Jumanji – Film Review

A magical board game unleashes a world of adventure on siblings Peter (Bradley Pierce) and Judy Shepherd (Kirsten Dunst). While exploring an old mansion, the youngsters find a curious, jungle-themed game called Jumanji in the attic. When they start playing, they free Alan Parrish (Robin Williams), who’s been stuck in the game’s inner world for decades. If they win Jumanji, the kids can free Alan for good — but that means braving giant bugs, ill-mannered monkeys and even stampeding rhinos.

Back in 1995, director Joe Johnston released a film that would inspire a ton of children all around the world to open up their imaginations and let their wild side out, and that film was Jumanji. Even if you’re not a 90s kid, there’s an extremely high chance that you’ve seen this movie before and probably rewatched it countless times since your initial viewing.

And if for some reason you’ve been living under a rock and you haven’t seen this film, you’ve definitely at least heard of it. Jumanji is an incredibly fun fantasy adventure that’s truly fun for all ages. Kids will have a total blast at seeing these zany scenarios from this jungle-like board game spilling into the real world, while adults will probably enjoy the humor and heart.

I will say that I definitely enjoy the new films in this franchise more, but I’m always going to have a special place in my heart for the original. There’s just something so much fun about this story of young Alan getting trapped inside of a board game and having to help some kids decades later who are finding themselves in similar trouble.

Alan must do whatever he can to ensure the safety of these kids and along the way, he also learns more about himself and what happened while he was gone. Robin Williams was one of the greatest actors of all time, and it’s always so emotional rewatching this movie nowadays. Just seeing the look on his face when he finds out that the local shoe company has closed is heartbreaking.

But it’s not a movie that wallops in sadness at all – this is an outrageously goofy and silly movie and it’s all the better for it. The chemistry Williams shares with his co-stars Bradley Pierce and Kirsten Dunst is absolutely delightful and is sure to bring a smile onto anyone’s face. This movie has a real sense of love and warmth radiating off of it that’s impossible not to feel.

There are some instances in which it feels like the film could’ve benefited from some more zaniness because the first act in particular, serves mostly as a setup chapter for the rest of the movie to come. Not to mention the fact that the CGI in this movie is nothing short of utterly awful.

It’s genuinely hard to believe that this movie will be thirty years old just two years from now. I wasn’t alive when this film was initially released in theatres, but it’s a film that I grew up on and it’s one that I hold near and dear to my heart, even if it is just a goofy little movie. It’s a goofy little movie I’ll cherish forever.

Jumanji is a delightfully goofy fantasy adventure with tons of creative set pieces and a heartwarming lead performance from Robin Williams.