Welcome to the Jungle(s)

In the dead of winter, sometimes what you need is a total escape in the form of a movie. What's a total escape from dry, cold Chicago? A hot, humid jungle filled with giant monsters.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

The most recent of my jungle movie picks, this indirect Jumanji sequel (takes place in the same world, but only barely references the original movie) sends its characters into the game, which has been updated from board to video for a 21st century audience. Once in the jungle, our four protagonists become the avatars they play - so a nerdy teen becomes a ripped explorer (Dwayne Johnson), the football player becomes a much smaller zoologist (Kevin Hart), the brainy overachiever becomes the sexy martial arts expert (Karen Gillan) and the vapid selfie-taker becomes the overweight cartographer (Jack Black). Learning how to work together, and growing more comfortable with their new personas, they play to win the game - the only way back to real life.

I found this movie hilarious, and all the actors did a great job of showing us their distinct personalities, which were usually at odds with their outward appearances. The video game rules made sense and were followed (mostly) consistently, and while the ending is predictable, the journey there is lots of fun.



Godzilla (2014)

We've seen several iterations of Godzilla in recent years, but this reboot marks the beginning of a MonsterVerse series with several films to follow, and because of this makes an effort to build a complete world with characters we are invested in and writing that gives depth and variety to the plot. This movie reveals Godzilla's origin through a narrative that stretches back to the 1950s and carries into present day, and introduces other MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms), and while only a portion of the movie actually takes place in a jungle, it's still worlds away from a Chicago winter.



Kong: Skull Island (2017)

This King Kong reboot fits into the MonsterVerse franchise along with Godzilla as an origin retelling and a way to introduce future (upcoming) monsters. Set primarily in the 1970s, the story shows us scientists and soldiers traveling to an uncharted island and discovering Kong, along with other larger-than-life monsters. Plot-driven action and dynamic characters advance the story and keep it from getting bogged down with monster fights, and the gorgeous cinematography matched with a setting-appropriate soundtrack make this movie both visually and aurally appealing.