fan-favorites Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillian, and Jack Black back to the interactive world of Jumanji. The sequel's introduction to Danny DeVito's Edie Gilpin was seen as an added bonus and the character soon turned into a staple for many memes inspired by the film.
As the last year changed the world with the disastrous wave of the coronavirus pandemic, some memers even went on to draw parallels between the unpredictability of 2020 to that of the absolute savagery of Jumanji!
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For the ones who don't use YouTube , a few skippable ads would be a common occurrence every now and then. These ads can range from brand promotions to film or song trailers. This meme sums up a particular Reddit 's amusement as the person found The Next Level's trailer as an ad for the trailer itself!
The comments raised all sorts of remarks and observations. For instance, one commented, 'They paid themselves to promote themselves with the exact same product as themselves'. Was this an intentional choice on the studio's part or just a glitch? That's open to interpretation.
Jack Black's Retirement
Jack Black has entertained audiences with his over-the-top antics and contagious positivity since the 2000s, acting in modern comedy classics like School of Rock, Kung Fu Panda, and Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. With his recent acting credits including the two new Jumanji films, Black seems to have been on a sabbatical of sorts.
While it may have come as sad news for his fans, Black's comedic legacy still continues in his recent Instagram posts. In most of these videos, he dresses up as iconic pop culture characters and wreaks havoc in a bizarrely funny manner that sits well with his hyperactive brand of humor.
'I'm In'
Jumanji: The Next Level might not be everyone's cup of tea as some might prefer its predecessor or the original Robin Williams-led film from the 90s. But a major selling point for this sequel could be Danny De Vito's inclusion in the lead ensemble. Even though Awkwafina and Danny Glover also ed the cast, one can argue that Danny De Vito has had a cult fanbase over the years.
With his stellar work in film and TV and merry off-screen demeanor, he has gained quite a positive reputation. Hence, his name is enough to motivate a few viewers in checking out the film.
Typecasting
While Dwayne Johnson has helmed several blockbuster franchises in his ongoing cinematic career, the wrestler-turned-actor can be typecasted at times as the muscular lead in a fantasy/sci-fi franchise. Just take the three stills in this meme as an example.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Rampage, and Jumanji: The Next Level, all three of these films feature him sporting greyish-colored clothing in the backdrop of lush, green forests while encountering unreal threats.
'My ts Feel Like Butter'
In the previous film, the character Spencer (Alex Wolff) had turned into Dr. Xander Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) while being stuck in Jumanji. For the teenager, taking up this physically strong avatar came as a shocker as his real-life physicality was much weaker in comparison.
Hence, it wouldn't come as a surprise when in the second installment, Spencer's old grandfather Edie (Danny DeVito) feels even stranger in the body of Bravestone. Instead of his usual t pain, he possessed the physique of an athlete, a sudden change that took him time to get normalized with.
Irreplaceable
As mentioned before, Danny DeVito has had a massive online fanbase. If not his earlier movies, the Gen-Z have also developed a fondness for him for It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (a show that has also offered several DeVito memes).
This meme just pokes fun at a headline citing how the actor is truly irreplaceable and one of his kind. Potterheads would the template as the scene from Deathly Hallows in which Harry Potter confronts Severus Snape in the Hall of Hogwarts for serving as Heaster instead of Albus Dumbledore.
LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Tinder
A trend started by Dolly Parton, this particular meme template grew viral as people ed their possible photos for different social media apps showing different moods and aesthetics. In this Dwayne Johnson meme, the actor seems to be at his professional best for LinkedIn, in a still taken from Ballers.
Apart from a family photo for Facebook and a young high-school photo for Tinder, his Instagram profile seems to be taken from a Jumanji behind-the-scenes event as Danny DeVito also makes an appearance.
'So Anyway...'
'So anyway, I started blasting.' is a memorable quote by Danny DeVito's character Frank Reynolds as he advocates gun ownership in an episode from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
This became one of the most recognizable scenes from the series and was used as a template on many a meme. In this case, the guns have been replaced with the heads of Dwayne Johnson as the meme pretty much sums up Edie's story arc from Jumanji: The Next Level.
Movie Of The Decade
As mentioned above, it's evident that Jack Black and Danny DeVito have garnered a dedicated following on the internet. Hence, featuring them both in a single film along with bankable stars like Dwayne Johnson and Karen Gillian, was a financially smart move as the film got itself several selling points, at least for the Gen-Z.
For some viewers, a blockbuster like The Next Level might not be 'movie of the decade' material but it might just live on in popular memory for casting Black and DeVito.
Level 4
Since last February and March, the coronavirus began spreading all over the globe leading to social distancing and nationwide lockdowns. A general air of chaos marked 2020 as the year began to undergo major changes in human society. If that wasn't enough, other troubles included World War III speculation, Australian bushfires, and so on.
It's not surprising to find people comparing the year to a dystopia. This meme similarly parodies this mass hysteria equating every month as a new level in Jumanji.
