A surprise box-office smash, the belated follow-up JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (***, 119 mins., 2017, PG-13; Sony) offers high adventure for kids, comedy and a bit of teen angst for high schoolers, and the entertainment value of seeing some of the only bankable stars left in Hollywood – including Dwayne Johnson – engagingly playing against type. The mixture wasn’t just a runaway hit, grossing over $400 million in the U.S. alone, but easily ranks as one of the most satisfying entries from Hollywood’s “remake machine” over the last decade.
Director Jake Kasdan and a quartet of credited screenwriters here deftly rework the 1995 Joe Johnson/Robin Williams fantasy (as well as Chris Van Allsburg’s book) by opening this continuation in 1996, where the original Jumanji game washes ashore and quickly re-configures itself as a video game system, nabbing its latest young victim in the process. Flash ahead two decades, and four high school classmates likewise find themselves trapped inside its fantastical adventure realm, teeming with elephants, rhinos, tigers and a maniacal bad guy (Bobby Canavale). Fortunately for our teen heroes, they also get to embody the game’s various characters, meaning a timid teen becomes the chiseled Johnson, his insecure crush is transformed into a kick-ass heroine (the highly fetching Karen Gillan), their football-star classmate is embodied by Kevin Hart, and a self-absorbed girl gets a shock after she’s trapped in the body of Jack Black (of course). The group has to work together to fight their way out of a variety of “levels,” while also running into the boy (Nick Jonas) who’s been trapped in the game for some 20 years.
Having watched so many terrible remakes/sequels/revivals/reboots over this early part of the 21st century, it’s gratifying to see someone finally get one right. While not any kind of classic, “Jumanji – Welcome to the Jungle” is an amiable and good-hearted film that’s sincerely made and enormously appealing. Kasdan spends sufficient time developing his various characters and working them into familiar yet satisfying dramatic predicaments, all the while highlighting an ample amount of humor. Most of the comedy comes in Johnson playing a nervous hero and poking fun at his image, yet there’s nothing mean-spirited or cynical about the film. In fact, the movie manages to include positive messages and even a sincerely uplifting ending – tying in nicely with its predecessor – that feels genuine, not just a hollow retread as so many reboots typically are. With plenty of laughs from start to finish, it’s easy to see why audiences eagerly embraced this new “Jumanji” adventure.
4K Rundown: Utterly gorgeous at times to look at, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” makes a triumphant 4K UHD in terms of its smashing HVEC encoded transfer, augmented with both HDR and Dolby Vision, as well as a thunderous Dolby Atmos soundtrack. This is a reference-quality soundtrack with active (though not overpowering) bass and directional activity, as well as a decent Henry Jackman orchestral score. The transfer, meanwhile, captures the lush greens and varied lighting of the picture’s jungle locations, with Hawaiian locales sumptuously providing the backdrop for much of the action. This is, overall, one of the more impressive 4K UHD transfers I’ve seen this year, though HDR isn’t excessively used. A series of featurettes and cast interviews are present on the enclosed Blu-Ray platter, along with a Digital HD copy. Warmly recommended!
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Considering that directors are being thrown into Hyperspace left and right, one wonders what’s cooking over at Disney when Kathleen Kennedy and her fellow executives decided to leave Rian Johnson to his own devices with STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (**, 152 mins., 2017, PG-13; Lucasfilm/Disney). “Episode VIII” in the “official” saga is a poorly conceived, overwritten slog of a sequel that shows flashes of inspiration along with several embarrassing moments and one particular plot thread that should’ve been jettisoned altogether.
Picking up from the conclusion of the more satisfying (if less ambitious) J.J. Abrams-directed “The Force Awakens,” writer-director Johnson’s outing finds Rey (Daisy Ridley) trying to make contact with Luke Skywalker (an effective Mark Hamill) and convince him to help the Rebellion – err, Resistance – against the Empire – or First Order, as it’s now called. Meanwhile, bad-boy Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver) allegiances are tested as he encounters supreme commander Snoke (a lame CGI creation embodied by Andy Serkis) while Leia’s efforts with the Resistance mostly revolve around convincing hot-head pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to cool his jets. In the “We Didn’t Really Need To Shoot This Department,” John Boyega’s ex-stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) is back, partnered with a female mechanic (Kelly Marie Tran) as the duo fly to an intergalactic casino in order to find a safecracker (an awful performance from Benicio Del Toro, who looks like he’s just wandered off the set from his latest Heineken commercial) who can help shut down a First Order tracking device.
