Tomb Raider Tries Hard But Lacks The Thrills And Excitement Of It's Source Material

      As 2018 gets off the ground in terms of its release of high profile movies, one studio is hoping that their noble effort to reboot a classic video game movie franchise for the big screen would be a win with audiences as well as channel the kind of box office success Angelina Jolies 2001 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider received upon its initial release. The 2018 reboot comes 15 years after the last attempt at bringing Lara Croft to the big screen with Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life. While the Angelina Jolie films were nothing groundbreaking in regards to storytelling nor capturing the spirit of the video games, they were entertaining as mindless summer popcorn blockbusters. With the new Tomb Raider, the expectations and hope placed upon it is that the new film would go further than thee Angelina Jolie films did and bring back the soul of the games while delivering a compelling storyline for audiences. With the release of the latest installment in the popular Tomb Raider franchise, it can be said that the newest Raider film is an admirable effort to re-establish the iconic character for audiences but ultimately falls short of it's potential.

       To put it in blunt terms, Tomb Raider is a letdown when one looks at the lost potential with the latest reboot. Besides Alicia Vikander proving to be a worthy casting choice for the new film as well as being more than qualified to take on the physically demanding part of Lara Croft, her performance ultimately doesn't save the rest of the movie, which is surprisingly dry and lacking true excitement and thrills. It also doesn't help that Vikander's Lara Croft doesn't feel like the Croft we've grown to love and worship from the classic games, despite the known fact that this is an earlier Croft before becoming the professional female version of Indiana Jones. The plot for Tomb Raider centers around a Lara Croft, a fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, finding herself being pushed beyond her limits when she uncovers the island that lays key to her fathers disappearance. The character of Lara Croft in the gaming world was viewed both as a step forward for women, but also received criticism for representing a sexist character tailor created for the male demographic in the gaming community, wearing short shorts and a T-shirt covering her enlarged chest. The character of Lara Croft can essentially be seen as a balance between James Bond and Indiana Jones as she borrows heavily from both but more so Bond with the wealthy Scottish background, British education, and a cavalier attitude towards sex. The characters adventurous side with her going on missions to find lost artifacts or doomsday devices definitely mirrors that of Indiana Jones as her adventures are just as daring and life-threatening yet thrilling. The premise for Tomb Raider however closely mirrors that of the 2013 rebooted game, which basically reconstructed the origins of Lara Croft for a newer generation of game players. The problem with the new Tomb Raider is not that the film closely mirrors the 2013 rebooted game, but that the film as well as it's story is not fleshed out very well nor is truly as exciting as it could've been. Alicia Vikander delivers a strong performance as Lara Croft, but her character doesn't feel like the iconic character that audiences and video gamers grew up playing and loving. This Lara is more vulnerable, less tough, less intimidating, and less cunning than the Croft that's in the games and pales in comparison to the Lara Croft portrayed in a superior form by Angelina Jolie.

      The screenplay written by Geneva Robertson Dworet and Alastair Siddons never truly allows the opportunity for Alicia Vikander's Lara Croft to morph into the action heroine figure, that's made her iconic with audiences. The father and daughter subplot in the film is more fleshed out than the one shown in the 2001 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider film, but somehow that smaller subplot conveyed more emotion and feelings between the characters and the audience than the father and daughter subplot shown in the newest Raider film (Perhaps Jon Voight whose also Angelina Jolie's father in real life playing the fictional father of her character added a touch of sentimentality to the film). Regardless of what made that subplot work, it was more effective and powerful than the relationship in the newer film. On a technical aspect, Tomb Raider is well shot with strong Cinematography and Art-Set Decoration, that gives the audience the feeling that they are in the jungle being apart of this characters journey. The films grittier look helps to give it a more grounded approach compared to the Jolie versions with this Croft coming across as being more human than the past one on film. The film moves at a brisk pace although it feels too quick as there isn't much time to flesh out characters the way the filmmakers could've done. There's no denying that this film desperately wants to be looked upon as the Batman Begins style reboot of the Croft character but somehow the film as a whole falls flat as it never truly feels like it's exciting. As far as the films look goes, it gets a strong A for effort as the movie feels like a video game brought to life on the big screen, it's just too bad the films story couldn't be as inspiring as it's visual aspect. The performances from the main cast are convincing with Vikander proving that she's the right choice for the part and possesses strong acting abilities with Dominic West turning in a strong performance as Lara's father Lord Richard Croft and Walton Goggins as the films main antagonist Mathias Vogel.

