary, more like a pest with delusions of grandeur and he makes a good foil for the misfit protagonists. While witches, mummies, and even a giant spider made of balloons stalk the neighborhood, truly the kids' biggest threat turns out to be the school bully.

I take that back. Their biggest threat is being overshadowed by gobs of CGI, fun as it may be, and then later by Jack Black. The funny thing about Stine is that he shows up to help save the day, but the first thing he does is recognize that there isn't really anything for him to do. So...why is he there at all? It's just weird. Much better, and integral to the story, are Wendi McLendon-Covey as Sonny's workaholic mom, and Ken Jeong their wacky neighbor, Mr. Chu, who perhaps is too invested in Halloween for someone without any kids.

Despite some clear problems director Ari Sandel was unable to keep masked, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween should be a treat to its target audience. Whether it's enough to warrant a third movie is unclear but if so let's hope they figure out what to do with Stine well in advance.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween' Trailer Promises Deadly Tricks And Treats

No no, don't be confused. They may look a lot alike and one even stars Jack Black, but The House with a Clock in its Walls and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween are not the same. Black, who was a standout as author R.L. Stine in the first movie, isn't returning for the sequel but based on all of the previous trailers and this new one, he won't be missed.

The just-scary-enough-for-kids franchise is based on Stine's bestselling series of spooky novels, and once again finds many of the author's creatures leaping into the real world and terrorizing a neighborhood during Halloween. Leading the pack of young stars is Jeremy Ray Taylor, who should find this level of horror a breeze after his role in last year's adaptation of It.

Here's the synopsis: In the small town of Wardenclyffe on Halloween Night, two boys named Sonny and Sam find a manuscript in an abandoned house that was previously owned by R. L. Stine called “Haunted Halloween.” When they open it, they release Slappy who plans to create the Halloween Apocalypse with the help of his Halloween monster allies. Now, Sonny and Sam, alongside Sonny’s sister, Sarah, must work to thwart Slappy’s plot before all is lost.

Directed by Ari Sandel (The Duff) with Madison Iseman, Caleel Harris, Avery Lee Jones, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Chris Parnell co-starring, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween opens October 12th.

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'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween' Trailer: Kids Need To Stop Opening R.L. Stine's Books

Goosebumps was a surprising $150M hit for Sony a few years ago but they were talking sequel long before that. Doubtful they thought it would end up looking like Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, which has a virtually unknown cast and lacks the presence of the prior film's biggest draw, Jack Black as author R.L. Stine. That said, it'd be wrong to write the film off completely because based on this new international trailer it's going to have a lot of trick 'or treatin' action.

The story is mostly the same as before, with a new group of kids finding yet another of Stine's dangerous manuscripts. This one unleashes a horde of monsters just in time for Halloween, all led by the evil Slappy the Dummy, who was previously voiced by Black but now by Avery Lee. The kids must defeat the monsters, including some creepy-looking Gummi Bears, and stop Slappy from causing a Halloween apocalypse.

Not gonna lie, I kinda dig this trailer even though it looks like a total cash grab. The pace is brisk, the kids don't appear to be idiots, and Halloween always makes for a fun setting.

Directed by Ari Sandel and starring Jeremy Ray Taylor, Madison Iseman, Caleel Harris, Ken Jeong, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Chris Parnell, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween opens October 12th.

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'Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween' Trailer Has Evil Gummy Bears But No R.L. Stine

Trick or treat season is right around the corner, and along with an uptick in the amount of times The Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" gets played on the radio, there will be a lot more Halloween movies. That makes this the perfect time for a new trailer for Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, a sequel to 2015's hit film.

You may recall there was some confusion surrounding Jack Black's role in the sequel. Two scripts were written, one that would have him returning as Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, and another in which he's cut out completely. It seems as if Black is indeed back but only as the voice of the possessed ventriloquist dummy Slappy, who is the film's villain.  A new trio of kids is at the heart of this story, played by Jeremy Ray Taylor (It), Madison Iseman (Jumanji 2), and Caleel Harris (Kirby Buckets). The plot is pretty much the same as before; a group of kids unearth one of Stine's books in an abandoned house, accidentally unleashing Slappy and a horde of monsters on the neighborhood.

Previous stars Dylan Minnette and Odeya Rush supposedly make appearances but they're nowhere to be found in this footage. Nor are co-stars Ken Jeong, Wendi Mclendon-Covey, and Chris Parnell.

Directed by Ari Sandel, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween opens October 12th.

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Dwayne Johnson Introduces The "Jumanji Juniors" Including Alex Wolff

Now that the controversy surrounding Karen Gillan's jungle-wear in Jumanji has died down a little, it's time to get back to some good old fashioned casting news. And actually, this update kind of reflects on that situation a little, because it appears the new additions are playing younger versions of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Gillan.

Johnson revealed via Instagram what he calls the "Jumanji Juniors" (hint hint), consisting of Alex Wolff (Coming Through the Rye),  Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, and Morgan Turner. From the sound of it, the adults are actually the avatars of these kids who are playing the titular game, which explains why they are all archetypes with names like Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Johnson), Moose Finbar (Hart), Ruby Roundhouse (Gillan) and Professor Shelly Oberon (Black). 

Directed by Jake Kasdan, Jumanji is filming now and opens July 28th 2017. 

Officially welcoming our #JumanjiJuniors to our film. @serdariusblain @madisoniseman @natandalex Morgan Turner. #DontBeScaredKids #Jumanji pic.twitter.com/KuE4si3UL7

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 23, 2016

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