Jumanji

Chris Van Allsburg’s 1981 children’s book, Jumanji as adapted into an adventure/fantasy film in 1995. Starring Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde, and Bebe Neuwirth, it grossed over $200 million. It got a spiritual sequel in 2005 under the name of Zathura.

After Alan (Adam Hann-Byrd) and Sarah (Laura Bell Bundy) find a supernatural board game that makes animals and jungle hazards appear, the two play and Alan becomes trapped inside. Twenty-six years later, Judy (Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce) move into the house and find the game. They free a now adult Alan (Williams) and seek out Sarah (Hunt) in order to finish the game.

It’s been said that Jumanji was supposed to be the definitive film for CGI usage in the 90s. And while the effects have a hit or miss effect, the story is quite good, especially with Williams not showing up until halfway through the film.  

The film is soaked CGI effects and was supposed to be the next big thing in development of the concept. However, while some of the effects were pretty good for mid-90s tech, like the vines and the lion. Transforming the wooden attic floor into quicksand was also fairly ok. However, a lot of it wasn’t and the effects don’t really age all that gracefully. The giant spiders near the end look incredibly fake as do the monkeys.

On the other hand, the plot of film is really good. It creates great suspense with the game itself from its first appearance until Alan and Sarah start playing, utilizing mysterious jungle drums to great effect. The inclusion of Van Pelt is a great way to bring home the idea of standing up for yourself instead of running away from your problems. Having him played by the same person that plays Alan’s father was a great idea.

Also, Williams, despite getting top billing, doesn’t show up until the second half of the film and he sort of plays against type. He’s not the manic funny guy, nor is he in the compassionate sagely role like he was in Good Will Hunting or Dead Poet’s Society. Here, he’s kind of shell shocked from experiencing the terrors of Jumanji for 26 years and just wants the game to end. He pulls it off really well, especially when he tells Peter how he’s not afraid because of all he’s been through.

Jumanji is pretty good, with the only real problem being how its digital effects stand up against the test of time. It’s well acted and has quite a good plot.