It looks like this year of mostly blah entertainment will be ending on a good note thanks to... the Jumanji remake. Game on!
The early snap reviews of Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle are in, heralding it as one of those remakes that actually works. "It's fun and funny in equal measure," writes CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg, "and makes smart use of its great stars." Those stars are Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan—all of whom got praise from ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis.
As revealed, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle tips its hat to the original 1995 film but doesn't seek to remake it at all. It puts the main characters inside a video game, instead of bringing said game to life in the real world. Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta's calls it "one of the best 'video game movies' ever made." That's encouraging! Those hoping for some easter eggs harping back to the original will be pleased to know there are, indeed, nods to Robin Williams' iconic Alan Parrish.
This is great, uplifting news—honestly and truly. Initial apprehensions to remaking a film as beloved and arguably untouchable as Jumanji getting proven wrong elicits a pleasant feeling, don't you think? Please, Hollywood, don't screw up a good thing like this by turning it into a big budget franchise.
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle hits theaters December 20.
