Jumanji, The Next Level (in theaters FRI 12.13.19).  Is this sequel beating the concept like a dead horse?  That answer, would be no.  This is hands down the funniest and most adventurous of the series!  JTNL picks up roughly a year after the last film, and the crew has grown older, a bit wiser, and for young Spencer (Alex Wolff), a bit more depressed.  Desperate to relive the glory of Jumanji, he re-enters the game on his own leaving his old crew to figure out what’s happened to him.  Determined to save their friend, they re-enter the game, but with a complication this time.  Spence’s grandfather Eddie (Danny Devito) and Eddie’s elder best friend Milo (Danny Glover) who are unwittingly pulled into the video game action.   In the best and funniest twist possible, the game avatar ownership gets changed as the crew gets pulled into the action – this time, old grandpa Eddie becomes Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) and Milo becomes the impish zoologist, Franklin Finbar (Kevin Hart).  And to keep you completely rolling on the floor, the rest of the crews avatars are swapped which introduces new characters including the wily, Ming (Awkwafina).  A new evil threatens Jumanji and his name is Gregor The Hound…sorry, I mean ‘Jurgen The Brutal.’  portrayed by Rory McCann of GOT fame.  Couldn’t resist.  Our intrepid crew must battle ostriches, humid deserts, and crazed baboons on their way to thwarting Jurgen’s evil plot to use a stolen precious gem and an arranged marriage to become King of the land.  This is by far the best of the series and what makes this version special is how well Hart & Johnson are able to personify the elderly characters their avatars inhabit.  I was really looking for ‘cracks’ between the two of them and the others as they haphazardly swap identities throughout the film.  The entire cast did a fantastic job of staying in their original characters voice and personalities, just a phenomenal job.  If I had one complaint for this version, it would be the ‘bad guy Jurgen’ motivation.  Oddly, once you get to know him, he’s not really evil and his plan, outside of stealing the precious gem isn’t as dastardly as his predecessors, it’s actually a bit benevolent.  Put that aside and you’ve got a raucous and wild ride and what is sure to be a box office success.  A- (Fearless box office weekend forecast: $71 million)