Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

"Welcome to Jumanji!"

Join Ian, Liam & Megs for our 326th episode as we press start, pick our avatars, and get sucked into the chaotic, comedic, and surprisingly heartfelt world of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Kev? He’s not with us this week — he selected his character without reading the stats and is now stuck in the jungle with a weakness to cake and only one life remaining. We wish him luck.

This week we discuss:

• The central gimmick — body-swap comedy meets video game logic. Why this concept works far better than it has any right to.
• Dwayne Johnson’s performance — bravado, vulnerability, and comedic timing. Is this one of his most self-aware roles?
• Kevin Hart as the reluctant sidekick — high-energy, fast-talking, and constantly outmatched. Does he elevate or overwhelm?
• Jack Black’s scene-stealing turn — Surely even Megs will commend his commitment, physicality, and one of the boldest comedic performances in a mainstream blockbuster.  
• Karen Gillan’s balancing act — action hero competence with awkward teenage insecurity underneath.
• Megs explores the film’s take on identity — how stepping into a different body reframes confidence, perception, and self-worth.
• Ian breaks down the narrative structure — game levels, stakes, callbacks and consequences that are both earned and why the film’s pacing feels so clean.
• Liam questions the emotional core — does the film earn its character growth, or is it just well-disguised formula?
• The video game rules — clear, fun, and occasionally inconsistent. When do they help the story, and when do they get bent? We're looking  at you, Nick Jonas
• The humour — broad, physical, and surprisingly sharp. Which jokes land, and which ones don’t quite stick?
• The ending — satisfying, predictable, or just the right amount of both?
• And finally, whether Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is the Best Film Ever — or one of the most unexpectedly successful reboots of the modern era.

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Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor

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