Jumanji (1995)

22 years after the original film's release, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle will be coming out later this year. It features Dwayne Johnson and Karen Gillian and appears to be very loosely connecetd to the original film. Time will tell whether this sequel is any good but the original film is certainly worth watching to pass an hour or two.

The title, Jumanji,  is the name of a mystical, jungle-themed board game. In 1969, Alan Parrish discovers the game and plays it with his friend, Sarah Whittle. The game has strange powers and Alan is sucked right into it. 26 years later, and the Parrish household is occupied by a woman and two orphaned siblings, Judy and Peter. Judy and Peter discover the Jumanji board game in the attic. They play the game, freeing Alan. After adapting to the new time period, Alan and the kids locate the adult Sarah Whittle. Together, the four players attempt to finish the game. Every move results in more animals breaking out into the real world along, as well as  a human big game hunter, Van Pelt, who is out to get Alan.

If there's any theme to this film then it's one of facing ones fear. Jumanji is a game which lends players the chance to escape the world. Alan's journey into the jungle allows him to escape from the reality of is life. But it is ultimately shown to be better to return to it.  It's very similar to Wizard of Oz, which gets referenced in the film. Robin Williams' Alan must face the issues with his long dead father as well as facing down Van Pelt, who is played by the same actor as his father, a similar to the Judy Garland Wizard of Oz.

There's quite a few fun set-pieces spread throughout the film. The mosquito attack is quite threatening and the animals stampeding through the house is fun to watch. Alan's fight with a lion is also quite good. The scene in the supermarket feels a little slapstick, but it was fine up to that point. Some of the CGI, such as that around the monkeys, feels primitive by today's standards. The hair on the monkeys being the obvious. But the film never feels too hampered by this.

Robin Williams is good as you would expect of him in the role of Alan Parrish, capturing the vulnerability of the character, a boy in an adult's body. The character of Sarah is effectively played by Bonnie Hunt, even if she comes across as a little bit screechy and neurotic at times at times.

The two kids are pretty good too. Kirsten Dunst is effective in her early role as Judy and Bradley Pierce is decent as Peter.  They are certainly watchable as kid actors. Not cloyingly sweet or too irritatingly rebellious.

Overall this was quite a good film. James Horner certainly provided a decent soundtrack. I'm not sure the sequel will live up to expectations but at least it will not dent the original.

8/10