You can choose to be whoever you want....JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Who would actually think that we would need a sequel for a story that originally was made as a short book. But as we are running out of ideas and nostalgia these days is on top of everyone looking to make some cash out of it, looking back to one of the most fun, original and successful movies from 1995, it wouldn't shock us to be entertained by a sequel, specially after the dinosaurs already made a great come back, so why the story of a board game that as you play gets you immerse in it, literally, bringing the jungle to you, as you find your way to escape each challenge alive, as you keep playing as if the jungle just invade your home, while with every change you'll learn more about yourself and what you really are capable of with the help of the other players, learning how to work as a team with strangers and make a sort kind of bond with them. So with that said, now what? Is it the same story just re telling it from a new group of players with new challenges bringing back the most fascinating board game ever played? Well, yes and no, "JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE" (2017) is more a sequel than a remake and because of that tries to reach the new generations evolving the same way they did through all these years, to tell another story based on the new players and the challenges they will have to go through and the life lesson that playing this game will be for anyone. And for so, back in 1996 after the game was threw away for it's last group of players, now lays on the beach trying to find a new player under the rhythm of it's drums, just like a snake's tale warn you about the danger you might get it, but at the same time awakening that curiosity to know where do they come from. And you will if you there to open that box and roll the dices.

But at this point young people doesn't play board games anymore. Video games have come to stay and make a change, so now every teenager is obsessed with this new type of games and because this particular game is nothing like you ever had seen before, realizes that, and so will evolve to reach it's target, so now hides in the shape of a video game and will come for his first victim leading it to vanish in an old basement for decades until in present time, a group of teenagers have to pay time in detention after school and will run into it, and who doesn't feel like playing a vintage video game right? Let's say that this group certainly is up for the challenge. But who are they? First we met Spencer, the geek of the group. A teenager that spends it's free time playing video games hiding from his unpopular life at school, where he is just another nerd that trying to connect with the popular guys helps them by doing their assessments so they might invite him to hang with them sometime. And such an attractive character couldn't be a better fit to be the leader of the group as   most of the guys who play video games and board games feel like isolated from the rest, embracing their geekness and love for all the material that fiction brings to them, usually making them good at school but sadly as we all know, not so good when it comes to popularity. But he is not the only one, There is also Jeanette, another misfit, just that this one is proud of be different and out of the social context. She sees herself as a smart independent woman that goes to school to study, learn new things and prepare herself for a better future, reason why can't understand why she should mingle and socialize. She can do better and look better but it's matter of she putting herself out there and try, which is not the case here.

Even Spencer has noticed her but she really doesn't care. She hides this insecurity behind her desire to learn. That's why she couldn't be more different at first look than Bethany. The popular chic that spends hour either at her phone or at taking care of herself. Representing all what being a millennial means for the new generations worrying more about the likes and looks of their Instagram account that actually having a life or real interactions with other people if it's not through their phone, making her look just as beautiful as she wants to be with all the filters possible but not because people actually notice her when she is around, giving to popularity a new meaning and proving that these days without a phone you are no one. And last we have Blain, the jock and nemesis of Spencer, that only uses him to get his homework done and not having to worry about it focusing in chasing girls and play sports, which could be all the stereotype of what a jock does, but he's not that popular either, just because of what we just mentioned, and he tries to, but in a sense of enjoying the feeling of being admire by others and why not?, have the girls making a line after you. But none of them would ever be friends of the other because of their own agenda being so different from each other, even they actually can be of some sort of help with what the other is missing. But social status always matters as it seems, and especially in high school. Some things will never change. But never is too late to get into a life changing adventure that will turn things out and re discover yourself while having some fun and get to know other people that might be too different from you to hang with but at some circumstances you might discover things in common and as they say, opposites attract.

So the real magic and fun begins once these four characters sign in for a match at an old video game that keeps inviting them to join, only thing they need to choose an character to play and so things get interesting as we already seen in the preview, when the geek's avatar is a big muscular doctor with strength and speed and no weakness, and the shy girl becomes a sexy female warrior, the jock ends a short guy that serves as a valet to carry the guns with no abilities other than being a zoologist expert but with multiple weaknesses, and lastly, the pretty girl chooses a professor, the smart one, turning her into an obese middle age man. All this avatar switch ups set up the plate for a fun ride where each one of them will re discover who they really are while trying to survive and work together. As a family movie, bringing the characters into a virtual world instead of the imaginary world coming out of the game will let the audience submerge into the real feeling of being trapped somewhere searching for the way out, while in the original film, the fact that the jungle will keep invading you made it a more scary and excited setting because you were already at home, there is no place to escape but keep playing or your life will be destroyed. Here feels more like any other adventure, as if trapped in a island with a bunch of savage and wild animals was an original idea, but what makes it pleasant is the journey of each character, because we have in display two of the most popular comedians in modern Hollywood, Jack Black and Kevin Heart, serving the story with such a light familiar fun that will make you laugh out loud, while action star turned celebrity/ actor, The Rock, brings the action to the screen balancing it perfectly for a fun ride for all ages.

And if all that wouldn't be enough, we get a short appearance of sex symbol turned singer (or maybe the other way), Nick Jonas, for the eye candy, playing the role that made the late Robin Williams a classic in the original movie, as the first victim from the game that got trapped for years inside the game trying to find a way out. But now that all the players are in, is time for them to finish this game as they advance from level to level (instead of moving pieces on the board), and things get more and more complicated. It's when they finally realized that helping each other and putting their differences on the side might get them win. Each one has their avatars skills, which are very different from real life and while for some this might be a dream came true, for others might be their worst nightmare, but maybe that is the only way to put yourself in perspective and realize that you can actually be whatever you want, you just need to own it, and put all those labels on the side so you can actually look through without any filter or camera but as real and transparent as it is. And how many times do we just settle expecting things to happen instead of trying as if would be another opportunity like a video game where you can have an extra life or keep playing endless. In real life we only get one life and it's what we do with it what matters and there is no time to waste but putting it to a test and keep trying, because we'll fail but there is no game over until is over. We should be better keep trying rather than sit and watch it go by just wondering what it could be, playing mind games. Life is already a game that won't stop or wait for us to realize, so if you get to end in the jungle to feel alive and get you out of your phone and social labels even for two hours, it might be worth the trip as we just have one life and one time to be the avatar we've always wanted to be.