Product Description

A magical board game serves as a door to another dimension in this adventure fantasy based on Chris Van Allsburg's award-winning children's book. When a pair of orphans discover the game and start playing it they unwittingly unleash a man (Robin Williams) who's been trapped inside--as well as an array of stampeding jungle animals, brought vividly to the screen courtesy of ILM's computer-generated special effects. Directed by Joe Johnston (THE ROCKETEER, JURASSIC PARK III.)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4336 in DVD
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2000-01-25
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.com
Based on the children's book by Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji stars Robin Williams as a man who escapes his confinement within a devilish board game, only to be followed by all kinds of exotic problems: elephants, lions, zebras, monkeys, floods, giant insects, killer plants, and a big-game hunter. The computer-generated effects all wreak havoc through quiet streets, and while most of this is pretty fun, relationship conflicts and character development are weak and forgettable. The high point, in comic terms, is probably David Alan Grier's hilarious performance as a cop catching the worst of these various plagues--one at a time. The DVD release has a widescreen presentation, Dolby sound, optional French and Spanish soundtracks, optional Spanish and Korean subtitles.--Tom Keogh

From The New Yorker
Just the kind of blithe, accelerated nonsense that we need after the holidays. The title refers to an ancient board game with groovy powers; Robin Williams plays Alan, who was sucked into the Jumanji board as a boy and emerges twenty-six years later when a couple of kids (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) open up the game and roll the dice. Cue all manner of special effects: spiders the size of hubcaps, elephants in the hallway. There's a touch of Spielberg in the way the director, Joe Johnston, makes these images work dramatically. He gets full comic mileage out of his monkeys and mosquitoes, but he rarely lets them swamp the actors. Williams seems, thank heaven, to be pulling out of his weepy, puffy period. Bonnie Hunt has a pleASINg turn as a fey psychic; Jonathan Hyde is cast both as Alan's father and as his murderous nemesis inside the game-a neat, "Wizard of Oz"-like twist. The movie takes time to warm up, it weakens into soppiness at the end, and the game itself, if you think it through, makes very little sense. Most of the time, however, you don't have to think at all. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

The Perfect Adventure Film for Older Kids and Adults
When Alan Parrish finds an old board game in a construction site, he has no clue what awaits him. When he and friend Sarah Whittle start to play, he is pulled into the game and she is chased from the house by bats. Fast-forward 26 years to when brother and sister Peter and Judy Shepherd start to play. They free a now grown Alan from the game, but in the process release monkeys, mosquitoes, and a lion. They realize they must finish the game to make everything return to normal. Reuniting with the adult Sarah, they attempt to stay alive long enough to do just that.

This movie is a fantastic fantasy/action movie. It starts out well, and the suspense continues to build until the climax. At the same time, it's got some great one-liners and funny scenes to break the tension. The entire cast does well with the material, including all the special effects. The special effects show their age today and are a bit more stylized then realistic, but they serve the movie well.

A word of warning to parents. This is a very intense movie. Even though it was marketed as a family movie, many small kids will be frightened by it. Keeping that in mind, you might want to preview it before you show it to them.

This DVD is a perfect showcase for the movie. The picture is sharp, and the surround sound puts you right in the middle of the action. There is a commentary and two documentaries from the special effects team that give you insight into how they brought the animals in the film to life. If you're looking to purchase this film, this is the version to get.

Jumanji is an action movie that gets it right. It has the perfect mix of character and story supported by special effects. Pick it up today and be prepared to leave your world behind.

STICK TO MONOPOLY
Wow, can you imagine waking up on Christmas morning and finding JUMANJI under your tree? Talk about a game that would literally bring down the house! JUMANJI was critically bashed upon its release, but viewing it now, one has to wonder why. It has some pretty inventive special effects, and its premise is neat in that you never know what you get with the roll of the dice. Giant mosquitos? Spiders? Mad monkeys? A stampede of African animals? A crazed hunter? Floods, etc., etc. While the movie sometimes drifts off on unnecessary tangents, it's still a whirlwind of fantastical adventures. Robin Williams, the king of playing grown men who act like children, is remarkably restrained as Alan Parrish, a young boy who was sucked into the game back in 1969 and is released in 1995 by a young Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce. In order to stop all the horrendous things happening, they must finish the game Alan started in 1969, which includes his now adult girlfriend, lovingly played by Bonnie Hunt. Of course, the demented hunter (Jonathan Hyde in a dual role as the hunter and Alan's rather loutish father) doesn't want the game finished. Smaller children may find themselves frightened by some of the catastrophies that plague our heroes, but for older children and even us adult children, JUMANJI delivers.

"Any last words?" . . . "Jumanji!"
The movie "Jumanji" is one of the best action/adventure movies you can find on the market. It takes place in a small town in New Hampshire. Alan Parrish is a boy growing up in 1969. His father is cold towards him, his classmates bully him . . . he tries to please his father and always seems to fail. Stumbling onto a digging site where a construction crew is building, he comes across a buried chest. Inside he finds a . . . board game? Yes, a board game! Called "Jumanji", it looks interesting, and he takes it home. Later, Alan and his neighbor Sarah begin to play the game. But when Sarah rolls the dice, words appear in the middle of the board . . . "At night they fly, you better run, these winged things are not much fun." Alan then drops the dice in alarm, and sees on the board "In the jungle you must wait, until the dice read five or eight." After Alan disappears into the board before Sarah's eyes, she is chased out of the house by a mob of bats that appear in the chimney. ---------- Fast-forward to 26 years later, when a woman and her niece and nephew (Judy and Peter) move into the house where Alan used to live. The two kids find the game and begin to play. They find out too late that once you start, you can't stop. The only way to make everything that seems to be coming from the game (like mosquitos and a lion) disappear is to finish the game, with the person who rolls the winning number to end yelling out "Jumanji!" ---------- This movie does not try to "Wow" you with special effects (although the special effects are good). Instead, the acting takes precedent. The younger actors and actresses (who play Judy, Peter, and a young Alan and Sarah) are really good. Bonnie Hunt, as Sarah 26 years later, is wonderful; as is Robin Williams as Alan Parrish. There IS an overlying message in this story (contrary to the viewpoints of other review-writers): Stand up to what you are afraid of. It's okay to be scared, but stand up to it. And unlike some adventure movies, there is enough comedy to keep things interesting ("Sarah and I would like to get OUT of the floor, so . . . "). With great music and a moving plot, this is a great movie. Any last comments? "Jumanji . . . "