Though we remember Jumanji principally as a platform for Robin Williams, the 1995 adventure film had quite the laudable lineup: Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst, Patricia Clarkson, David Alan Grier, and the incomparable Bebe Neuwirth made for the kind of ensemble we took for granted back in that heyday of talent-laden family friendly blockbusters. While any contemporary Jumanji remake may well outdo its predecessor in terms of special effects and aesthetic grandeur, matching the charms of the original’s cast will prove to be a much tougher task. In its first image, Jake Kasdan’s Jumanji aims to remind us of what we love about its own troupe of players.
Though only a fairly generic still shot—and not an especially crisp one, to boot—this first look at the upcoming film promotes what is likely to be the cardinal essence of each of its main players. First and foremost, we have leading man Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, asserting dominance over the mighty jungle itself with little more than a raised eyebrow and clutched belt loop. As if presented with the question, “What do people like about The Rock?” this first image confidently replies, “He’s big.”
Complementing his costar in the same manner exhibited in Central Intelligence is Kevin Hart, from whose Instagram account the image originates. Lurking quite literally in The Rock’s shadow, Hart is small, skinny, and delightfully ongepotchket. (Only with Yiddish can you sufficiently articulate this degree of disarray.) And look at that hat! It is too big a hat. Continuing the tradition, all things we usually love about Kevin Hart.
Hopping across the frame to Jack Black, we actually don’t see the wily, wide-eyed maniac ordeal that the actor and musician fostered throughout his ascension to fame, but instead the more recent comically self-serious incarnation from the likes of Goosebumps, The Brink, and D Train. This may not be as winning a move for the comedian, but he’s hardly out of his element.
I’ve saved Karen Gillan for last for a reason. Any fan of the comedy and action star could likely pen a long list of things they like about her. She was badass as hell in Guardians of the Galaxy, winningly spunky as Amy Pond on Doctor Who, and actually quite terrific in the underrated horror flick Oculus. Though you might claim it tough to convey any of these intangible characteristics in a simple still photo, they managed to do it for The Rock, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black. But Karen Gillan just gets… well, very little. In both characterization and fabric. Seriously, did the wardrobe budget suddenly konk out mid photo shoot?
Hopefully, Gillan will be given her due come showtime. Until then, let’s just focus on Kevin Hart’s large hat. Too big a hat indeed.
Will Jumanji get its own post-credits rap like Goosebumps?
Image: Kevin Hart/Instagram
