A new dynamic duo of Dannys are also in the mix: comedy legend Danny DeVito plays Spencer's grandpa, while Danny Glover plays Milo. The two Dannys deliver a powerful one-two comedy punch, as they bicker and work toward mending their broken relationship, all while navigating the adventures of Jumanji in the much more able bodies of their avatars.

"The thing about Jumanji is that the game understands you. The game knows your strengths and weaknesses, and it challenges you to be the best version of yourself," Tolmach said while explaining what drives character development and storytelling in the film. He too is a longtime fan of the original "Jumanji" film as well as Chris Van Allsburg's children's fantasy book that inspired the movie franchise.

This time, the production team knew they needed to show more of the world of Jumanji. Just as the characters in the film explore the larger world outside the game, inside the game, they have to also explore new regions, including arid deserts and sand dunes, treacherous canyons, and icy mountains. Each area has its own challenges for the group to overcome, making for spectacular action sequences.

Fans will experience a visual feast in this new installment as they've come to expect from the franchise, thanks to visual effects supervisor Mark Breakspear and his team. There are many memorable scenes including one involving a swarm of attacking ostriches, which pursue the avatars in dune buggies. The global visual effects team, with over 5,000 artists working tirelessly at various VFX houses all over the world, including Los Angeles, Wellington, Montreal, Vancouver and Melbourne, have created a range of creatures for the Jumanji universe, including hippos, giant anacondas, horses, camels, mandrills and hyenas.

According to Dwayne Johnson, the production team knew how high expectations were from the outset: "The scope and the scale of the film is really epic; when it's Jumanji, it commands that. We went into this knowing that the pressure was on, and we had to raise the bar. We got to level up. So we brought in the best filmmakers, and the best in class with all our department heads and crew. Also, what's really cool about Jumanji is that we have no constraints, because it's a video game."

"Jumanji" in the film may be a video game, but it looks more like a virtual reality game in the present day, which resonates with new generations. Also worth noting is that at the end of the film, there is an indication that the game will come out and "invade" the real world in the potential sequel, rather than have people enter the virtual game as was the case in the latest two movies. This game-comes-alive mode is the setting for the original film back in 1995. To revive this in future stories will be exciting and definitely something to look forward to.

"I think that the message of Jumanji and the fun of it appeals to people of every age. When we look at superhero movies we see someone who is obviously flawed but has just some kind of insane power. Whereas everyone in Jumanji are normal people who become heroes in the game, and I think that resonates with anyone, across any culture. Bravery, courage, facing and understanding your flaws. Those are universal concepts and so old or young, I think that you really feel something when you see these characters," said Awkwafina.

The film has been released in China from Friday, Dec. 6, one week earlier than in North America.

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