Review: Jumanji: The Next Level, Bombshell, and Richard Jewell

December 13, 2019 thedhk

This week brings some mindless fun in the form of “Jumanji: The Next Level” and some political thrillers with unlikely and possibly unlikable protagonists, based on real life with “Bombshell” and “Richard Jewell.”

The joy of “Jumanji: The Next Level” is that it just doesn’t care. Liberated from world building the first half has some pretty decent humor. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas, Madison Iserman, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Rhys Darby, and Colin Hanks return. It also benefits from the welcome addition of Danny Devito, Danny Glover, and Awkwafina.

Meanwhile “Bombshell” which tells the story of the Roger Ailes news story breaking through the lens of the female Fox News accusers. It stars Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, John Lithgow, Kate McKinnon, Malcolm McDowell, Mark Duplass, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Rob Delaney, and half of the rest of Hollywood.

Finally there’s Clint Eastwood’s latest film, “Richard Jewell” – another film based on reality story about the 1996 bombing in Centennial Park during the Atlanta Olympics. Paul Walter Hauser, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, and Jon Hamm star.