Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle 3D Movie Review

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

3D Movie Review

Written By: James Tate

---

3D

So how is the 3D element for this movie? Personally I felt that it was somewhat forgettable. It certainly wasn't terrible and it didn't hurt my eyes or anything like that. The one scene that stood out the most to me in 3D was a chase scene involving the main characters using a helicopter to escape. For me this helicopter moment was very nice in 3D. Sadly I feel like there are only a handful of scenes were the 3D improves the viewing experience. Ultimately the 3D is only passable, and is not necessary to fully enjoy this movie. 

Final Verdict :Good 3D

---

 

Movie

 

Getting into the actual movie, we are first approached by the big elephant in the room. Which is the relationship that this movie has with its 1996 predecessor, the original Jumanji. The trailers and TV promos give off the impression that this movie is a soft reboot or remake and that this movie is completely unrelated to the first movie. In an interesting development this is not the case. This movie opens right where the first movie ends. This movie establishes the board game turns into a video game in an interesting and original way. This connection to the previous movie was not needed in this film, but I feel it's a great touch and connects the two in a way that doesn't feel forced or is confusing to someone who has never seen the original.

We are quickly introduced to our four main characters. Each of which are essentially stereotypical high school movie clichés. You have Spencer the nerd, Fridge the jock, Bethany the popular girl, and Martha the social outcast. It seems very similar to the ‘Breakfast Club’ as the four teens are brought together because they all go to detention. Shortly after they meet they find the Jumanji video game and plug it into the TV and play it. They all decided that playing this strange old video game is the best thing to do to kill time in detention. The four main characters see a player select screen and pick a specific avatar to play as.

Immediately the four characters are sucked into the video game of Jumanji, each of them has become the avatar they previously selected. Spencer is now a tough, muscular explorer named Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne “the rock” Johnson), Fridge is now a short zoologist named Franklin "Mouse" Finbar (Kevin Hart), Martha has become a gorgeous commando and martial art expert named Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), and to hilarious effect Bethany has become an overweight, male cartographer named Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon (Jack Black). They soon realize that they are in a video game, and each avatar has three lives. If they lose all three game lives, they will actually die in real life. Each of their avatars also comes with special skills and weaknesses. They all must work together to find a way out of the game alive.

The movie wastes no time in thrusting the characters into the scenario, which I really appreciate. This is because it allows for the world of Jumanji to be focused on the most. The idea of having the teens turn into wacky over the top avatars that are themselves played by famous actors is a hilarious and unique decision. More than half of the comedy stems from that these teenagers who are now controlling bodies completely opposite to their real life counterparts. The nerd is now in muscular adventurers body, the jock is now a short zoologist, the shy girl is now a martial artist, and best of all is the popular girl who is now in the body of a fat middle-aged male cartographer.

This movie wasn't perfect and sometimes it can be cliché, especially with the initial premise. This movie is not as memorable as previous movie featuring the late Robin Williams. Alas as both a sequel and as a stand-alone film, it brings enough originality, comedy, fun actors, and interesting locations to make for an enjoyable movie. I went into this movie not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised by it. The movie made me laugh several times, and I was never bored. I believe that it doesn't matter whether if you liked the first film or haven't seen it; you can still enjoy this movie for what it is. And in a time when movie sequels/reboots can tarnish the legacy of the previous movie or franchise, it's refreshing to see a movie that complements the original but also updates its source material, without it feeling inorganic. I can easily recommend this movie as either stand-alone movie or a sequel to the original. 

Final Verdict: 7/10

Learn more about our rating system by going here. 

---

© 2017 Sony Pictures Digital Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.

3D or 2D Reviews Page RSS

Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi

Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi

Written Review By : Adolph Vega

---

3D

Sadly the 3D element for this movie is wildly inconsistent. Many scenes the 3D was totally absent and not noticeable. Other scenes the 3D was very nice and added to the fun. One chase scene within a cave looked very nice in 3D. Another scene as people looked down a huge cliff the 3D depth was very helpful to make the height more menacing. Overall I am happy with the 3D visuals for this movie, but they are far from a necessity to enjoy the film. 