     Tomb Raider isn't a terrible movie by any means, but it's also not the theater experience that fans of the game are expecting and quite frankly, deserve much better. What makes the Tomb Raider games so remarkable as a franchise is not that they exciting, but also how how much story the games carry. The film had it been in the hands of more passionate storytellers could've been the female Raiders Of The Lost Ark as the character of Croft proves that she can be Indiana Jones equal if given the right story to put on film. As far as video game movies go, Tomb Raider is not among the worst but it's also not the best (That title still belongs to Paul Anderson's 1995 Mortal Kombat), it falls somewhere in the middle as the film itself is average and never truly captures the excitement nor thrills of it's source material. What separates the Jolie films from this one is those felt like they had a sense of fun and adventure to them whereas this one feels like it never truly has fun with it's story. Tomb Raider lacks what Jolies films both had regardless of those movies faults and that's heart. Those movies not only were fun but had thrilling set-pieces, Tomb Raider is too much grounded in reality for it to really leave an impact with the audience.

      If one is going into this movie wanting a halfway decent way to kill nearly two hours then this movie is for you. If one is looking for an exciting film that does justice to it's main character and delivers genuine thrills, then the chances are you will either be very pleased with the film or extremely disappointed as many fans appear to be split on the final outcome. Choosing between Angelina Jolie's performance and Alicia Vikanders as Croft, one has to pick Jolie as her character felt more like the true Lara Croft despite Vikander demonstrating strong emotional range. Despite the new film in the popular Tomb Raider franchise receiving a thumbs down, one does acknowledge the strong effort by the cast and crew to deliver a worthy reboot of the classic game and character, it's too bad the script couldn't have been stronger. Perhaps someday we will receive a movie based on a popular video game that does it's source material justice while breathing new life to it's story, this unfortunately is not that film.

                                                                                                        Final Verdict: Thumbs Down

                                                                                                           

Annihilation Is Mysterious, Confusing, Exciting, and Ultimately Satisfying

The 2018 movie season has taken off and got off to a strong start with the release of blockbuster hits such as Black Panther and Ready Player One. Whereas those films are dazzling audiences on an epic and broad scope, there are the quieter film's being released this year leaving audiences impressed in a smaller yet effective way. Annihilation with Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac, lacks the marketing and hype that the bigger and more well known film's in 2018 have, but those who have seen it have praised its storytelling and ambitious yet dark tone to it. Annihilation is a mysterious, dark, thought-provoking, and entertaining Sci-Fi thriller, that is both thrilling psychologically and intriguing to watch despite the movie being a bit confusing at times.

        To state that Annihilation is not a film for everybody would be an understatement, the film despite being well executed with it's acting, directing, and scriptwriting is slow-paced allowing the suspense and mystery behind the story to constantly build with the films visuals adding to the films appeal (No I'm not referring to Natalie Portman). Directed by newcomer Alex Garland, whose involvement in the cult classic reboot of Dredd and 2015's impressive Sci-Fi thriller titled Ex Machina, Garland demonstrates again with Annihilation his ability to draw the audience into a story revolving around world's that are mysterious, intriguing, and desirable along with his skill in slowly building up the tension in the story, while making us become engaged in the characters and plot. In terms of setting up dark atmospheres, Garland demonstrates great skill as he allows the audience to settle into the scenarios his films present and become connected with the characters while anxiously awaiting what comes next. The plot for Annihilation centers around a young biologist played by Natalie Portman, signing up for a dangerous and secret expedition, that takes her into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply in order to find out what happened to her husband played by Oscar Isaac, who disappeared during a mission inside Area X, a swampland across the Florida coastline that ended up becoming struck by a meteor. The swamp has now become a sinister and mysterious place, that has blocked all contact with the outside world due to this phenomenon. During her expedition, the character of Lena played by Natalie Portman uncovers hot mutated landscapes and creatures, that threaten everything that humanity has come to know about science and evolution while threatening both her life and sanity. The film's story is broken up into different chapters with the characters exploration such as Area X, The Shimmer, and The Lighthouse. With it's storyline, Annihilation boasts impressive yet trippy visuals to accompany it's Sci-Fi story with themes that are bold and unique. The film covers themes such as genetic manipulation, illness, disease, and human experimentation with the stories end message saying that genetic manipulation can result in unexpected issues. When the audience thinks that all the questions regarding the film's story has been answered, the film opens up even more making its plot mysterious yet intriguing.