“The Last Jedi” manages to be both busy and boring at the same time – one misses the narrative economy of George Lucas’ storytelling throughout, so much that the movie feels less like a Star Wars movie and more like a typical Marvel product, with occasional moments that could be easily mistaken for outtakes from Luc Besson’s “The Fifth Element.” To his credit, Johnson doesn’t just recycle “The Empire Strikes Back” in his overwritten script (at least not nearly as much as Abrams’ predecessor repurposed the original “Star Wars”), but he still never seems to get it right, opening with a painful exchange between Poe and the First Order that’s dominated by humor totally foreign to this series, while cluttering the adventure with needless detours that detract from its more effective elements. Chief among the former are all the scenes between Finn and Tran’s Rose Tico, who end up in a subplot involving exploited animals and orphaned kids that feels like something out of another movie galaxy altogether (the entire casino sequence, in fact, would be awful in any cinematic universe). It’s debatable, though, what’s worse – that portion of the film or several wholly misjudged moments – one involving a free-floating “Space Leia” – that are simply baffling as to how they ended up in the final cut.
It’s not all trash-compactor material, at least. What works best are the scenes of Rey and Luke sparring – Ridley seems physically more adept here and Hamill gives easily the best performance of the original trilogy stars as a grizzled, though not altogether humorless, Skywalker. There’s even a cameo from another former Jedi that’s welcome and nicely executed, and when the movie stops to focus on them, the picture functions reasonably well.
Still, even there, all roads lead to one of the film’s – and this new trilogy’s – major problems, and that’s Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren. This would-be Vader’s tortured adventures are a real drag on the entire concept of the Disney movies: Kylo’s bad one moment, sad about his Mommy and Daddy the next – and his shifting allegiances are neither compelling nor convincing. With the “big bad” of this series being so unimpressive, it’s difficult to envision where a returning J.J. Abrams is going to make Episode IX relevant, especially when the plot strands left dangling here just aren’t very interesting. Not to mention that all the big scenes between Rey and Kylo end up bringing audiences right back to where they were in the last movie, with no advancement of the plot at all.
A rewrite from a more capable filmmaker would’ve undoubtedly helped “The Last Jedi,” which somehow ends up a more individualistic piece than “The Force Awakens” but less satisfying on a number of levels. Concluding with a head-scratcher of a final scene that should’ve been excised like a number of misjudged moments before it (Coming in 2019 from Disney: “Little Orphan Jedi, Part I of XX”), it’s a movie that never gets out of its own way as it encounters too much of the Dark Side in an increasingly tired Galaxy Far, Far Away.
4K Rundown: Disney serves up a sumptuous UHD presentation, at least, with HDR and Dolby Vision enhancements for “The Last Jedi.” This is one of those cases where a capable 4K set is going to best the theatrical experience for many (I don’t even have a Dolby Vision Cinema anywhere near me), as HDR enables the image to offer both the wider color gamut and additional contrast enhancements that give it a distinct edge even over the superbly rendered 1080p Blu-Ray. On the audio side, this Dolby Atmos track is as immersive as the format allows with Lucasfilm’s typically robust array of sound effects whirling and whizzing by at a moment’s notice.
Thankfully, Disney has included a decent array of extras this time around with the basic release of “The Last Jedi.” Not that there are a ton of supplements here, but what is included on the bonus disc – some 20-plus minutes of deleted scenes with Johnson’s optional comments, plus a feature-length documentary comprised of set footage, “Scene Breakdowns” and a segment with Andy Serkis minus mo-cap – should be of interest for fans. In fact, the Serkis footage makes one wonder why Snoke had to be CGI’d to begin with, as the actor gives a stronger performance without the ILM animation thrown on top of him. Johnson’s commentary and a Digital HD copy complete the package (note a “score only” version of the film is also available upon purchase of the Movies Anywhere digital copy).
A TRIP TO THE MOON Blu-Ray/DVD (15 mins., 1902; Flicker Alley): A worldwide search for the original hand-drawn color copies of Georges Melies’ seminal “A Trip to the Moon” resulted in the discovery of a surviving element in Spain over two decades ago. Alas, with the elements in too delicate a condition to restore at that time, viewers have had to wait until advancements in digital technology enabled a group of restoration experts – led by Lobster Films and a pair of nonprofits – to reassemble and restore over 13,000 individual frames. This new restoration is now out on Blu-Ray thanks to Flicker Alley, preserving the tinted intentions of Melies and enhancing the groundbreaking fantasy so much that it’s impossible to go back to the B&W version and not feel that something has been lost.
