Jumanji: The Next Level

***Jumanji: The Next Level*** is an action/adventure movie that was released on December 13th, 2019. It is a direct sequel to *"Welcome to the Jungle"*. It is the

3rd Jumanji movie overall, but 4th if Zathura: A Space Adventure is considered.

## Synopsis

Despite the events of the previous film, the four Brantford High School friends appear to have grown distant from each other. In his solitude, Spencer Gilpin appeared to have rediscovered the Jumanji video game, seemingly broken down from the four destroying the game console it was originally plugged into. After attempting to fix the game, he seemed to have been pulled back into the realm of Jumanji. Following Spencer’s disappearance, his three friends, Anthony Johnson, Martha Kaply and Bethany Walker figure out that he played the Jumanji video game again, reluctantly playing too in order to bring him back. This time Eddie Gilpin Spencer's grandfather now took on the form of Dr. Smolder Bravestone instead of Spencer, his friend Milo Walker was now Franklin "Mouse" Finbar instead of Fridge, who had now become Shelly Oberon, leaving Martha as Ruby Roundhouse once more while Bethany has become a horse.

## Development

After the release of the previous film *"Welcome to the Jungle"*, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, and Nick Jonas had discussed in interviews what a possible Jumanji sequel would be about, including the possibility of the film exploring the origins of the titular game. Karen Gillan had also said that the alternate ending for Welcome to the Jungle would have left the door open for another movie.

In February 2018, it was announced that Kasdan would direct the sequel, with Rosenberg and Pinkner again writing the script and Johnson, Hart, Black, and Gillan reprising their roles.

On February 22, 2019, Black confirmed the new film as being a fourth Jumanji film because of *Zathura: A Space Adventure* (2005) serving as the second film and sharing continuity with the other films of the series, with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle serving as the third film. In July 2019, the film's title was revealed as *"The Next Level"*.

## Trivia

* This is the first *Jumanji* film to include the new 2019 MPA logo in the end credits.

## Plot

3 years since the events of the previous film, despite growing closer after playing ***"JUMANJI"***, Spencer Gilpin, Anthony fridge Johnson, Martha Kaply, and Bethany Walker have started moving on with their lives outside of Brantford High School and started to go their separate ways, but still keep in touch and the other three make plans to meet up in Brantford. Bethany is no longer self-obsessed and now going outdoors to exotic locations, Fridge is pursuing his sports professional dream and Martha is continuing to study higher education. However, Spencer is unhappy with his new life, prone to bad luck and has started growing more and more distant from the rest, feeling apprehensive about meeting up with everyone, especially Martha whom he put his relationship with on hold due to thinking they have better lives. On his first night back at his mother's house, he realizes that his time within ***"JUMANJI"*** was what made him feel relevant and misses the great feeling he had as the powerful Smolder Bravestone, and sets out to return. Unknown to his friends, Spencer salvaged the shattered video game console and cartridge and planned on fixing it with the intention of going back to ***"JUMANJI"***, assuming he would return to being Bravestone again.

The next day, Fridge, Martha, and Bethany meet up at Nora Shepherd's restaurant and become concerned when Spencer fails to show up. Heading to his house, they meet Spencer's cranky grandfather Eddie, who's staying at the house while recovering from hip surgery, and his former friend Milo Walker. While there, the group are terrified and overcome with horror when they hear the family sounds of drums and discover in the basement that Spencer deliberately kept the broken pieces of the ***"JUMANJI"*** game and resolve that he deliberately went back. Bethany and Fridge are understandably hesitant about going back to ***"JUMANJI"*** after their more horrid memories of playing, only coming to their senses after Martha convinces them to help. But before they can even reach the character select screen, the seemingly malfunctioning ***"JUMANJI"*** sucks them inside anyway, this time only Fridge and Martha, along with Eddie and Milo, leaving Bethany behind on her own.

