We've Got Fun and Games! "Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle"

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Bobby Cannavale, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Ser'Darius Blaine, Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner

Directed by Jake Kasdan

The Story:

Four high schoolers (Wolff, Blaine, Iseman, Turner) are serving detention when they decide to take a break and play a video game on an old system they find in the room they've been assigned to clean up. They fire it up, and the next thing you know, they are sucked into the video game, Jumanji. Now inhabiting their selected avatars, they must work together to beat the game and get back to the real world without losing all of their lives.

Welcome to Jumanji!

If you saw the trailers, odds are good that you thought the movie looked fun.

The movie lived up to the trailer's hype, and when last I checked, this movie was actually still playing in some theaters in America, even though it is now officially released on digital download and blu-ray and DVD.

This is sort of unprecedented in an age when most movies are coming out for download or purchase 4 months after they premiere. To still be playing in over 1,000 theaters and earning $850,000 when the movie premiered before Christmas is a feat unlikely to be matched...

Until Black Panther. :)

Now, back to Jumanji...

I've never seen the original.

Sorry, somehow it fell through the cracks, and I've never bothered to see it over the last 25 years.

If you're like me, don't worry, you're not missing anything. The movie sets up exactly how and why everything that is happening is coming to fruition.

I don't see anything that flies in the face of the original either, so I would assume fans of that one will enjoy revisiting Jumanji.

What starts as a Breakfast Club moment as the four teens that really have not a lot in common with each other prior to detention turns into hilarity as they each find themselves in the bodies of characters from the video game.

Naturally, each character is about as opposite from the kids in the real world as can be.

I won't say much more so as not to spoil any of the fun, but I would like to acknowledge the following:

1) Jack Black steals this movie out from under everyone.
2) The Rock and Kevin Hart can feel free to continue teaming up and making movies forever.
3) Possibly the greatest screen kiss in the history of cinema is included in this film.

So if you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it.

It's one of the few times in movie history you can find it still in theaters or available to watch at home.

That's pretty impressive.

Final Grade: A

Little Hero. Big Heart. "Ant-Man"

Ant-Man (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, Judy Greer

Directed by Peyton Reed

The Story:

Scott Lang (Rudd) is an extraordinary burglar who gets out of prison and needs to go straight so that he can be the hero that his daughter believes him to be.  However, going straight is tough when your best friend (Pena) knows people that know things and offers Scott a chance to make a huge score so that he can provide for his daughter. The job is quite simple: rob an old man's safe while he's away from home. What Scott finds inside that safe changes his life, forever!

I don't know what the beef between Edgar Wright and and Marvel Studios was, but I am quite content with the latest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It's a heist film... with superheroes!

It's also a film about love and what a father would do for their family...their daughters...

It's good stuff!

Rudd is his usual everyman charmer, and that pays off in the likeability of the character.

Surrounded with Luis and his friends, this is the most fun you've had at a Marvel film since Guardians of the Galaxy.

This time though, all the action takes place right here on Earth.

It was a perfect way to incorporate Hank Pym (Douglas) into the Marvel Universe and truly know that the film universe can, and will, exist on its own merits and upend everything you think you know with new versions of familiar characters, and you won't really mind any of the changes.

Do you miss seeing the winsome Wasp?

Maybe, but the promise of things to come looms large, and it's an exciting future not knowing what is in store for these characters.

Great storyline, and a thrilling, funny final act confrontation.

The biggest fear with this, and all Marvel movies, they're really using up their supervillains quickly!

Hopefully they don't hold the box office results against this film, I'd happily pony up to watch Ant-Man 2!

Final Grade: A

The Remake Will Come Out...Tomorrow... "Annie"

Annie (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Quvenzhane Wallis, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale

Directed Will Gluck

The Story:

You all know the hard-luck life story of Annie (Wallis). Well, bringing her from the depression of the 30s into the 21st century, now Annie is going to find her Daddy Warbucks in the form of entrepreneur Will Stacks (Foxx) who has decided to run for mayor. His campaign manager (Cannavale) swears that taking this kid in will boost his campaign through the roof. 

We'll see.

History of the movie from my point of view:

Announced - eyes rolled.

Trailer viewed - opinion changed.

Movie viewed - it was alright, it had its moments.

The update, overall, was not bad. The annoying red-headed girl is gone (except for a brilliant cameo at the beginning) as the story centers on a different Annie under the care of Hannigan (Diaz) and the other charges.

Some of the familiar songs are here, it wouldn't be Annie without them, and they get an update courtesy of the films producers like Jay Z and the like.

More of the film works than it doesn't, and the production looks like they had a pretty good time romping through a musical.

Wallis does great as the unknown who has to shoulder the burden on carrying 90% of the film, and she does a great job. She's cute, but not in an overly precocious or annoying way.

Foxx winds up with most (but not all) of the best lines and moments, but he plays very well opposite Wallis and the two share a wonderful bond onscreen.

Overall, if you like the story and want to see an update, you'll be pleased.

If you hate musicals, you'll probably want to stay away.

Though come on, Hard Knock Life is a great song.

Final Grade: C+