Jumanji: The Next Level is the fourth entry into the Jumanji series, but how does it compare to the rest of the movies? What started as a children’s picture book in 1981 has turned into a genuine franchise, spawning four films since 1995, as well as an animated television series that ran in the late 90s. The first three films grossed more than $1 billion dollars worldwide combined over three decades, and have enjoyed a surprising amount of critical success along the way.
The original Chris Van Allsburg book introduced Judy and Peter Shepherd, who encounter a game called Jumanji that transports them into it – real-life animals and all. The first film, Jumanji, remained true to the book, but each subsequent film took the general concept and transformed it in unique new ways. Most recently, the franchise employed a big-budget action comedy formula, booking stars Kevin Hart, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Jack Black for Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level to overwhelming success. With four films officially out now and the franchise seemingly soaring thanks to Dwayne Johnson & Co, it’s time to take stock of the movies. Here are the Jumanji films ranked from worst to best.
4 Jumanji (1995)
Available to stream on Peacock, Tubi, and Roku
Released in 1995, Jumanji became a staple of the ’90s. It assembled an all-star cast, featuring a young Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt, David Alan Grier, and Robin Williams in his iconic role as Alan Parrish – the man who had been trapped in the Jumanji game for 26 years. In the film, Judy (Dunst) and her brother Peter (Bradley Pierce) discover the game in the attic of their new home, which was the Parrish mansion when Alan disappeared in 1969. As the game comes to life, they attempt to free Alan, while their town becomes engulfed in the adventure.
Like the recent entry Welcome To The Jungle, Jumanji became a sleeper hit, widely regarded at the time for its visual effects. They were indeed spectacular, as director Joe Johnston (Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, Jurassic Park III) did an excellent job of bringing the animals and environments from the game to life. But the story was oddly dark for a kids’ movie, and the script approached the trauma that the characters felt from the game in a weird way. It struggled to maintain a consistent tone throughout, something the subsequent films did a much better job with, which is why the first movie isn’t actually the best Jumanji movie.
Related: Jumanji’s Best Move Was Forgetting The Book (& Original Movie)
3 Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
Available to rent on Apple TV, YouTube, and Vudu
Zathura: A Space Adventure contains no direct link to Jumanji, but is considered the second film in the Jumanji franchise since the children’s book it was based on, Zathura, was Chris Van Allsburg’s sequel to the original book. (Director Jon Favreau has disputed its relationship to the first film, however – even though the trailer itself says it is “from the world of Jumanji.”) Favreau directs a cast that includes a young Josh Hutcherson and Kristen Stewart as they find the Zathura game in their house, which, similar to Jumanji, comes to life as they play. This time, however, it’s a space adventure, replacing monkeys and elephants with meteors and aliens.
Zathura was easily the worst box office performer in the Jumanji franchise, managing only $64 million on a $65 million budget (roughly the same budget as Jumanji, which made $262 million 10 years earlier). But as a whole, it’s a better movie. The special effects remain top-notch, and the storytelling operates at a higher level, offering thrills and humor without venturing into the occasionally somber territory that its predecessor dabbled with. There’s no Robin Williams, but overall it’s a more enjoyable experience for kids – and for adults, too.
2 Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
Available to stream on Starz and DirecTV
Jumanji: The Next Level retained all the elements that made the franchise’s successful 2017 reboot better than the original two films: humor, a creative script, and a cast that had genuine chemistry. The sequel picks up a year after Welcome To The Jungle, as the high school students plan to meet up a year after they escaped the video game version of Jumanji (in 2019, the N64-style game is considered a relic). Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan all return as the game’s avatars, but with different characters inside of them: Black is now high school jock Fridge, Johnson is now Eddie Gilpin, original main character Spencer’s grandfather (Danny DeVito), and Hart is now Eddie’s old friend Milo (Danny Glover).
Watching the cast extend their range further is a joy in the sequel, and they continue to show effortless chemistry despite playing entirely new characters. Director Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard) returns and mixes a strong blend of humor and action that makes for an entertaining trip to the theater. The Jumanji sequels are really the best Jumanji movies. Overall, The Next Level is more of the same from Welcome To The Jungle – which is not a bad thing at all, but just makes it hard to rank over its predecessor.
Related: Jumanji: The Next Level Cast & Character Guide
1 Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)
Available to stream on Hulu and Fubo
Released in 2017, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle was a massive hit that came out of nowhere, grossing nearly a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. Released 22 years after the original film, the 2017 version features four high school students who get transported inside the Jumanji video game when they meet in detention. Once inside, they are given avatars that clash with their personalities; the nerdy kid becomes a strong explorer with no weaknesses (Dwayne Johnson), the jock becomes a short zoologist (Kevin Hart), the shy girl becomes a badass warrior (Karen Gillan), and the popular girl becomes an overweight male cartographer (Jack Black).
This could have been little more than throwaway fun, but the talent assembled turned it into a much better film than it had any right to be. The cast is fantastic, especially Black, who gives one of the better comedic performances of his career playing a self-absorbed high school girl stuck in a man’s body. Johnson is excellent at playing a dork, too. All of it is tied together nicely by director Jake Kasdan, who mixes an appropriate amount of humor and action into a supremely entertaining package. It’s the best Jumanji movie there is.
A Fifth Jumanji Movie Is Confirmed
The fourth movie in the Jumanji franchise hit theaters in 2019, but it won’t be the last. A fifth movie has been confirmed by producer Hiram Garcia. Garcia is also one of the producers of Disney’s Jungle Cruise movie, which also starred Dwayne Johnson. When speaking with Collider about potential sequels for both Jungle Cruise and the Jumanji movies, to the delight of fans, Garcia confirmed that another Jumanji movie would be on the way.
Garcia explained, “Jumanji is definitely going to happen,” but that the waiting on more news about a sequel is a result of commitments from the creatives involved. In particular, Jake Kasdan, director and producer of the last two Jumanji movies, is committed to other projects. Garcia added that they, “have a ton of Jumanji conversations,” and “a great take on what we’re going to do for the next movie,” No details have emerged about the next Jumanji movie yet, but if the track record of the franchise is any indication, the fifth movie could end up being the best Jumanji movie.
