Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Going In: The only thing I heard is that it was going to be funny, mostly because of the Rock and Kevin Hart.

Popcorn Score: 8/10. I'd see it again without hesitation. We will rent it but probably not buy it. (Although my wife did inform me it will be added to our digital shelf. Can't say I'm sad about that).

Art Score: 8/10. I have to say, this surprised me and I had to double-check my math. I wanted to dock a half-point, but no - I'm going to let it stand. Comedy films aren't known for being artistic, but this one pulled it off. The story combined with the acting was done with a lot of skill, smarts, and heart.

Acting Score: 3/3. Not just Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, but Jack Black had the entire audience rolling.

Cinematography: 1/2. There were some pretty good shots but nothing amazing.

Sets/Makeup/Costume/CGI: 2/2. I have to say that a lot of the set pieces and locations were really well done. They pulled you in and the CGI served the story instead of the other way around.

Music: 1/2. It was good but not memorable.

Editing: 1/2. It didn't pull me out of the movie, but I didn't see any place where it shone either.

Story: 4/4. When you think about it, this is really good for a comedy. The dialog was pretty sharp. While there was some crass humor, it was done in a smart way. The story had some real heart. There was some convenience, but not a lot. It pulled me in and the audience as well. At the very end, some people in front started cheering. This was not opening night. Also, I didn't realize it at the time, but this was done by Jake Kasdan, son of Larry Kasdan (who wrote a few small movies like Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark). Nice to see that talent runs in the family. Only one scene bothered me from a character POV, but for some people it worked.

Directing: 3/3. This was a good film. It's hard to pull off a comedy this well. I didn't feel it was cheesy like it could've been. And it brought up some really good thoughts.

Production: 1/2. I'm not sure we needed a sequel, but I'm glad this came out.