“Jumanji: The Next Level” Movie Review

    Every December, especially around Christmas, the multiplex tends to be fairly crowded with a slew of new releases.  One could say it’s a bit of a jungle out there in the theaters, so another Jumanji movie seems like a no brainer.  I finally got a chance to catch “Jumanji: The Next Level” and I can finally give you my take on the film.

    The film takes place a few years after the events of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”.  Spencer, Martha, Fridge, and Bethany are now separated from each other and going to different colleges.  The group decide to get together but Spencer is reluctant to meet back up with them because he feels insecure and inadequate now.  Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Spencer patches the Jumanji video game together and returns to the game in an effort to regain his confidence.  Unfortunately, Spencer becomes trapped in the game again and it’s up to his friends to rescue him by returning to Jumanji.

    Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed this film quite a bit.  The film has it’s flaws, but it is hilarious at times and makes for some great escapism.  The main flaw of the film isn’t with it’s humor, it’s in the movie’s lack of an original story.  Despite a great deal of terrific new gags, the film is essentially more of the same plot overall with little new to offer aside from it’s humor.  Thankfully, it very much delivers in that department.

    “Jumanji: The Next Level” is the fourth overall film in the franchise following “Jumanji”, “Zathura: A Space Adventure” (which was the official book sequel but more of a spin-off in regards to the adaptation) and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”.  I sort of hope the inevitable next film in the franchise takes the story in a different direction with more ties to the first film (and possibly Zathura).

    The core cast of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” all return including Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillian, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, and Colin Hanks.  They are joined by new cast members Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito who all add a lot of humor and heart to this film.

    One of the funnier gimmicks of the film is that the youngsters of the film end up in different avatars this time around except for Martha (Morgan Turner) who once again becomes Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillian).  Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) is now in the avatar of Sheldon Oberon (Jack Black) and Bethany initially gets left out of the game completely.  Spencer’s grandfather Eddie (Danny DeVito) isn’t so lucky and gets sucked into the game and becomes Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) while his friend Milo (Danny Glover) is now in the avatar of Frank Finbar (Kevin Hart).

    Dwayne Johnson does a great job channeling Danny DeVito and is given more to work with in this sequel.  Kevin Hart also sounded and acted identical to Danny Glover which was often hilarious.  I really enjoyed Awkwafina in this film as well.  The only actor to get the raw end of the deal was Jack Black because the gifted comedian isn’t given as many funny lines due to his character now being Fridge’s avatar.

    This installment of the popular franchise doesn’t take us to new places or advance the story much but it is still very fun.  When it comes to monkey business, no franchise excels at it quite like “Jumanji”.

Grade: B

"Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw" Movie Review

    Last week my girlfriend and I were set on watching the film “Yesterday” before it was pulled from theaters.  When we got to the theater however, the theater was full so we were forced to pick another movie or go home.  Having seen almost every other movie screening, we settled on “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”.  The trailer didn’t wow either of us but I like some of the films in the franchise and we both enjoy Dwayne Johnson’s movies typically.

    The film is a spin-off from the main “Fast and Furious” films and focuses on the characters of Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw as they are both sent on a mission to recover a deadly virus carried by a woman who turns out to be Deckard’s sister.  They aren’t the only ones trying to get ahold of her however as a cyber enhanced superhuman and terrorist is also hunting her for the virus she has inside of her.

    As far as popcorn munching crowd pleasers go, this movie was fairly enjoyable if you turn your brain off and just enjoy the visuals.  The biggest problem with the film is that it is just kind of dumb (which is not a new problem for the “Fast & Furious” franchise).  The movie ignores anything remotely realistic in favor of explosions and fist fights.

    The cast was probably the best part of the film as Dwayne Johnson once again proves how charming he is as a leading man even in something so over the top.  Jason Statham isn’t one of my favorite actors but he has a good back and forth chemistry with Johnson that plays like a classic buddy cop pairing from 80s movies.  Idris Elba does the most with the throwaway villain role he was given.  Vanessa Kirby is good but doesn’t exactly steal any scenes.  On the other hand, Helen Mirren lights up the screen during the few scenes she has in the movie.

