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Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Movie

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

2017 • Unknown

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

Four teenagers in detention discover an old video game console with a game they’ve never heard of. When they decide to play, they are immediately sucked into the jungle world of Jumanji in the bodies of their avatars. They’ll have to complete the adventure of their lives filled with fun, thrills and danger or be stuck in the game forever!

Overall Series Review

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is an adventure-comedy centered on four high school archetypes—the nerd, the jock, the popular girl, and the introvert—who are physically transformed into video game avatars. The narrative's primary focus is on personal growth and self-discovery, with each character forced to inhabit a body that starkly contrasts with their real-world self. This dynamic compels them to overcome their own insecurities and learn the value of teamwork and inner merit, rather than relying on external appearances or social status. The film is a modernized update of the classic story, which uses the video game setting to poke fun at various tropes, including the over-sexualization of female avatars and the absurdity of hyper-masculine heroes. The humor relies heavily on the juxtaposition of the teenagers' personalities with their new adult bodies, ultimately advocating for a universal message of finding one's inner strength and potential. The plot is purely secular, with the goal being to complete the game and return to their normal lives.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The plot's central mechanism involves a nerdy white male becoming a muscular mixed-race male and a jock black male becoming a diminutive black male, directly subverting initial social stereotypes. Character growth is achieved through merit and action within the game, not through lectures on privilege or immutable characteristics. A minor scene includes a joke about a character worrying he has lost his 'blackness' after eating a weakness food, which uses racial identity for brief comedic effect.

Oikophobia1/10

The movie does not exhibit hostility toward Western civilization. The high school setting, representing the home world, is shown as mundane and structured, but not fundamentally corrupt or racist. The primary goal of the protagonists is to successfully complete the adventure and return to their own world, showing a preference for their home life over the exotic, dangerous jungle setting.

Feminism3/10

The female avatar is an action heroine ('killer of men'), but the narrative immediately critiques her impractical, skimpy costume, with the character covering herself up to take control of her appearance. Her arc focuses on an insecure, introverted girl learning confidence and strength, moving away from the 'Mary Sue' trope by showing her initial awkwardness. The movie is self-aware of media's gender stereotypes while promoting female competence.

LGBTQ+3/10

The core comedy stems from the gender-swap dynamic, particularly a teenage girl inhabiting an older male body. The humor often involves the physical differences of the opposite sex, such as jokes about male anatomy and urination, which is a traditional, broad form of body-swap comedy. The narrative maintains a normative structure, with romantic pairings being male-female, and the characters are returned to their original, biologically authentic bodies at the conclusion. There is no deconstruction of the nuclear family or introduction of gender ideology.

Anti-Theism1/10

The film's conflict is entirely contained within the world of a magical, cursed video game. Moral and thematic focus is placed on secular principles like teamwork, courage, and self-acceptance. There is no presence of traditional religion, anti-Christian themes, or overt philosophical discussion on objective versus subjective morality.