10 Brilliant Movies With A Terrible Concept
2. Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle
The Concept: You'd be lying if you said you weren't apprehensive about Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle.
It seemed like a lazy attempt to cash in on the mild popularity of the 1995 original (turning it from a family adventure into a crude comedy), and coming from the director of Bad Teacher and Sex Tape, it was hard to have any faith in the project.
And with a cast that included The Rock, who was just coming off the awful Baywatch; Kevin Hart and Jack Black, who were either wildly funny or in-your-face-annoying; and Karen Gillan, who looked like she was there to be a token hot chick, Welcome To The Jungle looked set to be one of 2017's biggest misfires.
The Movie: Surprisingly respectful of the original movie and genuinely funny all by itself, this is the rare sequel that manages to build upon its predecessor in all the right ways, smartly mixing up the Jumanji formula and adapting it for a modern-day audience.
Plus, the four leads all kill it in their roles and they each get a moment to shine, and you can feel the chemistry bouncing off the screen.
The movie works so well because of how good they all are, and with a sharp script that contains a few references to the original but doesn't require you to have seen it, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle is a smart, easily-enjoyable ride from start to finish.