While the rhythmic formations and orchestrations of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle will remind listeners of Silvestri's mannerisms throughout, the score attempts to compete more generally with Andrew Lockington's methodology, and against this competition, Jackman and crew falls behind. There is a substantial amount of solid action material in this work, but it lacks the convincing fantasy element necessary for the subject, perhaps in part due to Jackman's difficulty modulating his robust action highlights down to character themes and attractive fantasy. A rather muted presence for choir is odd in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the magical elements never sufficiently addressed musically; the choral passages that do exist are short and tend to have a Stargate vibe. In the orchestrations, Jackman's team plays it straight, with snare rhythms aplenty and brass carrying the main theme in both solo and fanfare form. One notable nod to Nicholas Dodd techniques resides in the wild flute phrases supporting several of the main theme's major performances. The score offers three major themes and one secondary idea that will stick in the mind, albeit only briefly. The primary fanfare of the score is fairly decent and anchors the entirety of "The Jumanji Overture" and recurs in "Digging Up the Past," "The Legend of the Jewel," and other mission-oriented cues, culminating in victory during "Call Out Its Name." The contemporary relationship scenes usually outside the game are served an acoustic guitar base with the melodic line carried by piano, plucked strings, or woodwinds in "Brantford High," "First Kiss," and with zest in "Back to School." The melody of these passages is actually the full-ensemble friendship theme within the game that flourishes at the ends of "The Adventure Begins" and "An Older Friend." A marginal theme for the villain stews in the latter half of "Van Pelt" but is more forcefully introduced in the middle of "The Legend of the Jewel." Finally, a rhythmic action motif that bursts forth at the start of "The Power of Bravestone" and "Call Out Its Name" offers a solid backing for the score's main identities in several cues. These themes combine to form a clear narrative, though none is particularly catchy. The top two, the related main fanfare and friendship themes, would return in almost identical form in Jackman's score for the sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, in 2019. The mix of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle on album leaves the choir far behind the orchestral ensemble, further sapping the fantasy element. Still, it's a workmanlike success from Jackman even if it passes anonymously for most of its length. Enthusiasts of the work will find the slightly better 2019 sequel score to be largely redundant aside from its flashier villain's material and Arabian interludes.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download