Paramount+ Expands Library with Major October Update as Spooky Season Begins

The Redux version currently streaming on Paramount+ is the 2001 extended cut, which restores approximately 49 minutes of footage originally edited out for the 1979 theatrical release. This version includes the famous "French Plantation" sequence, which provides additional political context regarding the colonial history of the region. With a 93% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, Apocalypse Now Redux remains a haunting, hallucinatory trip into the madness of war, anchored by Brando’s unhinged performance and Robert Duvall’s iconic turn as the surf-obsessed Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore.

Modernizing a Classic: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Transitioning from the darkness of the jungle to its more adventurous side, Paramount+ has also added Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Directed by Jake Kasdan, this 2017 release faced the daunting task of following the beloved 1995 original starring Robin Williams. Rather than attempting a direct remake, Kasdan and his creative team opted for a "legacy sequel" approach that updated the central premise for a digital age.

In this iteration, the supernatural board game of the original has evolved into a vintage video game console. When four mismatched high school students—a nerd, a jock, a shy outcast, and a popular socialite—are sentenced to detention, they discover the game and are promptly sucked into its world. The brilliance of the film lies in its subversion of the "avatar" trope. The teenagers find themselves inhabiting bodies that are the polar opposites of their real-world identities.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays the avatar of the nerdy Spencer, projecting a hilarious mix of hulking physicality and crippling insecurity. Kevin Hart serves as the avatar for the towering jock, now trapped in the diminutive body of a "zoologist" sidekick. Karen Gillan portrays the avatar for the shy Martha, while Jack Black delivers a standout performance as the avatar for the popular girl, Bethany. Black’s portrayal of a teenage girl trapped in the body of a "middle-aged man" remains one of the comedic highlights of the decade.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a massive box office success, earning a 77% critics’ score for its sharp writing and the genuine chemistry of its lead quartet. Its arrival on Paramount+ is timely, as it allows viewers to revisit the start of the new trilogy before the final installment, Jumanji: Open World, hits theaters this December.

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