Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) * *

Directed by:  Jake Kasdan

Starring:  Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Bobby Cannavale, Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, Ser'Darius Blain

There isn't anything terrible about this reboot of Jumanji (1995), which starred Robin Williams in the plot identical to this one.    In this case, four teenagers are trapped in a video game (vs. a board game in the original) and must use their wits and skills to win the game and return to the real world in one piece.    The film is likely to appeal to those who aren't familiar with the original film or those looking for sheer adventure.     The movie isn't awful, but isn't anything spectacular either.    It is just flat and kind of there.   After about 90 minutes or so, it's over and we can go on with our lives, not much moved by the experience.

The original film had a sense of poignancy to it which made it work.    A boy is trapped in the game in 1969 and freed from it in 1995 after two children discover the game in the attic of their new home.    The boy grew into Robin Williams, who not surprisingly missed his parents who died in the ensuing 26 years following his disappearance.     This version has a similar arc, with a teen discovering the game in 1996 and immediately being sucked into it.    His disappearance still haunts his hometown to the present day, which is when four teens in high school detention discover the game which has now mutated into a video game form.    The teens are nerdy Spencer (Wolff), the jock Fridge (Blain), brainy Martha (Turner), and popular girl Bethany (Turner).    However, their identities in the game are radically switched.    Spencer is now Dwayne Johnson, Fridge is now Kevin Hart, Bethany is now Jack Black, and Martha is now Karen Gillan.    Each has varying skills and weaknesses which come in handy during their time in the game.

The goal of the game is to return a green jewel to its original place which will free the land of Jumanji from the evil clutches of Van Pelt (Cannavale), who wants to use the jewel to rule the land.   The teens now have to adjust to their new personas, with Bethany naturally having the most trouble since she is now Jack Black.    The movie's biggest laughs come from this switch, although this grows contrived and tiresome.     The other characters learn to trust and befriend one another in predictable ways.     During their journey, they discover Alex, who has become the game character of Seaplane and isn't aware just how long he has been stuck in the game.

The heroes seem nice enough, but are kind of bland.     The villain is off-screen a lot, so he never gathers enough villainy points to be someone whose demise we openly root for.    Like a video game, the characters must dodge dangerous snakes, trampling herds of rhinos, a hungry hippo, and endure a series of chases and fights to win the game.     The movie mostly follows in lockstep with the original with the exception of contemporary technological updates, including Alex's storyline involving his left-behind family.    The actors do what they can with the script which favors action over characters.   But, action itself is boring if we don't care about the stakes or the people involved.    Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is adequately produced and acted, but was it entirely necessary to be made?     Was there a clamoring for a remake of the popular original film I wasn't aware of?   Based on the film's healthy box office so far, it appears the answer is yes.