Final Verdict: Good 3D

---

Movie

‘Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi’ is a dramatically different movie than I expected it to be. Many times it takes the lore from the previous films and discards or changes it. Where things were previously black and white, now many shades of gray are present. Many people complained that the previous movie in this franchise (Episode VII: The Force Awakens) was too safe and too familiar, so this movie boldly treks into a new direction and is a very different kind of ‘Star Wars’ film. It is very difficult to explain why this movie is so different without spoiling the movie, so I will try to keep this review brief and as spoiler free as I possibly can.

‘Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi’ continues the story of Finn, Rey, Poe and more within the rebellion. The first order led by the Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren are trying to eradicate the rebellion and fully take over the galaxy. Rey seeks training and mentoring from the legendary Luke Skywalker, but is he interested in helping Rey? The movie is split up into three separate but interlinked plots. All of the plots eventually join together for an epic conclusion. This movie is very slow paced for a “Star Wars” movie. The slowness of this movie didn’t bother me because I was totally drawn into this story and the characters. The movie is beautiful to look at with stunning cinematography, fantastic special effects, excellent camera work, gorgeous locations and excellent creature design. This movie really develops the ‘Star Wars’ universe and makes for a more diverse a more complex narrative. Mark Hamill reprises his role as Luke Skywalker and I adore this older more jaded version of this character. This performance is both interesting and very different than what you might expect. I also love Carrie Fisher’s role of Leia. Leia is strong woman that has a commanding warm presence on screen. It saddens me that Carrie Fisher tragically died in 2016, and this will be her final performance in this iconic role. I really enjoyed the new character of Rose. Rose’s casino subplot may at first glance seem frivolous, but it adds more depth to the universe, and teaches a valuable lesson to several characters. Overall the story is nearly perfectly executed and I was captivated from beginning to end.

The movie is not perfect and I do have some minor problems with it. Some of the jokes and gags fall flat and at times the comedy feels forced. The pacing can be dramatically different depending on which subplot the movie focuses on and this can be jarring to the viewer. At times the movie purposefully teases the audience with hanging plot threads that are not fully resolved. I don’t care if all plot threads are never fully resolved, I enjoy the mysterious grandeur of it all. The issues I had with the movie are trivial and don’t dramatically hurt my enjoyment of this movie.  

In closing this movie is superb film making and this is my favorite “Star Wars” movie in the franchise. The movie has many fun twists and turns and at times purposely subverts the expectations of the viewer and I respect that. I can understand how some hardcore fans are exasperated by this movie, but I am wowed by it. New blood has been transfused into this long standing franchise, and future “Star Wars” movies will never be the same after this movie. ‘Last Jedi’ is more complex, more cerebral, and boldly goes where no “Star Wars” movie has gone before and I applaud it.

Final Verdict: 9 / 10, Editors Choice Movie Award

---

TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved / © Disney. All rights reserved.

3D or 2D Reviews Page RSS

Coco 3D Movie Review

Coco

3D Movie Review Written By: Adolph Vega

---

3D

I actually watched this movie twice in the theaters for the sake of this review. My first viewing was in 2D in English , and the second viewing was in 3D in Spanish. I don’t regret watching this movie twice because my second viewing was a different experience compared to the first viewing, and I enjoyed the movie enough to want to watch it again. Unfortunately the 3D visuals for this movie are a nice but minor addition to the movie. During some scenes with large crowds you can clearly distinguish between individuals within the crowd because of the depth based 3D. Pop out 3D is rarely used within this movie and is largely a non-factor. One example of pop out 3D was during one scene a specific character points their finger outward toward the camera and the finger pops out of the screen. This happens for a split second and you can easily blink during this scene and miss it . The viewing experience is not dramatically different or enhanced because of the 3D, and I literally forgot the movie was in 3D for many scenes. You can call me little crazy, but I didn’t find anything memorable about the 3D element of this movie. The 3D visuals are pleasant and done with care but ultimately I just don’t care about it. Simply put the 3D is not worthwhile and I cannot recommend it.

Final Verdict:

Weak 3D 2D Recommended

---

Movie

Coco is the newest animated movie from Disney / Pixar. The movie is about a young boy named Miguel who lives in Mexico and wants to be a musician but his family disapproves. Miguel accidentally travels to the land of the dead and needs to find his way back to the land of the living. Can Miguel find his way home? Will Miguel be able achieve his dreams and become a musician?

