"Jumanji: The Next Level" - SPOILER ALERT

"Jumanji: The Next Level" certainly took it to the next level. Each one in the series gets better. 

This is the perfect Christmas in July movie (I did watch it for the first time in July even though I'm posting this review in August). The beginning and end of the movie, when they are not inside the game, takes place around Christmastime. When they are in the game, however, the climate is warm (at least for a good portion of the movie). But there is more. It's the perfect combination of adventure, humor, and heartfelt themes. Messages of friendship and hope are what I came away with. It is also about knowing what your strengths are and discovering how to use those strengths purposefully. I also enjoyed the scenery and set. It's bigger and better than its predecessor. More diversity was added to the cast, which is most welcome (though I'd love to see a disabled character/actor added to the diverse cast).

The movie begins with Spencer, who is feeling hopeless after having an amazing senior year in high school, but then breaking up with his girlfriend (Martha) as they went off to college. His Grandpa Eddie's perspective on life doesn't help. Eddie is completely miserable at the thought of getting older and he lets everyone know it. Spencer remembers the Jumanji game and wants to become Bravestone again. So he sets off on this adventure to escape his reality. Much to his dismay, he winds up being someone completely different in the game. Oooops!

Meanwhile, back in reality, Milo, Eddie's former business partner and former friend, suddenly shows up at the door after years of them not talking. They get along okay, but there is tension. His reason for showing up when he did is revealed later in the movie, and even if you can predict why, it's a heartfelt moment. By the way, they also end up inside the Jumanji game and that is where Milo's reason for showing up is eventually revealed. 

In reality, early in the movie, Spencer's friends are meeting at a deli after coming home for the holidays. Spencer was supposed to meet up with them, but of course, he does not show up. The friends go to his house searching for him and they realize he went back into the Jumanji came. (The familiar music they hear is a clue.) The friends decide they need to go back into the game and rescue him. Martha and Fridge enter the game, but Bethany does not at this time. She goes off to find the all grown up version of Alex to explain what happened, and the two of them eventually enter the game. The character Bethany becomes in the game is a beautiful surprise.

There are lots of twists and turns in this movie. Some of the characters are not the same in the game as they were in the previous movie, and even within this movie some of them change characters...more than once. If you blink, you might miss the switcharoos, but you'll catch on as the story continues. There is an absolutely magical moment close to the end of the movie that brought tears to my eyes all three times I watched it. The movie ends with a message of hope even through the most difficult times. It is not an uncommon theme in movies, but it is so beautifully crafted in this one.

I cannot wait until the next Jumanji movie is released. "The Next Level" gives a teaser around when the credits start to role. It looks like there will be a new character, as well as the development of a character who had a minor role in "The Next Level". I am as excited to see the next one as I always am to see the next Marvel movie...and that's saying a lot!