Jumanji: The Next Level is a fantasy adventure comedy directed by Jake Kasdan, and co-written by Kasdan, Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. It is the sequel to 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and the second follow-up to 1995’s Jumanji, and is the fourth installment in the Jumanji franchise. The film’s plot takes place three years after Welcome to the Jungle, in which the same group of teenagers, along with an old friend and two unwitting additions, become trapped in Jumanji, where they all find themselves facing new problems and challenges with both old and new avatars, while also having to save the land from a new villain in order to escape. I waited to see this sequel because I didn’t think it would be very good. The film leaned more toward being good than bad.
It’s now 2019, two years after their adventure in Jumanji. Spencer Gilpin (Alex Wolff), Anthony “Fridge” Johnson (Ser’Darius Blain), Martha Kaply (Morgan Turner), and Bethany Walker (Madison Iseman) are leading different lives but plan a reunion brunch in Brantford, New Hampshire. Due to depression, Spencer is apprehensive about the meeting and contemplates returning to Jumanji where he felt he had a reason for being. He ends up blowing off the brunch and spends his first night trying to fix the broken video-game system he held on to. The following day Spencer’s friends visited his home and met his grandfather Eddie (Danny De Vito), who is recovering from hip surgery. They also met Eddie’s former friend and business partner, Milo Walker (Danny Glover), who was visiting Eddie for some unknown reason. Learning they had no idea where Spencer was, the group searched the house and found the Jumanji game partially repaired in the basement. Realizing Spencer returned to the game, his friends decide to follow. So the fun began, starting with a faulty device, which complicated things right from the start.
Jumanji: The Next Level is as entertaining as it’s predecessor with a slightly more complex plot. Personally, I favor Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle a little more but I was still entertained and enjoyed the movie. Overall, I thought everyone did a fantastic job of portraying their characters, which got a little tricky. However, in the end, “all’s well that ends well”. As of February 23, 2020, Jumanji: The Next Level has grossed $784 million worldwide against a $125 million budget, becoming the tenth highest-grossing film of 2019. The film received generally positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 71% based on 221 reviews with an average rating of 6/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “Like many classic games, Jumanji: The Next Level retains core components of what came before while adding enough fresh bits to keep things playable.” Dwayne Johnson revealed in a December 2019 interview that another character in the world of Jumanji is an actual avatar, the villainous Jurgen the Brutal and that it would be explored in a potential sequel, which is currently in development. I recommend Jumanji: The Next Level to all — Check It Out!
Almost Christmas is funny but sad. You might be cheered up on one hand but if you’ve ever lost a loved one, especially during the holidays, memories will come flooding back. After loosing his wife, Walter Meyers (Danny Glover) still living in the house where he and his wife raised their children, decides to have the traditional Christmas dinner with all the family, as usual. However, Walter knows if his daughters Rachel (Gabrielle Union) and Cheryl (Kimberly Elise) and sons Christian (Romany Malco) and Evan (Jessie Usher) can spend five days together under the same roof, it will truly be a Christmas miracle. As the family begins to gather, Walter realizes this reunion, without his wife, is easier said than done. The first family member to arrive is Aunt May, (Mo’Nique) who is a no nonsense tell-it-like-it-is kind of gal with lots of spunk. Cheryl, a doctor and the eldest daughter, arrives for the holidays with her husband Lonnie (J. B. Smoove), a former basketball player who was famous when he played overseas in Croatia. Rachel struggles to financially support herself and her daughter due to her recent divorce and is studying to become a lawyer. Walter’s eldest son, Christian, struggles with balancing his campaign to become a congressman and his desire to spend time with his family. Christian even invites his campaign manager, Brooks (John Michael Higgins) along, to get more work done. Evan is a successful football player recovering from a shoulder injury, however when his coach tells him his arm is completely healed, Evan struggles to give up his pain medication.
A beautiful, sexy, singer/raper named Noni, who is played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, hates her life because she is pushed around and exploited as a sex symbol instead of using her singing talent to pursue the music she really has a passion for singing. Minnie Driver plays Macy Jean, Noni’s over bearing mother who goes along with any and everything suggested for her daughter’s success, even if it’s not what’s best for her. Depression sets in and Noni is on the verge of suicide. Enters Kaz, played by Nate Parker, who proves to be her knight in shining armor. Watching Noni’s transformation into the person she ultimately becomes, makes for an interesting movie. I’ve never seen Gugu Mbatha-Raw in a role like this. She really made me believe she was the character she portrayed. Danny Glover plays Captain Nicol, Kaz’ father who is also a bit over bearing. These 2 parents (Macy and Captain Nicol) can be considered control freaks but loving and concerned about their children. Beyond the Lights was a tad bit slow near the beginning but picked up nicely and stayed entertaining throughout the remainder of the film. India Jean-Jacques played Noni as a 10 year old who knew she had a talent for singing and a love for Nina Simone, in particular, the song Black Bird. Beyond the Lights sends a pretty good message and is worth your time to see it, however if you don’t feel like spending big screen money, it’s a good candidate for DVD viewing in the comfort of your home.
CAROL's WORLDS 