Jumanji: The Next Level Review - 6 Ups & 4 Downs

2. It's Surprisingly Poignant

Welcome to the Jungle's emotional aspect did feel a bit forced, but the cast was likeable enough that it just about got away with it.

Thankfully this time around the character through-lines - and the film's attempts to make us feel something - are considerably more convincing.

The bond between the friends is one thing, but the film reaches an unexpected level of poignancy when examining aging through the characters of grandpa Eddie and his estranged pal Milo (Danny Glover).

DeVito in particular spends much of his time decrying how much it sucks getting old, but by film's end, there's a genuinely sweet and charming riposte to this. While Glover doesn't get nearly as much screen time, his character arc is also slyly affecting - if predictable.

Nobody's going to be left sobbing by the end of this thing, but you might be caught off-guard by how effective the movie's emotional set-up and payoff nevertheless is.