Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) delivers the mid-grade excitement your grandma will like

Director: Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard: The Rock Cox Story)

Writers: Jeff Pinkner (Amazing Spider-Rock 2), Scott Rosenberg (Gone in 60 Rocks), Chris Van Allsburg (based on his Rock novel)

Cast: Dwayne Johnson (GI Rock: Retaliation), Jack Black (School of Rock), Kevin Hart (Rock Along 2), Karen Gillan (Not Another Rock Ending), Nick Jonas (Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam)

A story about identity and relationships as well as blowing shit up, this trip back into Jumanji is fun yet deals with issues as real as the CGI animals the actors fight.

At some point in your life, if you are not a complete monster or the luckiest person on the planet, you will face hardship. Your life will be difficult, either with real problems or the problems created by your mind, both of which should be treated with equal measure. Jumanji wants to show this type of existential problem in a general way with fun action, but it's mostly the fun action.

     After the events of the last movie, our heroes have moved away from their hometown. Spencer has taken things the hardest, alone in New York City isolating himself. As the four prepare to be reunited, Spencer decides to go back into the video game that made him feel more in control. Then everybody gets sucked in, including Spencer's grandfather and his estranged friend Milo because the game is broken. Everyone has to readjust to the broken Jumanji with new bodies and violent problems.

     The message of the movie is lost in the spectacle and humor. Not bad by any means, but there's too many characters and too much plot to run through to give any kind of depth. One of the characters spends a large amount of the story off page, then when she reappears she's a horse until the climax. That's a clever way to not plan enough for everyone they were contractually obligated to include, although i will say the horse does have a payoff that's at least interesting.

     I will praise the acting. The Rock and Kevin Hart are given a lot to do playing distinct wildly different characters than they are used to, succeeding around every turn. Jack Black gets the most to do, swapping to three or four personalities. Karen Gillian is given the least to do , but she got to be in the big Avengers so we'll let her have fun kicking ass in this one. Everyone gets in on the stunts, performing solid action that only feels a little floaty when the CGI gets overburdened. Plus, somehow I missed Awkwafina was in this and she's the absolute best.

     I do lament the message being lost, however. The story of Spencer feeling so lost, isolating himself, and then going back into the most dangerous game is real. Equally, the mystery of Danny Devito and Danny Glover's lost relationship holds up much of the story. Both these tales of heartbreak and loneliness are not fleshed out with the other characters, even when bodies are being swapped and people are actually struggling with identity issues. In a "kids" movie where Kevin Hart drops multiple "goddamns," I think we could have paid more attention to all the characters and not simply paying lip service to issues that deserve more time.

     Get this one from the library. It has enough in it to satisfy most, but is light enough that you won't feel bad checking your phone.

Here are my notes, beware of spoilers

Life not how you wanted

A central theme. Even when you get the girl, save the day, and become a group with some cool people, you still have to go on with your life and grow up. It's kinda hard to do when everyone posts their best days on social media rather than normal thoughts and worries.

They didn't visit him?

However. I know they handwave how Spencer told them he was too busy to visit them, but he lives in New York City. And his girlfriend doesn't visit him? Not one, "I don't think you're doing okay so I'm coming and we're doing stupid tourist shit" visit? Okay, I guess, but it seems wrong and more troubling than him isolating himself.

Danny Devito a treasure, Danny Glover

I missed seeing these two in movies, dammit. It would have required rewrites, but it should have just been the relationship kids having trouble and the old people having trouble. There's just too much going on. Also I could have used more Danny in my life.

I don't mind Kevin Hart not as Kevin Hart

Not to shit on the man who backed out of hosting the Oscars because of some horrible thoughts, words, and actions, but I have not seen anything Hart related in over two years. He's not bad when he's playing someone other than himself. Although whoever wrote that ball-less scene needs to rethink themselves.

Body's have lives, not players

I thought more could have been done to connect aging with the avatar's lives. Not to lean on the age thing, but still, it's there. It's all over the ending.

Pegasus Ex Machina

Speaking of the ending, yeah, that pegasus thing was a giant ass-pull, and I approve. More movies should be doing stupid shit like this.

Bebe Neworth!

I forgot she was in the first one as the aunt, but I loved seeing her! I can't get tickets to plays, madam, you need to be in more movies.