      As far as acting goes, Natalie Portman delivers a strong performance as usual creating a sympathetic and likeable character, that experiences unusual circumstances that starts off with her husband falling mysteriously ill, which leads her on an expedition that's bizarre yet becomes engaging for the audience. What makes Annihilation stand out from other big budget Sci-Fi films is not the films most exciting moments, but how it takes advantage of it's quieter moments to advance both the characters and the plot with the visuals enhancing the mystery behind the story. Annihilation is not a film that's meant to be understood completely under one viewing, but was written and directed in a way that allows viewers to exit the theater with much of it's themes still fresh in the mind with the desire to revisit the film later with repeat viewings. The films slow-pacing will surely alienate the most casual moviegoers, but the movies ambitious nature with it's mood and atmosphere will attract those looking for something unique and fresh. Annihilation is a Sci-Fi mystery thriller, that comes with brains and challenges the audience to do some reflecting on the story. Depression and self-destruction are also important themes here with Portman's characters life going into an usual spiral once her husband falls ill. Alex Garland brings the same feeling of energy and imagination to this film that he brought forth with Ex Machina prior with his intent not being to win over everybody in the theater, but to give them an unusual yet striking experience that stays with them. The expedition that Portman's character goes on with the other female scientists are among some of the films strongest scenes with the overall subplot feeling like a more mature version of the 2016 all female Ghostbusters concept except with this film it's aliens that have landed and inhabited a small portion of land that the female team comes across with thrilling results.

      If there's anything Annihilation deserves points for outside of it's overall presentation, it's for being bold and creative with it's plot while incorporating themes that the audience can ponder on long after the credits roll. As a filmmaker however, Garland demonstrates his strengths while slowly mastering his craft. The film's Cinematography steals the show with Rob Hardy creating an atmosphere that's more effective and creepy than most horror movies made in today's market. Annihilation is a haunting and inventive Sci-Fi mystery film, that deserves an audience that's patient enough to take in the movies concepts and themes such as grief, suicide, self-destruction, as well as scientific elements such as the Earth changing with Garlands masterful touch at building up steady paving and moods. Annihilation is certainly not a film for everyone as it requires work to unwrap much of its layers of themes and concepts, but it serves as being one of the first truly great rewards for Cinema audiences in 2018. The film is as well-crafted as Ex Machina and borrows inspiration from John Carpenters The Thing and Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Annihilation isn't afraid to be different and isn't concerned with becoming a box office success, but rather taking audiences through an experience that'll make them reflect on it long after the credits roll. For that reason, Alex Garland deserves commending as there aren't many filmmakers in today's market that are still brave enough and willing to challenge the audience with top notch storytelling and creepy atmosphere in the place of explosions and mindless special effects. Annihilation does a fine job of separating itself from mainstream science fiction film's and for that reason it deserves to be recognized. One of the strongest films of 2018 thus far.

