The 1990s was a decade of a lot of experimentation. With the
advent of CGI coming to the forefront, studios couldn't help but try to
implement it into every production they had. Aside from James Cameron who was
more or less the facilitator in this push, there was another director who was
getting his experience with these kinds of special effects. Joe Johnston by the
mid 1990s had a couple popular movies under his belt and was working his way to
becoming a rather credible director. Having his name listed with movies like
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), The Rocketeer (1991) and served in the visual
effects department for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Johnston certainly had
good stuff on his resume. So when this movie came along he was well ready for
it, but for audiences, that was a risky bet. However that does not mean this
movie isn't worth it.
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| "Let's play a game shall we?" |
Based on a book written by Chris Van Allsburg, the same
writer to The Polar Express, had quite the intriguing concept. What would
happen if there was a board game that played itself and whatever moves were
made were determined by the board? Sounds pretty crazy. Yet Johnston and his
team of screenwriters were able to produce not only that, but a story about a
boy who learned how to grow up by not running away from his problems. Alan
Parrish at a young age is the son of a wealthy shoe factory owner but feels
neglected. He and his only friend Sarah find a board game by the name of
Jumanji and decide to play it. Of which Alan is sucked into the game until 26
years later when Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter Shepherd (Bradley Pierce)
rediscover the game and start what begun those years ago.
There they meet adult Alan Parrish (Robin Williams) and
Sarah (Bonnie Hunt) who join them in finishing the game. From there, things
only escalate beyond the point of no return. A new turn produces more
collateral damage to property and all other sorts of things. The same could be
said for how these characters end up after the game is finished. Audiences will
realize that the story of Alan largely plays a significant role in the progress
of his home town and how it will affect other people. This also creates a good
portion of emotional moments for the character and Robin Williams is also able to
sell that well. The same can be said for Dunst, Hunt and Pierce who all add to
the events that occur. All four of them also have great chemistry together,
providing laughs and scares. Writers Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim
Strain all did a decent job building this story.
The visuals to this story however are occasionally a mixed
bag. If anything, the game mechanics to this interactive extravaganza is
ridiculous. No matter what, so much goes wrong even if it seems like things
couldn't get that bad. As an adult, it's completely fine to watch. However for
younger audiences, this movie may be too intense and can be a little too much
for a comedy adventure. Being sucked into a board game isn't all the cool
sounding when you're stretched and distorted. And that's where the effects come
into play. Being that it was still at the point where CGI hadn't been fully
perfected there are still a number of areas that look untouched. Some objects
are too light in color as opposed to their surroundings. They just don't mesh
well and it makes them stand out even more. There are practical effects too,
which look a little better but even they look slightly unrealistic.
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| The Jumanji board game |
The most convincing of these visuals though was the
cinematography by Thomas E. Ackerman and the set design. Having worked on
Beetlejuice (1988) and later George of the Jungle (1997), Ackerman surely knows
how to make adequate looking shots. Most of the film takes place in Alan
Parrish's house and considering how out of control things become, not long
after Alan's house doesn't resemble a house anymore. It gets that bad, that
quick. Lastly the musical score composed by James Horner was nothing short of
greatness. Believe it or not there is a signature theme for the game itself
involving minor key music box notes and beating drums. Also the cues played for
Alan Parrish are rather emotional too. It may not be his most profound or
emotionally moving score but it still rings memorable chords.
Points Earned --> 7:10