“A Trip to the Moon”’s color version is presented here on Blu-Ray (as well as an accompanying DVD) with three different soundtracks by Flicker Alley, all with robust PCM stereo tracks. However, of the three scores, I easily preferred Serge Bromberg’s own improvised piano underscoring to both Jeff Mills’ electronic and Dorian Pimpernel’s contemporary score, both of which seem jarringly out of sync with the visuals (Bromberg’s track also includes optional Melies narration). The black-and-white version, meanwhile, has also been restored from original 35mm elements and includes multiple audio tracks – a fine orchestral score by Robert Israel or a piano accompaniment by Fredrick Hodges, with Melies’ optional narration on the former, and a Russell Meritt-produced track of actors voicing the various characters (simulating how the film was exhibited in 1903) on the latter.
There are also two other fantastical Melies shorts (The Eclipse and The Astronomer’s Dream), along with Bromberg and Eric Lange’s wonderful documentary “The Extraordinary Voyage,” a 66-minute chronicle of Melies’ film as well as a marvelous color booklet.
FERDINAND 4K UHD Combo Pack (***, 108 mins., 2017, PG; Fox): It’s sad to think that Blue Sky Studios – creators of the “Ice Age” series and the delightful “Peanuts Movie” – may be caught in the middle if/when the Fox/Disney merger takes hold. Blue Sky’s recent films haven’t been blockbusters but do offer gently entertaining, and often more heartfelt, family-viewing experiences compared to the often frenetic output of Universal’s Illumination production house (of “Despicable Me”/”Minions” fame). Case in point is “Ferdinand,” a fun animated rendering of the old book with John Cena voicing the bull-with-a-big-heart. Carlos Saldanha directed this Oscar-nominated outing, which delighted our three-year-old with its likeable characters and upbeat story. Fox’s attractive 4K UHD presentation, with Dolby Atmos audio (featuring a nice John Powell score), is now available with vivid colors and HDR enhancements. Extras include a few fluffy featurettes, a Digital HD copy and Blu-Ray bundled inside.
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Lionsgate New Releases: The recent rise in Latin-flavored animated films (“Coco”) has led Lionsgate to import CONDORITO (89 mins., 2018, PG), the story of a soccer-loving condor who joins up with his nephew to save his girlfriend – who’s been abducted by aliens! An adaptation of a long-running Chilean comic book, first introduced in 1949, this feature adaptation is going to be best understood by fans of the source material. Lionsgate’s DVD is out April 10th and includes Spanish 5.1 audio with optional English subs, along with an English dub and a 16:9 (1.78) transfer…Available on Blu-Ray this week is ACTS OF VIOLENCE (87 mins., 2018, R), an action-thriller starring Aston Holmes, Cole Hauser and Shawn Ashmore as brothers who get involved when Holmes’ fiancée is kidnapped by human traffickers. After starring in the “Death Wish” remake, Bruce Willis finds himself on the other side of the law as a detective trying to take down the syndicate and other interests in this tidy Lionsgate/Grindstone production co-starring Sophia Bush and Mike Epps. Lionsgate’s Blu-Ray includes a number of supplements, including cast/crew interviews, a featurette, commentary by director Brett Donowho, a 1080p (2.40) transfer and 5.1 DTS MA sound plus Digital HD copy.
DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD OF OZ Season 1, Volume 1 DVD (113 mins., 2017; Warner): A first-season compilation of 10 episodes from the animated series, authorized by Turner/Warner, finds Dorothy, the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and Toto, too, heading down the Yellow Brick Road. There, they meet up with the Nome King en route to the Emerald City in a show designed for young viewers. Warner’s “Season 1, Vol. 1” DVD is out this week sporting 5.1 soundtracks and 16:9 transfers.
13 REASONS WHY – Season 1 DVD (717 mins., 2017; Paramount): Adaptation of Jay Asher’s novel became a Netflix original series last year. Dylan Minnette plays a high schooler whose secret crush and classmate (Katherine Langford) recently committed suicide. Leaving behind a series of tapes, Langford’s Hannah Baker lays out the reasons for her death – and leads Minnette’s Clay Jensen on a journey to uncover the mystery behind her tragic demise. Kate Walsh, Christian Navarro, Alisha Boe and Brandon Flynn co-star in Season 1 of “13 Reasons Why,” on DVD April 3rd from Paramount. Several featurettes, a 16:9 transfer and 5.1 Dolby Digital sound highlight the studio’s release.
ARCHER Dreamland – Season 8 DVD (173 mins., 2017; Fox): FX’s adult animated series tried to shake things up in Season 8, “recasting” its characters in a 1940s detective story that seemed to seriously divide its fanbase. Fox’s DVD of Archer’s eighth – though otherwise unconnected – season is now available featuring eight episodes spread across two discs, commentary on selected episodes, 16:9 (1.78) transfers and 5.1 soundtracks.
NEXT TIME: Twilight Time and Warner Archive new releases! Until then, don’t forget to drop in on the official Aisle Seat Message Boards and direct any emails to our email address. Cheers everyone!