    ::Spoiler Alert::  One of the highlights of the film were the many cameo appearances featured throughout.  In addition to WWE superstar Roman Reigns in a non speaking role, we also get Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart in humorous roles.  I just wish the cameo appearance planned for Keanu Reeves would have worked out.

    Now, the film is roughly thirty minutes too long and lacks direction but this isn’t helped by the fact that the movie suffers from franchise fatigue so you notice the flaws more.  I felt the same way about “The Fate of the Furious” and I think this is a franchise that could use a breather.  All the in fighting among the cast (most notably Tyrese Gibson) isn’t helping the franchise as a whole either.  For a franchise that stresses the importance of family, the cast certainly isn’t acting like family (although this film didn’t focus on family much anyway).

    The movie is a big dumb enjoyable car wreck of a film anchored by The enjoyable charm of Dwayne Johnson.  This film won’t be considered a masterpiece to most, but it is still a fun ride.

Grade: B-

"Night School" Movie Review

    My girlfriend recently rented the film “Night School” from Family Video for us to watch.  Neither of us are the biggest Kevin Hart fans in the world but the film looked entertaining so we figured what the heck.  After finishing the film, I knew this was a film I just had to review, but perhaps not for clear cut reasons.

    The film follows Teddy Walker and we learn from the first scene (and as the title suggests) that Teddy doesn’t end up finishing High School and ends up without a diploma.  This doesn’t seem to be a huge problem for him as we flash forward to him ten years plus later and he is a successful salesman.  All things look good for his future as he is set to inherit the business he works for but an unfortunate accident leaves him in desperate need for a new job.  Unfortunately for Teddy, to get a decent job, he is going to have to get his High School diploma.

    Let me start off by saying this wasn’t a terrible film but it also wasn’t a great movie.  The film received mixed reviews and it is easy to see why.  The film is a comedy but it didn’t leave me in stitches.  Most of the funniest moments of the film are derived from gross out moments.  I don’t mind comedies like that but it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

    The premise of “Night School” isn’t terrible and allows for some funny moments but it also isn’t entirely original either.  Several earlier movies already told similar stories and were funnier.  Take a film like “Back to School”, it came out decades ago and still stands the test of time and is funnier as a whole than “Night School”.

    The biggest problem with the film is Kevin Hart.  I have learned a little Kevin Hart goes a long way.  Every movie I have seen him in that I have enjoyed, he has a supporting role.  His humor seems to be best paired with a straight man like Dwayne Johnson.  He is gifted at playing annoying characters which can be funny but not as a lead.  In this respect, I feel Hart overvalues his comedic ability at times.  Of course, films like this feel like he accepted the role for the paycheck over it being a passion project.

    One saving grace for this film could have been it’s supporting cast and while the film is filled with gifted comedians, they aren’t given much time to shine.  Another missed opportunity with this film is having a clear message or moral but even in this area, the film is messy and lacks direction.

    “Night School” isn’t the worst film you could watch and provides some laughs, but there are also plenty of older films which pack more bang for your dollar.

Grade: C+

"Fighting with My Family" Movie Review

    Growing up as a kid in the late 80s and the early 90s, the WWF (now known as the WWE) seemed like one of the biggest things ever.  Regardless if you watched wrestling or not, everyone knew who Hulk Hogan and André the Giant were.  They were larger than life figures who helped inspire many people my age to get into wrestling.  Then as I grew into my teenage years, the attitude era hit and then wrestling was ‘cool’ and figures like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock were anti-establishment figures we could live vicariously through.  One such young person who was inspired by the likes of The Rock was Saraya-Jade Bevis, the young English girl who would later rebrand herself as Paige.

    “Fighting with My Family” tells the story the Knight family and their obsession with wrestling through the eyes of Saraya.  Saraya and her brother Zak are extremely close and hope they can join the WWE together.  After awhile, they are both given a chance much to their parents (who are also wrestlers in the UK) delight.  Zak and Saraya both give impressive performances but NXT recruiter Hutch Morgan only sees potential in Saraya.  Saraya sets off to train at the NXT performance center but feels like an outsider while her brother Zak starts spiraling out of control due to being passed over.  Both Saraya and Zak have to overcome their personal battles and demons with the help of each other and their parents.