The first thing I want to mention in this review is that I am Hispanic. I am mentioning this out of pure transparency. My parents are from Mexico and I am comfortable and familiar with Mexican culture, so I can relate to this movie. I do not believe my upbringing will influence or detract my critique for this movie. That being said, I did feel that this movie does a fantastic job of showcasing the Mexican heritage without abruptly pandering to it. The movie feels authentic and respectful to the norms and customs of Mexican culture and never seems to play up to any stereotypes or gross over simplifications. I especially enjoyed the Spanish dub for this movie. If you don’t understand Spanish I don’t recommend watching the movie in Spanish, the English version of this movie is perfectly fine. That being said the English version of this movie does occasionally mix Spanish words into the dialog. Don’t worry if you don’t understand Spanish because those words are not integral to the plot. I feel like watching this movie in Spanish is the superior way to watch the movie. The best analogy to explain why I feel the Spanish version is superior is this is to discuss the difference between bottled Coca-Cola from Mexico and the typical Coca-Cola from the US. The Coca-Cola from Mexico is made with real sugar and presented in a glass bottle. In contrast the US Coca-Cola is made from high-fructose corn syrup and usually presented in plastic bottles or aluminum cans. Both Coca-Cola from Mexico and American are essentially the same recipe, but I can taste the subtle difference in the flavor and prefer the Mexican version. In a similar fashion Coco is the same movie in Spanish and English but I was able to enjoy Coco more in Spanish because of the subtle cultural differences. The various songs within the movie are great in english, but sound wonderful in Spanish. Regardless if you watch the movie in Spanish or English I think the filmmakers managed to make an excellent movie that anyone can enjoy regardless of their own life experience. 

Spanish version of the Song "Remember Me" 

English version of the song "Remember Me"

Coco succeeds as a movie because of its fantastic storytelling and touching character moments. The story has a warm heart that is well presented . The several emotional moments feel earned and are not forced in any way.  The voice acting and dialogue are excellent and feel natural and is well written. Miguel has legitimate talent to play the guitar, but his grandmother is justified to not allow him to become a musician because of the family history. I really appreciate that both sides of this argument are valid. The movie is highly entertaining and just a joy to watch. This is partially because of the beautiful and vivid visuals. The movie has a distinct look that appears realistic yet stylized. The musical aspect of this movie is also well done with several original songs that are fun and make sense within the context of the movie. The dynamic between the major characters feels very genuine and real. Coco is an animated movie but in many ways it feels like an exaggerated live action movie, because the characters and story feel fantastical yet are grounded and relatable.

As much as I enjoyed Coco the movie is not perfect. The movie is very fast paced and hurries itself to the next plot point and feels rushed. The movie has a huge cast of characters, not all of which are given a proper introduction or sufficient screen time. Many characters are superfluous and entirely one dimensional. Why even bother to have so many characters only to give them one line or no lines at all? Many secondary characters could have been eliminated without any loss to the story. The movie introduces the idea of spirit animals but it never explains what they are in detail. Miguel never takes in the spectacle or grandiose nature that is the afterlife. I understand this is meant to be a children's movie but I felt like the elements of life and death are glossed over within the movie. I wanted Miguel to soak in what the afterlife has to offer and consider the deeper elements of what living is. Once the movie goes to the afterlife it rarely if ever goes back to the land of the living, and that aspect of the story is almost entirely forgotten. I also found several elements of the story to be predictable. I also had problems with the dog named Dante. The dog is cute but annoying and is given too much time on screen. The movie is very enjoyable, but the small issues I had with it keep it from cinematic perfection.

Overall Coco is an excellent movie. I cried, I laughed, and I was immensely entertained with this movie. Coco is not a perfect movie but it is easily one of the best movies of 2017. I won’t forget this movie, and I can easily recommend it to everyone. 

Final Verdict : 9/10

---

© 2017 Disney, All Rights Reserved, Disney Lifestyle

3D or 2D Reviews Page RSS

Podcast RSS