Jumanji (1995) Reviews

• An excellent family entertainment achievement, with the keyword family, not just kids.

  MovieAddict20162002-08-17

  The smash hit 1995 film Jumanji- based on the children's book- is a great family film. The plot of the story involves a young boy named Alan Parrish who in the 1960's finds a supernatural board game, that was buried underground in the 1800's. Alan is instantly drawn into playing the game, and Sarah-a girl who lives close to him- also joins in the game. After the powers of the game transport young Alan into the jungles of the board game, no one believes Sarah's story of what happened, and everyone suspects foul play. Now in 1995, a girl named Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and her younger brother Peter have been drawn into the game after finding it in the attic of the old Parrish house. When they play however, Alan (Robin Williams) is released from the jungle accidentally when one of the kids rolls a certain number on the dice. Now, with the powers and creatures of Jumanji released, they must finish the game. But to do so, they must find Sarah (Bonnie Hunt), because now it is her turn to roll the dice. After finding her, they must hurry before the town they live in is destroyed and before they all die! Jumanji is great family film, packed with - at the time - great graphics (that now look like a computer game). While some hate this film for being too terrifying for young children, people have forgotten what the rating PG means-PARENTAL GUIDANCE-NOT all ages. So with this in mind guidance is suggested for scary scenes, but I think any child over 3 can enjoy this film. It has no gore or attacks really. Sure, there're some mildly scary scenes, but look at Harry Potter – I think more kids I heard of thought that was scary than Jumanji. Another great thing about Jumanji, is that like Shrek and such films, adults can enjoy it as well. It's not one of those films where you have to suffer through, like many movies coming out today. I think movies like Jumanji are the best of their kind. The acting was great, and Robin Williams is perfect for the role of Alan Parrish, and Bonnie Hunt and him had good chemistry. Kirsten Dunst in this film was further shaping her acting career, to appear in such films now like 'Spider-Man' and the teen movie 'Bring It On.' I honestly forget the name of the kid who plays Judy's brother Peter, but he was okay. I don't think he was great though. Okay, but not great. I doubt as he gets older he'll get a film career much past his teen years. So if you want some good, family fun seeing a movie, rent Jumanji. And remember, PG = Parental Guidance, not All Ages, so do use discretion is your kids don't like mild terror, but I doubt you'll have to, especially on video (I'll admit the theater added some more terror). It's not as terrifying as Ebert stated in his review. With all the movies he's seen, I think he's way off mark. He compared Jumanji to being as suitable as Jaws was for children, but big news Ebert, Jaws WAS rated PG. Anyway, I hate when people think of Jumanji as a 'should be PG-13' because it's not. It's great family fun with loads of laughs, jungle animals and creatures, and just plain hilariousness! 4/5 stars. I loved Jumanji, and I DEFINITELY recommend it to families.

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• Maybe The Best Ever For Just Pure Entertainment

  ccthemovieman-12006-02-17

  Among the thousands of films I have viewed, this movie would rank near the top for sheer entertainment. That's not saying it's the best-made or most intelligent or scariest or funniest or features the best effects, etc. etc. But combine all those and you have a film that's tough to beat when you're looking for 100 minutes of escapist fun. The film features some wild computer-enhanced special effects that were new to its day, but now about 10 years later, it's no big deal. In fact, some of it, such as the lion, look pretty hokey compared to the stuff that's out there now. To me, it was story that was the lure, anyway, not the special effects. Because it's so much fun, this is one of the fastest-moving films I've ever viewed. The time flies by. It's not to be analyzed or given much thought, because it's so ludicrous. You just go along for the wild ride in this fantasy-adventure and get a bunch of laughs and thrills along the way. That's one of the big attractions of this of film: the excellent combination of adventure and comedy. Are there annoying things in this movie? Sure. To me, it was Bonnie Hunt's occult beliefs and too many OMGs and the overdone character of the hunter (Jonathan Hyde). Other than that, I loved the film the first I saw it and every time afterward. I've probably viewed this movie as much as any, simply because it was so entertaining. Robin Williams, David Alan Grier and the two kids, Kristen Dunst and Bradley Pierce, were all great people to watch and share this adventure with. Now THIS is entertainment!

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• Jumanji – a timeless adventure story

