Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13)
IMDb; Rotten Tomatoes; Seven Bucks Productions; Sony Pictures; TV Tropes; Wikia; Wikipedia
streaming sites: Amazon; Google Play; iTunes; Movies Anywhere; Vudu; YouTube

Caution: potential spoilers.

This 2019 film is a direct sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and the third movie in the franchise. I think I liked it a bit less than that movie, just because the premise was so similar. But the story was different enough that I did find it fairly entertaining.

A few years after the previous film, Spencer, Martha, Fridge, and Bethany have all gone separate ways, but still keep in touch. However, recently Spencer has failed to reply to anyone's texts, because he feels like he's lost his sense of who he is, and more importantly, is worried that his long distance relationship with Martha may not work out. But all four of them return to their hometown for Christmas break, and Spencer finds that his grandfather Eddie (Danny DeVito) is staying with his mother after his hip surgery. And then Eddie's estranged friend and former business partner, Milo Walker (Danny Glover) shows up at their house, wanting to make amends with Eddie. When Spencer doesn't show up for a get-together with his friends, they go to his house looking for him, and discover he's gone back into the Jumanji game. So, they go in after him. Except Bethany gets left behind for some reason, so she goes to Alex to seek help.

Once again, Martha is in the body of Ruby Roundhouse, but this time Fridge finds himself in Shelly's body, which he is really not happy about. Matters are complicated by the fact that Eddie is in Dr. Bravestone's body, and Milo is in Mouse's body. Martha and Fridge try to explain to them what's going on, but it takes awhile for them to really get it. Meanwhile, they go in search of Spencer, which also means trying to complete a new quest to recover a magical jewel that was stolen by a warlord named Jurgen the Brutal. After some adventuring, the four of them find Spencer, who is now in the body of a burglar named Ming Fleetfoot (Awkwafina), and he/she joins them in their quest. Eventually they are also joined by Alex's avatar and a new avatar inhabited by Bethany, who is now a horse named Cyclone. Because why not. And there is some body swapping in the movie, with the four characters from the previous movie in the avatars they're familiar with, and Eddie in Ming and Milo in Cyclone.

Well, there's more adventuring, and eventually the heroes win the game again, and return to the real world. Relationships are restored between Spencer and Martha and between Eddie and Milo. Also Eddie may get a new job at the restaurant he used to own with Milo, which is now owned by a woman named Nora (Bebe Neuwirth). Wikipedia reminds me that she was a character in the original Jumanji movie, which I had completely forgotten. Also there's a fun little mid-credits scene. I'm not sure what else to say, except the movie was reasonably fun and funny.