Inside ***"JUMANJI"***, at a situation much like From The Deep, Martha finds she's back as Ruby Roundhouse again, but Fridge winds up in Professor Shelly Oberon's form while Eddie and Milo get Smolder Bravestone and Franklin "Mouse" Finbar respectively. After avoiding an identical Hippopotamus attack like last time, Eddie and Milo's unfamiliarity with the game costs Fridge his first spare life to an Anaconda. When they spot a plane flying overhead, they discover it's being piloted by NPC guide Nigel Billingsley, newly arriving to take them to the next level, informing them the game and story has changed: a warlord named Jurgen the Brutal (who in this game is responsible for the deaths of Bravestone's parents) recently stole a magic necklace called the Falcon Jewel. As its magic provides fertility to the land so long as it stays in the sun, Jurgen stole the jewel, sending the land into a drought. They must retrieve it before he sells it to a crime syndicate so both groups can combine, and show it to the sun in order to end the drought and save ***"JUMANJI"*** once again. Though Nigel comments that not all of them will leave the game alive.

Meanwhile, the stranded Bethany is desperate to do something and heads out to reach fellow ***"JUMANJI"*** player Alex Vreeke to help get back in. Alex is not pleased with the thought of leaving his happy life, considering he spent 20 years alone and hanging by a thread, but he gladly helps Bethany since she once saved him from dying permanently.

While stopping at a nearby oasis, the group enter an NPC populated town and run into Spencer, now operating as the thief Ming Fleetfoot. After an encounter with a former lover of Bravestone's, Fridge and Martha discover the in-game required ***"JUMANJI"*** Berry Tree, and spot a single fruit hanging down, which they figure they require as part of completing the game. They also discover a pool of water with a green glow that makes them temporarily switch avatars. After Spencer, Eddie, and Milo secure Camels to get them through the desert the group moves on. However, problems plague the group: Fridge feels that Oberon's status as a field guide is detrimental to their survival, Spencer is too self-conscious to use Ming's skills properly, Milo's casual attitude kept him from revealing key info in a timely manner, and Eddie's hot-headedness cause him to pick fights with everyone, costing the group several lives in the process. The problems are made worse as Eddie blames Milo for selling their diner behind his back, forcing him into unwanted retirement. The two old men finally make up after Milo reveals that the reason he kept trying to reach out to Eddie and for his early retirement because his health was deteriorating and his lifespan was running out, wanting to make amends with Eddie before his passing.

In the Forest; after barely surviving a horde of Mandrills at a series of revolving bridges, the group reunites with Alex as Seaplane McDonough again, and Bethany now a black horse named Cyclone. They eventually find a river with water similar to what Fridge and Martha found. Spencer, Fridge, and Bethany get their original avatars back, while Eddie and Milo end up in Ming and Cyclone respectively, but they are captured by Jurgen's men shortly after.

Fridge and Bethany stall the mercenaries while Spencer, Martha, and Alex rescue them. While the group holds Jurgen's men off, Spencer uses the ***"JUMANJI"*** Berry *(Jurgen's only weakness)* to incapacitate him long enough to send Jurgen falling to his death. Spencer gets the Falcon's Heart to Eddie and Milo, who expose it to sunlight and defeat him. Spencer, Fridge, Martha, Bethany, Alex, and Eddie return to the real world. Due to the fact that he was dying and was only there to make up with Eddie, Milo elects to stay behind and protect ***"JUMANJI"***, now that he had his "wings".

In the aftermath, Spencer starts teaching his grandfather about video games and reunites with his friends at Eddie's old diner where Eddie uses Bravestone's 'smoldering intensity' to convince the new owner Nora Shepperd to bring him on as a manager.

In a mid-credits scene, a heating mechanic Spencer's mom recruited finally shows up. They find the game in the basement, and the mechanic's tinkering presumably sucks them both into the game and releases a herd of ostriches into the real world, where Spencer, Fridge, Martha, and Bethany witness from outside the diner.