  golem32005-09-12

  There are few children's movies that I particularly enjoyed – I can recount The Borrowers, Labyrinth and The Neverending Story. Jumanji, however takes a new place among children's films – in fact, it may seem that initially, Jumanji is about simplistic story about kids playing a board game. Based on a gorgeous picture book story of the same name by Chris Van Allsberg, this movie takes a beautiful magical adventure and makes it into a thrill ride that defies all natural laws. Time travel, physical transformations, perceptual distortions and multiple universes are just a few of the things that Jumanji toys with. The most evident phenomena is that the characters run in two different and parallel universes, one where Jumanji exists, and the other where it is just a dream. The life of Judy and Peter as orphans exists in a different world from the one where Jumanji doesn't exist – in other words, Jumanji is a catalyst of fate, an evil entity that does not bring about awe as it did in Allsberg's book, but fear. The world that Allen Parrish is doomed to be incarcerated in the jungles of Jumanji is another one, but that period of time is nonexistent in the world he will eventually live in. This is the beauty of the movie; that these characters can only allow their trauma and epiphanies to cross worlds. With each roll of the dice, the characters grow and change. The ending with 'Jumanji' is mark of the end of that universe – everything that the jungle world had yielded, from the colonist-hunter Van Pelt to the roaring stampede and the monkeys had to return, to be sealed into the game and the universe. The game controls life; but it is merciful when played to the end without cheating. The mental agony and pain must have been tremendous for the Parrishes. Presumably, Alan spent his twenty six years in the jungle, but returned to his old self only to again relive his life as if it never happened. The temporal distortion must have presumably had an effect on his parents, although only Sarah seems to notice. (She was playing the game – and only those playing are directly affected, but in the game universe of Judy and Peter we see a problem in the movie's understanding of temporal change) The power of fate in deciding the endgame was critical in the film. It seems that the game was in itself a game of a game; it was all planned out and ready to go. In fact, it also seems that no matter how crazy or perilous the situation is, the characters cannot be killed. Even Van Pelt says at the Sir Sav A Lot that "I am hunting only Alan. I won't kill you, since you didn't roll" He too is bound to the rules of the game, no matter how much of a colonialist he is. The game instills a high level of fear without death, in order for the game to continue, all the characters must be present. So in one way, no one need be scared of anything in the game. Instead, the game builds resilience in the characters. It was natural that in the end the end was initiated by the future; or more appropriately the past. At the end, both Sarah and Alan make up for the trouble they have caused and have a life bond from the experience. The jumping between 1994 and 1964 is a critical aspect where we see that the horrors of the game have allowed Judy and Peter's parents to not die in the ski accident. They are oddly willing to put an end to their vacation when they hardly know the Parrishes… "In the jungle, you must wait, until you roll a five or eight" – Jumanji "Roll a two, roll a four, but never ask for more" – Gautam RATING: 10/10 (amazing)

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• A fun and adventure filled film fit for the whole family!

  Smells_Like_Cheese2003-11-29

  I just used to love "Jumanji" as a kid. This was what was Oscar worthy to me, because I loved the special effects and Robin Williams. Even though I think I over did it with the Oscar worthy thoughts, still to this day I enjoy "Jumanji". It's a great family film that will make you feel good and have fun with. Robin Williams plays Alan, a boy who when he was little and had a horrible fight with his father plays a game with his friend, Sarah, and the game happens to be cursed causing Alan to get sucked into the game until someone else plays it. Sarah freaking out by just what happened runs home and no one believes her leaving Alan behind for decades in the game. When a new family moves in, Judy and Peter and their Aunt Nora, they find the game and start playing and release Alan who has just survived decades in a jungle. When they realize that they must finish the game to make the horrible curses it brings go away, they find Sarah who is now the town loony, and must play it 'til they finish. But can they do that with all the spiders, elephants, lions, tsunami, vines, stampedes, and an angry hunter? You'll just have to wait and see. This is a great movie for the family and I'd highly recommend it for a good watch. It's just a fun fill adventure with great effects and some fun performances by Robin and Bonnie and a very young Kirsten Dunst. So sit back, grab the popcorn, and enjoy "Jumanji"! 8/10

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• Action and adventure for the kids, and Robin Williams for the adults

  harper_blue2003-09-01

  Find a comfortable chair, lay out the board, grab the dice, and get ready to play. But remember: once you start this game, you can't stop. If it takes you over twenty years to finish, finish you must. "Jumanji" is loosely based on the Caldecott Medal-winning children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. The basic premise stays the same: a sister and brother find a strange game based on a jungle safari adventure. When they begin playing it, they find they cannot stop, for the characters and events of the game come to life and start filling their house with monkeys, lions, explorers and other strange things. Only finishing the game will make it all go away. In the hands of Hollywood, more story is added. Now we have a game spanning 26 years, when one of the two children playing the game in 1969 gets sucked into the game itself. He's trapped there until a fresh pair of children in 1995 find the game and begin playing. The right number is rolled, and out Alan comes...as Robin Williams! Finding the grown girl to complete the group, the four must complete the game before their town is destroyed by the stampeding rhinos, killer pod vines and crazed Great White Hunter. Robin has some good moments in this film, though he isn't allowed to riff as much as in other vehicles. He's supported by an excellent cast, including a young Kirsten Dunst as the sister of the new pair of children; Jonathan Hyde as both the 1969 father and Van Pelt, the Great White Hunter from the game; and Bebe Neuwirth as the modern children's aunt. The effects are, not surprisingly, ILM-excellent -- necessary in a film of this type. The script was co-written by Van Allsburg to insure the atmosphere of the film and book mesh, but he did not fall into the "This is MY baby" syndrome, and received good help from his two co-writers (for details, see the main page). Highly recommended for old and young alike.

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