Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Star-studded reboot is charming; some iffy stuff.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 140 parent reviews
Based on 229 kid reviews
Kids say that the film is a hilarious and entertaining adventure movie with a blend of comedy and action that appeals to tweens and older audiences. While some viewers appreciate the humor and positive messages about teamwork and friendship, many note the frequent use of strong language and suggestive themes, suggesting it may not be suitable for younger children.
- funny and entertaining
- strong language
- suggestive themes
- teamwork messages
- suitable for tweens
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is an updated adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's picture book, this time turning the life-changing board game into a video game. The movie opens in 1996, when a teenager's father gives him the Jumanji board game. When he bemoans aloud that nobody plays with board games anymore, it magically transforms into a video game, which he gets sucked into. Fast-forward to the present, and four high schoolers are sent to detention on the same day: self-absorbed "hot popular girl" Bethany (Madison Iseman), bookish Martha (Morgan Turner), nerdy Spencer (Alex Wolff), and his childhood friend turned football star Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain). While serving detention, Fridge and Spencer find the Jumanji game in an old donation box and convince the girls to play. After they each choose an avatar, they're immediately pulled into the game, where Spencer is transformed into superhero-sized archeologist Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), Fridge is Bravestone's diminutive sidekick zoologist Moose Finbar (Kevin Hart), Martha is "killer of men" vixen Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), and Bethany is cartographer Professor Shelly Overton (Jack Black). To get out of the game, the foursome must work together to save Jumanji from the control of the evil Van Pelt (Bobby Cannavale) -- before any of them lose all of their three assigned lives.
Is It Any Good?
This crowd-pleasing reboot may not be earth-shatteringly good, but it benefits from its stars' irresistible comedic and action charm. At this point, there's not a movie that The Rock doesn't make better by his presence. Because of his size, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has a lot of wink-wink nods to his smoldering looks and seemingly invincible body -- which are even funnier because he has to play being amazed by his own strength, considering he's actually the lanky, nerdy Spencer inside. All of the adult actors do a fine job portraying the insecure, horrified, or awed teens controlling their avatar bodies. And the young actors who bookend the movie are believable as two nerds and two popular kids thrown together for an intense, unexpected adventure.
Hart's and Black's characters will naturally get the biggest laughs -- mostly joking at their own expense. Considering that the 5-foot-4 Hart is literally a foot shorter than Blain, prepare for an onslaught of height jokes. Women may cringe at Bethany's (as played by Black) "flirting class" to teach the Hermione-esque Martha how to manipulate men by sparkling like an anime character, but watching Black give this lesson in a falsetto is admittedly quite funny. At least Martha voices her indignation at her crop top and short-shorts, which she astutely points out make no sense as an explorer's outfit. Director Jake Kasdan definitely isn't creating anything new here, and the male leads are all playing to their established strengths, but the character-within-a-character setup is entertaining enough to make audiences cheer, jump out of their seats, and even laugh aloud in this mashup of Jumanji, The Breakfast Club, and Avatar.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how each of the characters becomes a role model in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and which character strengths they exhibit throughout the movie.
What did you think of the talk regarding how girls/women can use their bodies and attention to "distract" men? What message does that send? Is it OK because a male body is also objectified? Why or why not?
Talk about the violence in the movie. Did it change the impact knowing the characters were inside a game?
Talk about social media and how difficult it is for Bethany, in particular, to be without her phone. Do you think teens rely too heavily on their phones and devices?
What's the value of knowing how to play video games? What do multiplayer role-playing games teach you? What are your favorite games?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 20, 2017
- On DVD or streaming : March 20, 2018
- Cast : Dwayne The Rock Johnson , Karen Gillan , Kevin Hart , Jack Black
- Director : Jake Kasdan
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Pictures
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Adventures
- Character Strengths : Communication , Teamwork
- Run time : 119 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : adventure action, suggestive content and some language
- Award : Kids' Choice Award
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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