                                                                                                             Final Verdict: SEE IT

Black Panther Is The First Great Comic Book Film Of 2018

The 2017 superhero movie season has come and gone with nearly every comic book movie matching or exceeding expectations (Sorry Justice League). Logan not only managed to be a satisfying ending to Hugh Jackman's 17-year legacy of playing Wolverine, but it proved to be a triumph for the comic book movie genre with its historical Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination. Wonder Woman exceeded all expectations by becoming the most successful movie of last summer while earning the strongest reviews of any film in the DC universe and becoming a cultural phenomenon for women that directly mirrors the release of Richard Donner's Superman and Tim Burton's Batman. Spiderman Homecoming not only managed to successfully reboot its main character in a way The Amazing Spiderman film's never did, but also successfully introduced the character into the Marvel universe. Thor Ragnarock turned out to be the best installment in the mediocre Thor trilogy up until that point while surprising everyone by performing better than Zack Snyder and Josh Whedon's Justice League. With 2018's comic book movie season looking promising with Avengers Infinity War, The Incredible 2, Ant Man 2, and Aquaman on the way, it was important that Marvel's Black Panther not only meets the expectations placed upon it, but gets audiences excited to watch Infinity War. Now that Black Panther has come out and broke all kinds of box office records (Its the third highest grossing movie of all time domestically behind Avatar and Force Awakens), the movie not only managed to meet the expectations audiences placed upon it, but it also managed to become something special and meaningful for them through its main character and deep themes within its storylines.

      Black Panther is not just the first great comic book movie of 2018, but it's the first great movie of 2018 period. Black Panther is essentially a benchmark for the Marvel universe with the movie being extraordinary in brilliantly executing it's storyline, that's carried by a talented cast of predominantly African American actors. It's true that there has been black superheroes that have been doing before in mainstream cinema such as Meteor Man and Blade, but Black Panther is on a different level than those films combined, and one that will have a huge impact on the comic book genre going forward. Rarely has there been a comic book movie, that not only manages to be a highly entertaining popcorn blockbuster, but also manages to carry with it a serious tone with the themes its story carries such as responsibility, leadership, betrayal, doing the right thing, and defending ones own country. Black Panthers plot centers around T'Challa, the king of Wakanda played by Chadwick Boseman and his rise to the throne in an isolated technologically advanced African nations called Wakanda. T'Challas claim to the throne becomes challenged by a vengeful outsider Killmonger played by Michael B. Jordan, who became a childhood victim due to T'Challa's fathers mistake. Black Panthers storyline despite being creative might come across as being a little similar to the storyline for Disney's The Lion King with both movies bearing key similarities regarding themes of loyalty, betrayal, and taking one's rightful place on the throne, but what Black Panther does so well for its story is presenting the world of Wakanda in a way in which its both visually stunning and emotionally powerful with its arc of a young man assuming the role of becoming a king and having that position challenged. Directed by newcomer Ryan Coogler, who left an impression with audiences previously with Fruitvale Station and Creed, Coogler does a fantastic job of handling the scope of the story while giving it an emotional resonance, that allows audiences to connect with its story and characters.

      As far as acting goes Chadwick Boseman does a great job playing the film's lead hero T'Challa, showing his struggle of becoming the leader he's destined to become. Lupita Nyong 'o shines as Nakia as well as Get Out's Daniel Kaluuya as W'Kabi, Martin Freeman does good as usual with Andy Serkis as one of the film's main antagonists Ulysses Klaue. Angela Basset and Forest Whittaker leave strong impressions with the roles they play, but the one true standout in the film that delivers the biggest impact with audiences is Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger. Jordan does a terrific job playing the part of the film's antagonist while creating a villain, that is complexed to the point where the audience questions whether he really is a bad guy or someone whose misunderstood regarding his actions. The latter becomes more evident through flashbacks showing his characters perspective both as a young child and the fatal mistake T'Challas father made that put Killmonger on the path that led him to challenge T'Challa for the throne. Jordan's character becomes more sympathetic near the end when delivering what's hands down the most powerful line in the whole near the end of the film, a quote that's both chilling and powerful with the perfect ounce of emotion Jordan demonstrates when delivering the iconic line. As far as technical aspects go, Black Panther is a stunning film to watch largely thanks to its brilliant Cinematography, that's gorgeous and instantly draws the audience into the world of Wakanda. The film's Art-Set Decoration, Costume Design, and music all work together perfectly making Black Panther not just a well-told story in the Marvel universe, but also a beautiful piece of art with the movies visual qualities matching its emotional core. Whereas audiences may not find full satisfactory with the story, they will find satisfaction with the film's visual look.

