Five Takeaways from the First Trailer for 'Jumanji: The Next Level'

Jumanji is back and headed to The Next Level this December. Yes. the rather shortly awaited sequel to the 2017 blockbuster reboot, Jumanji: The Next Level, will be ready for theaters by the end of this year, and the marketing push for the movie begins now with the very first trailer setting up how our heroes wind up back in the game and where the new adventure is set to take them and us.

Here are five takeaways from the first trailer for Jumanji: The Next Level.

1. Where is Spencer?

If you watched the trailer above this article, then you know that the plot kicks in for Jumanji: The Next Level with Spencer attempting to repair the Jumanji game. What we don't see is him actually being sucked into the game, and that is a mystery that the movie appears intent on building upon in the story and plot of Jumanji: The Next Level. Where is Spencer? His friends are going to try to find him by going into the game, but something goes wrong, and that cleverly throws the whole plot out the window in unique fashion. Just when you think you know what the story will be, it goes in a wholly different direction.

2. Where is Bethany?

Initially, in the trailer, Madison Iseman's Bethany is with Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain) and Martha (Morgan Turner). Bethany even appears to get sucked into the game like she did the first time around in the body of Professor Sheldon Oberon (Jack Black). However, once the trailer takes us back inside Jumanji, we find Fridge in the body of the Professor, two new characters, we will talk about in a moment, inside Dr Smolder Bravestone (The Rock) and Mouse Finbar (Kevin Hart), and Martha back in the body of Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). So, where is Bethany? Where does someone go when they don't appear to have a direct avatar in Jumanji? This is another smartly intriguing upending of story expectations. Once again, the search for Spencer, an obvious storyline, is cast aside for a more unexpected and unpredictable narrative. Even more fun, we don't actually see Bethany sucked into the game even as we see Fridge and Martha definitely taken in. What if she's not in there?

3. Danny Devito and Danny Glover

Danny Devito and Danny Glover have joined the cast for the newest Jumanji adventure as Grandpa Eddie and his pal, Milo. Eddie (Devito) is Spencer's grandfather and Milo (Glover) is Eddie's best friend. When our heroes are sucked into the game, somehow Eddie and Milo wind up inside Smolder Bravestone and Moose Finbar, respectively, and will have to learn how to use their younger, fitter, avatars to find Spencer and Bethany and survive the next level of Jumanji. Initially, I was put off by the old man schtick that Dwayne 'The Rock" Johnson and Kevin Hart engaged in as we are introduced to who they really are, but I have to admit, the bit at the end of the trailer featuring a reference to Dr. Smolder Bravestone's most peculiar special power from the first film broke me—I busted out with a big uncontrollable laugh and my fears about this new direction for the Jumanji sequel, at least for now, went away.

4. Who is Awkwafina?

Comedian and co-star of Crazy Rich Asians Awkwafina pops up in the trailer for Jumanji: The Next Level, but who is she? Neither Wikipedia nor IMDB are spoiling anything on the nature of Awkwafina's character by listing the character name or any leaked details. This leads naturally to speculation that she is some sort of playable character and is perhaps either Bethany or Spencer. Let's not forget, gender doesn't matter in Jumanji, as Bethany played the first game as Professor Oberon.

One clue that stood out to me was the spatial relationship in the trailer between a very serious looking Awkwafina and Nick Jonas' Seaplane McDonaugh, who returns from the first movie. Is Bethany perhaps inside Awkwafina, and this is a visual reference between her and Seaplane or Alex, the name of the film's IRL character, Alex, played by Colin Hanks in the first movie? Perhaps this is a continuation of that arc. But then, how did Alex wind up back in the game? Yet another intriguing mystery set up by this really great trailer.

5. Rhys Darby Steals the Show Again

Flight of the Conchords ace supporting player Rhys Darby is back for Jumanji: The Next Level and is as eccentric as ever as the non-playable character, Nigel. Nigel is the guide for Jumanji; he's literally designed to deliver needed exposition. I raved about this character in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle as a clever and very funny narrative shortcut, and Darby's strange energy and intonation appear to be back in peak form for the sequel, and I am excited.

All in all, the trailer for Jumanji: The Next Level is inspired. The trailer is filled to overflow with clever, unexpected twists and subversions of expectations. We get a sense of the story, but we are also left with numerous mysterious elements that will be unfolded when we see Jumanji: The Next Level in December.