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There is nothing better than a good cinema remake of a beloved classic, and last year’s Jumanji: Welcome To the Jungle, hit the mark. Rather than a clone of the 1995 original, the modern computerized twist adds refreshing touch to the storyline, while paying appropriate homage to the original. Jumanji is no longer a board game, but a video game.

The story revolves around four diverse high school students: Martha, the shy outcast, Spencer, the awkward nerd, Fridge, the jock, and Bethany, the narcissist.  The kids discover an old video game cartridge titled Jumanji while in detention. Out of boredom, they set up the cartridge and choose their avatars but get sucked into the game. 

Directed by Jake Kasdan, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas, and Karen Gillan, who play the avatars and whose comedic attributes contribute to the success of the production. According to http://pro.boxoffice.com, the movie made $36,169,328 in the opening weekend with a total domestic gross of $321,657,203.

Never a dull moment, the humorous, action-packed scenes left the audience in laughter and awe while experiencing the characters’ struggle to finish the game and to return to reality.

In 104 minutes, this film reinforces the importance of putting aside our differences to strengthen our relationships with others, working together to accomplish a common goal.