    I am personally a fan of the WWE and of WWE Superstar Paige so I was definitely interested in this movie when it was announced.  Thankfully, the movie was an enjoyable look at the life of Paige even non-wrestling fans can enjoy.  The movie does a good job helping the audience to connect with the insecurities Saraya was going through and showcased the importance of family, regardless if the family is perfect or normal.

    Now, WWE Studios normally don’t produce the highest quality of films.  Typically, the studio is used to produce direct to video films which showcase some of their talents in acting roles they otherwise probably would not get.  This was a bit different for the studio and is easily their best film to date (and also one of the few to be released in theaters).  Of course, I imagine WWE Studios was largely involved due to them owning Paige’s contract, access to their footage, use of their equipment, and because Dwayne Johnson still has a good working relationship with them.

    The cast of the movie was very strong.  Florence Pugh was convincing as Paige and brought a lot of heart and vulnerability to the role.  Jack Lowden was fantastic as Zak Knight and he had a lot of screen presence.  For two actors I am not familiar with, Pugh and Lowden felt like naturals and owned every scene they were in.  Nick Frost and Lena Headey were fantastic as their parents.  I loved their chemistry and comedic timing together.  Vince Vaughn gave one of his best performances in a long while as Hutch Morgan.  Lastly, Dwayne Johnson wasn’t in the film as much as was implied but he was great in the few scenes he was in.  Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also served as a producer of the film and was driving force behind the project.

    Director Stephen Merchant seemed like an odd choice for the project being known primarily for his contributions to comedies like “The Office” but the film needed that level of levity.  Merchant also added a lot of heart to the project.

    “Fighting with My Family” manages to transcend wrestling and makes the film a crowd pleaser for everyone.  I almost feel like being a wrestling fan might make the film less enjoyable with it’s blending of kayfabe and reality.  Still, as a wrestling fan myself, I thought it was a fun watch!

Grade: B+

“The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior” Movie Review

    “The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior” was the first direct to video movie in “The Scorpion King” franchise.  Universal Studios had planned to make a proper theatrical sequel starring The Rock but after putting it off and passing on scripts, Universal decided to take the franchise is a different direction.  I remember being excited to buy it hoping it would be a good movie.  I was very naive then.

    The film isn’t actually a sequel to “The Scorpion King”.  This may get confusing so you might need to reread this, the film serves as a prequel to “The Scorpion King” which in itself was a prequel to “The Mummy Returns” which was a sequel to the 1999 version of “The Mummy” which was a remake of the 1932 version of “The Mummy”.  ::Breaths in and out::  That is probably the most interesting thing about this movie sadly.

    The film focuses on Mathayus’ quest to avenge his father’s death.  Most of the adventures in the film seem like time fillers and are almost instantly forgettable.  I really wanted to enjoy the movie but there wasn’t much in the movie to make you feel invested.

    The film was directed by Russell Mulcahy of “Highlander” fame.  Seeing Russell Mulcahy’s name attached to the project gave me some hope.  Mulcahy is a capable film director so a direct to video movie should be no problem for him to handle.  Unfortunately, this movie was more “Highlander 2” than “Highlander”.

    Michael Copon takes over the role of Mathayus from The Rock.  Copon is no Dwayne Johnson and has almost no charm.  One has to imagine even on a direct to video budget, there were better actors for the money.  Randy Couture of UFC fame plays the main villain of the movie. I imagine they cast Couture because of his fame in the UFC at the time and they figured they would create a movie star like they did with The Rock.  Randy Couture isn’t terrible given his limited acting experience, but he doesn’t command the screen presence of Dwayne Johnson.

    Lastly, what is with the ending of this film?  In “The Mummy Returns”, The Scorpion King emerges as a terrible cgi effect and ruins the ending.  In this film, the lead villain turns into a giant invisible scorpion.  Did the filmmakers run out of money?  It certainly seems so and the scene is laughably bad.  Maybe I was just too disappointed at the time to care but I tried my best to give the movie a fair shake.  I remember liking the movie more when I first watched it.  This movie doesn’t improve with rewatching though.  I have seen worse but for a feature film, the movie doesn’t offer much entertainment value.

