The Jungle Game I'd Play
Again and Again

No one really asked for a Jumanji sequel, but I'm glad we got one anyway. It's not a loss for me that the 2017 sequel, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, was one of the first in this current barrage of sequels, remakes, and reboots that mostly rely on nostalgia, because I still had a good time.

Kudos to Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan for making this new franchise their own. The 1995 film is an absolute classic and, in my opinion, one of the late Robin Williams's best films, so I was admittedly skeptical when I heard about the sequel. But when I saw it, I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.

Naturally, this told Hollywood they could turn Jumanji into a money-making franchise, and though the newer movies are pretty good, the 2017 sequel is still my favorite. It was more than enough, and the cast did a great job.

I'm so lucky I got to be there at the movie's Hollywood premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on December 11, 2017. Meeting the cast and getting their autographs was my Christmas gift to myself, since that was my first time hounding for autographs after a long time.

Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I felt that night. I was most anxious to see Dwayne Johnson since I was a big fan of The Rock in the early 2000s. He was the most exciting part of WWF/WWE at the time, and though I was surprised when he moved into acting, I still watch everything he does.

Meeting him in real life was everything I expected and more. He's a mountain of a man, and yet he was the nicest cast member I met that night.

I even think that if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have gotten the courage to ask the rest of the cast to sign my movie poster. He was so personable that I almost forgot I was talking to one of the biggest celebrities in the world. He was just a regular guy when he chatted with me as he signed my poster.

This isn't to say the others weren't nice. Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, even Nick Jonas were just as agreeable, charming even! But Dwayne Johnson was on a level all on his own. His fame was massive, but his humility kept him grounded.

I almost feel ashamed for scoffing at the later Jumanji sequels because he seems to love doing them. They're not bad, but Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle still trumps them all.

A new one, Jumanji: Open World, is billed as the final film in the franchise and is due on Christmas Day 2026. Like all the others, I'll be there ready to support. I may be part of the problem, but if it's for The Rock, I'll always eat what he's cooking!