       Black Panther has become the breakthrough Hollywood story of 2018 as the film not only matched every expectation placed upon it, but also manages to speak to it's audience with its storylines and themes largely thanks to the stellar direction of Ryan Coogler and it's strong script written by both Joe Robert Cole and Coogler himself. Coogler also manages to make Black Panther feel different from other films in the MCU much like what Patty Jenkins did with Wonder Woman. Both filmmakers acknowledge from the start their films connection to their respective universes, but go off and tell their origin stories in a grand and epic fashion, that shows both filmmakers have a full understanding of their characters while making audiences connect with them. Whereas Jenkins incorporated real life themes into Wonder Woman such as women's inequality in a male dominated environment, Coogler touches upon themes that young men (Predominantly people of color) feel such as hardship, oppression, and the feeling of where ones place is in the world and wanting ones life to be meaningful. The message that Black Panther delivers in the end, is that the world is changing and that it's best to be on the positive side of that change. One of the film's after credit scenes where T'Challa speaks to the United Nations about the importance of working together to make the world better feels as if it's a message that's directed towards the audience specifically. 

 

      Black Panther is easily the first great superhero movie of 2018 as well as being one of the strongest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whereas just being another average popcorn blockbuster, Panther takes the comic book genre and brings it to newer heights while adding more depth with its characters and story that are both so absorbing. Black Panther is a film that's destined to change the comic book genre forever as well as make the audience think about some of the movies themes and while doing so, find empowerment with its main character. One wouldn't be surprised if the film receives a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar nomination much Iike what Logan received at this year's Academy Awards as well as technical noms for Cinematography, Art-Set Decoration, Best Song, and Costume Design. Black Panther is more than just an awesome comic book movie, its a grand achievement for the genre as well as being an empowering experience for large portions of its audience. It's a movie that anyone can sit down and enjoy while appreciating the pure craftsmanship as well as the heart that went into telling the story. Black Panther is a must see.

                                                                                                         Final Verdict: SEE IT

The Post Reminds Audiences Why Hanks, Streep, and Spielberg Are Still The Best In The Business

The 2017 award season has arrived and with it comes it's batch of movies released with the hope of garnering some major awards recognition, particularly from The Golden Globes and Oscars. One of the films that managed to find good fortune during awards season and ended up as being one of the 2018 Best Picture Oscar nominees for Best Picture is Steven Spielberg's The Post. Starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, The Post is a period piece drama that essentially shows the fight to tell the truth to millions of Americans, and the realization that telling the truth is much harder than it is writing it. While Spielberg is particularly known for his iconic spectacle pieces such as Jaws, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Schindlers List, and Saving Private Ryan, he also carves out quieter and well put together human dramas whether historical pieces or telling a more personal story. The Post is a unique opportunity for Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Meryl Streep to all showcase their respective talents as well as remind audiences, that they are the best in the business and can still prove to be a terrific trio when they all work together.

      The Post is a character driven and well-written historical piece, that puts characters and story first before anything else. The story for The Post centers around a cover-up, that spanned a total of four U.S Presidents regarding the War with Vietnam. The cover-up pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher as well as a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between the press and the government. With The Post, Hanks delivers another strong performance even if it feels as if Meryl Streep outweighs him with her performance as her characters arc is the heart of the story. Streep brings a sense of professionalism to her roles, that always makes them feel special. There hasn't been a time one can recall where her performances did not feel like she was giving her all. Hanks and Spielberg continue to prove that they are one of Hollywood's most ideal dream teams with their collaborations bringing forth some well received dramas such as Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, and The Bridge Of Spies. Audiences know by now that when these two are paired together on a project, there's a good chance the end result will be a stellar project. Spielberg directs the film with restraint, allowing the actors freedom to play their characters to their full potential and let the drama unfold. With Spielberg directing the story, he makes the audience feel as if they are in the room with these characters and witnessing the struggle in regards to releasing The Pentagon Papers to the public.

       As far as The Posts technical aspects go, the film is beautiful to look at thanks to its grand Cinematography as well as the films Costume Design and Art-Set Decoration. John Williams, whose been a frequent collaborator with Spielberg since his early days as a director does a fine job with keeping an effective yet low-key score that hits home at the right moments. The editing is perfect giving the movie a tight pacing, that doesnt make it feel too slow but also doesn't move too fast either. The big speeches delivered throughout the film whether by Hanks or Streep not only are key moments, but also help glue the films story together with audio from Richard Nixon being used in a couple of scenes but is effective, especially near the end. The films opening scene in Vietnam gives the film a 70s Apocalypse Now feel, giving audiences the impession that they are watching a different type of film before fast-forwarding into a newspaper drama thats essentially a champion for freedom of speech. Spielberg has stated in recent interviews that he made The Post with a sense of urgency in regards to today's political climate regarding the attack on the media by the current administration as well as what people deem to be reality or "fake news". Watching The Post, one totally gets the vibe that Spielberg was directing the story with parallels being drawn between the timeframe in the movie as well as today's world.