Grade: D-

“The Scorpion King” Movie Review

    In what seems like forever ago, Universal Studios was heavily invested in their Mummy franchise.  “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns” were hugely successful endeavors and the studio had signed a contract with a then little known Dwayne Johnson who was primarily known as The Rock in the WWE.  As far as wrestling, he was a star, outside of wrestling however, he was a nobody.  Universal Studios gambled heavily on The Rock and gave him his own Mummy spin-off entitled “The Scorpion King”.  The film was a moderate success but helped launch Dwayne Johnson into superstardom.
    “The Scorpion King” is nothing Earth shatteringly original and at times feels like the type of film Arnold Schwarzenegger might have made in the 1980s.  In fact, it is very much like Schwarzenegger’s Conan films in style and entertainment value.  Dwayne Johnson makes for the perfect substitute thankfully.
    Much of the film relies on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s screen presence and thankfully, he seems very at ease in the role of Mathayus, also known as the Scorpion King.  The cast is also enhanced by the late Michael Clarke Duncan whose sheer size alone commanded attention.  Johnson and Duncan played off each other well and it was a shame the two didn’t work together more often.  One complaint I have is that Bernard Hill was criminally underused.  On the other hand, Kelly Hu shined as the Sorceress.  I would have thought her film career would have taken off more after this film.
    The biggest problem with this film was that the ending didn’t connect with the beginning of “The Mummy Returns”.  Clearly they wanted to leave the door open for sequels.  Unfortunately, the sequels ended up coming in the form of direct to video films.  Those films as a whole left a lot to be desired and it is sad Dwayne Johnson didn’t return to the role of Mathayus.
    “The Scorpion King” isn’t a perfect film and it had a definite Robert E. Howard vibe to it but it was also ultimately satisfying.  The film also makes for an entertaining addition to “The Mummy” franchise.

Grade: B

“The Mummy Returns” Movie Review

    I was a big fan of the Stephen Sommers helmed remake of “The Mummy” so I was completely on board to see the sequel when it was announced.  I didn’t know how they could make the sequel work but I was open to be surprised.  Thankfully, when I left the theater of “The Mummy Returns”, I remember really enjoying reuniting with the characters.

    “The Mummy Returns” is an overall fun and crazy film which probably shouldn’t work but somehow does.  The film manages to bring most of the returning cast together again fairly quickly and fairly early into the film.  The plot revolves around Rick and Evelyn O’Connell’s son Alex accidentally putting on the bracelet of Anubis which will end up killing him in seven days unless he returns the bracelet to the Scorpion King’s pyramid.  Along the way he is captured by Imhotep, the mummy from the first film, who is looking to capture the power of the Scorpion King for himself.
    Like the first film, most of the sequel’s charm comes from it’s cast.  Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz return to lead the cast and the two have a great unlikely chemistry.  The two really seem comfortable with each other and it helps us invest in their adventures.  Other casts members to return include John Hannah, Oded Fehr, and Arnold Vosloo who all add a little more levels to their characters in this film.  Of course this film is famous for being the big budget debut of WWE superstar The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) in a film.  Dwayne Johnson basically had a glorified cameo in the film but he had a presence that was hard to ignore even in his cameo.
    Now, I want to discuss one of the main problems with the film, The Scorpion King himself.  The Scorpion King was a great concept and I loved the idea of creating a new Universal Studio monster for a new era.  There was so much promise there and the opening scenes featuring The Rock were undeniably cool.  Then we got to the Scorpion King in the final act.  Why?  Who cleared that terrible cgi?  When the Scorpion King arrives looking like something straight out of a PlayStation 2 game, it completely takes you out of an otherwise solid movie.  A movie that was already close to being as good or better than the previous film.  Why couldn’t Dwayne Johnson come out as The Scorpion King possessing Superman like strength?  It would have worked a lot better than the cgi nightmare we got.  Plus, while I enjoyed The Scorpion King character in his solo film outing, Universal ended up watering down the character and wasting him in tiresome direct to video films.
    So, I found the film to be really fun overall.  It built on the first movie really well and had a lot of things going for it.  Unfortunately, it also had massive wasted potential with the character of the Scorpion King.  That doesn’t kill the movie for me, but it may be too much for others.

Grade: B