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Best Film EverAuthor: Movie Podcast
Your new favourite transatlantic film review podcast, trawling through the blockbusters and critical darlings in search of the best film ever. Language: en Genres: Film History, Film Reviews, TV & Film Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode 326 - Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle
Monday, 13 April, 2026
"Welcome to Jumanji!" Join Ian, Liam & Megs for our 326th episode as we press start, pick our avatars, and get sucked into the chaotic, comedic, and surprisingly heartfelt world of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Kev? He’s not with us this week — he selected his character without reading the stats and is now stuck in the jungle with a weakness to cake and only one life remaining. We wish him luck. This week we discuss: The central gimmick — body-swap comedy meets video game logic. Why this concept works far better than it has any right to. Dwayne Johnson’s performance — bravado, vulnerability, and comedic timing. Is this one of his most self-aware roles? Kevin Hart as the reluctant sidekick — high-energy, fast-talking, and constantly outmatched. Does he elevate or overwhelm? Jack Black’s scene-stealing turn — Surely even Megs will commend his commitment, physicality, and one of the boldest comedic performances in a mainstream blockbuster. Karen Gillan’s balancing act — action hero competence with awkward teenage insecurity underneath. Megs explores the film’s take on identity — how stepping into a different body reframes confidence, perception, and self-worth. Ian breaks down the narrative structure — game levels, stakes, callbacks and consequences that are both earned and why the film’s pacing feels so clean. Liam questions the emotional core — does the film earn its character growth, or is it just well-disguised formula? The video game rules — clear, fun, and occasionally inconsistent. When do they help the story, and when do they get bent? We're looking at you, Nick Jonas The humour — broad, physical, and surprisingly sharp. Which jokes land, and which ones don’t quite stick? The ending — satisfying, predictable, or just the right amount of both? And finally, whether Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is the Best Film Ever — or one of the most unexpectedly successful reboots of the modern era. Become a Patron of this podcast and support the BFE at https://www.patreon.com/BFE We are extremely thankful to our following Patrons for their most generous support: Juleen from It Goes Down In The PM Hermes Auslander James DeGuzman Synthia Shai Bergerfroind Ariannah Who Loves BFE The Most Paul Komoroski Duane Smith (Duane Smith!) Andy Dickson Chris Pedersen Randal Silva Nate The Great Rev Bruce Cheezy (with a fish on a bike) Richard Ryan Kuketz Dirk Diggler Stew from the Stew World Order podcast NorfolkDomus John Humphrey's Right Foot Timmy Tim Tim Aashrey Youth Hosteling with Chris Eubank Buy some BFE merch at https://my-store-b4e4d4.creator-spring.com/. Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor Also, massive thanks to Moonlight Social for our age game theme song. You can catch more from them at https://www.moonlightsocialmusic.com/