        The Post deserves its stature as being one of the strongest movies of the year to qualify for recognition by the Oscars, especially Meryl Streep in her terrific as usual lead actress performance as a first female newspaper publisher struggling to handle her job position that's heavily male dominated, and fighting to get the truth unveiled regarding massive government cover-ups regarding the Vietnam War. Streep role was not only well deserving of its Oscar nomination, but also how her character is inspirational to women in other job positions struggling to maintain their job titles. The Post is unquestionably one of the years best movies and reaffirms Spielbergs status as being one of the greatest filmmakers alive as he can take the source material and craft an absorbing historical drama, that ended up being a triumph for the newspaper. What was used as an obvious marketing tool to put Spielberg, Hanks, and Streep together for the project proved to be a great strategy as it pays off with the three household names doing fantastic jobs. Spielberg Succeeds in crafting a story, that celebrates a newspapers right to conduct free speech as well as uncover hidden truths within the government. Hearing Nixon's final audio that revealed his disdain for The Washington Post is chilling as it mirrors the conflict between today's media outlets and the current political atmosphere. The Post comes with a timely message that says the press is tasked with serving the governed, not the governing, and that the people deserve to always be told the truth. However revealing the truth to the public can be it's own battle to do so. The film just serves as further proof that Spielberg, Hanks. and Streep when joined together can still tell a solid story. One of the best movies of the year.

                                                                                                              Final Verdict: SEE IT

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle Is The Pleasant Surprise Fans Hoped It To Be

The 2017 winter box office season has brought forward several box office smashes and surprise blockbusters (Not Justice League unfortunately) from Thor: Ragnarock to CoCo to Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  What was essentially viewed as being a winter season, that would conclude with The Last Jedi completely taking over the box office, audiences were surprised to see direct competition take on the blockbuster sequel to The Force Awakens from a sequel that almost no fans of the original Jumanji asked for nor cared to see. What shocked audiences upon its release was not that Hollywood dared to make a long distant sequel to the original Jumanji that starred Robin Williams, but that the reviews coming out for it were surprisingly very strong saying it honors the first movies legacy while taking the franchise in a new direction, creating an alternate fun ride. Along with Jumanji's surprisingly energetic reviews, the real impressive fact was how it gained steam at the box office with its weekend gains increasing throughout the holiday season and eventually overtaking The Last Jedi at the box office. Suddenly the box office story of the winter 2017 was not The Last Jedi's stellar box office opening nor the large division between the fans over the quality of the film, but how Jumanji defied all expectations and took the box office crown from what was supposed to be one of the most highly anticipated sequels ever. Having now seen Welcome To The Jungle, one can say with ease that the sequel to Jumanji most definitely deserved its success, and actually proves to be a great deal of fun on its own terms.

       Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle is not the sequel that fans of the first movie asked for, but it's the one that surprises with how much fun it is while paying the utmost respect to the original film. Going into the sequel, the filmmakers knew that no one wanted to see a remake of the original otherwise it would be a disastrous flop in the making, so instead they chose to make a distant sequel that begins a year from the events of the first movie, where the audience last saw the board game washing up on a beach and going from there with the new twist being instead of the story revolving around a board game, it is now a video game. The new concept fits beautifully with the new generation of audiences as young people in today's world, are more into video games compared to the first movies concept of playing a boardgame 22 years ago. The new concept proves to be bold and gives the new film a fresh feeling with both the story and concept with equal amounts of fun and adventure. The original Jumanji film for its time was a fun family adventure, that was clever and entertaining due to its slick concept of a board game carrying with it a special power that releases a host of dangers unless the players of the game stop them by completing the game. The concept of Welcome To The Jungle plays out similar with a young boy uncovering a magic video game, that sucks him into the world of Jumanji in a similar vein to Robin Williams. The story centers around four other teenagers becoming sucked into the magical video game, now inheriting the body of adults. The four young teens realize that the only way they can escape Jumanji is by working together to finish the game.

        Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle is certainly not the first movie nor has Robin Williams as it's main star, but the film proves to be as fun, clever, witty, and surprising of a thrill ride as audiences would hope for it to be. What makes Jumanji work as a successful sequel and reboot is not just that the film is well written as an action, adventure, comedy, but how well it's main stars perform together and demonstrate strong chemistry as a team. From the young teen cast delivering strong and believable performances, the adult roles are even better with Dwayne Johnson delivering an awesome performance as the nerdy kid Spencer turned macho leader of the group, Kevin Hart surprising with playing a more straight-forward character named Fridge going from being the sports athlete of the group to playing a more vulnerable part once sucked into the video game world of Jumanji. Jack Black does a great job and steals the show as Bethany, the young female in the group whose more concerned about her looks and popularity in school experiencing a midlife crisis in the game when she realizes she inherits a man's body. Karen Gillan shines as Martha, the smart love interest to Dwayne Johnsons character, who enters the game inheriting a sexy new form that allows her new physical looks to become a tool in helping everyone escape Jumanji alive. The cast of Jumanji is essential to the movies success as they provide the laughter for the audience as well as help sell the video game concept of the story. Whereas the first movie showed the consequences of playing the board game outside of the environment of Jumanji, Welcome To The Jungle brings the main characters as well as the audience into the world that Robin Williams was stuck inside for 26 years, even giving his character a worthy homage at one point. Seeing the Jumanji world gives the storyline a new angle as well as a breath of fresh air compared to repeating the same story functions of the first film. What could've ended up being a complete redo of the first film that would've been an automatic fail in many fans eyes as no one was interested in redoing the first movie, turned out to be the winters surprise smash hit as well as a sequel, that stands as it's own story while paying homage to its predecessor as well as expanding the Jumanji storyline for another future installment. One can only hope it continues to surprise audiences and defy expectations much like this one did.

      Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle is the sequel to Jumanji, that manages to live up to the hopes that fans had for it while defying all expectations set that the film would fail. What makes Welcome To The Jungle thrive and succeed is not that it's continuing the Jumanji story nor flipped its concept to being a videogame, but rather the film is full of heart and made with great care in terms of preserving the first movies legacy while reintroducing the concept for a new generation. For a sequel that virtually no fans of the first movie wanted, Welcome To The Jungle does extremely well of entertaining fans while being a nice surprise. The key to enjoying both movies to their maximum potential is to separately first film from the new movie and judge them as their own films. Welcome To The Jungle never disrespects the legacy of the original nor Robin Williams, but shows a clear interest in introducing a new generation of audiences to the world of Jumanji that dazzled moviegoers 22-years prior. Welcome To The Jungle Succeeds because of a charming cast and it's hilarious twist involving the teens turning into adults in the game with the videogame aspect of Jumanji giving the story a fresh new approach, that was needed and also feels relevant as young teenagers play videogames nowadays compared to playing boardgames. As a piece of entertainment, Jumanji is solid and has a great deal to offer in regards to delivering adventure and laughs. Much like a videogame, Jumanji doesn't deliver deep character development and exposition, but instead puts the cast together and makes them work together in order to survive while taking the audience on a hilarious journey. The film essentially feels like a videogame adaptation of The Breakfast Club with how the story starts out involving four teens being brought into this new world and forced to find their way out of it together while becoming closer friends along the way. What Welcome To The Jungle lacks in the presence of Robin Williams or James Horner's heartfelt score that went great with the theme of a young boy becoming a man throughout his experience of being sucked into a boardgame, Jumanji more than makes up or it with its awesome cast, well-written and clever screenplay, and the same level of energy that made the first film a hit with audiences. Welcome To The Jungle is well deserving of its critical and box office success, while also managing to be one of the most entertaining movies of the winter season hands down. If one hasn't seen Welcome To The Jungle yet, this is the fun ride to take if one is looking to have a good time.

                                                                                                          Final Verdict: SEE IT