When young Alan Parrish discovers a mysterious board game, he doesn't realise its unimaginable powers until he is magically transported, before his friend Sarah's startled eyes, into the untamed jungles of Jumanji. He remains there for 26 years until two unsuspecting children free him from the game's spell. Now a grown man, Alan reunites with Sarah, and they and the children try to outwit the game's powerful forces in this imaginative adventure that combines breathtaking special effects with an enchanting mixture of comedy, magic and thrills. Jumanji is packed with so much to enjoy, it is truly a marvel and one you will become fully immersed in. I remember being shown this by my parents and completely falling in love with it so much. The premise of a board game holding an entire jungle world filled with dangerous and a whole manner of crazy creatures within was quite a unique idea. Every time the dice roll something perilous always occurs which throws our brave protagonists into a fight for not just their lives, but the lives of everyone else in the town. The only way to save them all is by finishing the game. Robin Williams is the star of this film and not only is he an amazing actor, but he is definitely one of the greatest aspects of this adventure. He delivers so much emotion and magnificent acting as, the now-aged, Alan Parrish. This is certainly one of his finest and easily my favourite. All the other actors were very well cast in their roles and each brought so much joy, excitement and feeling making the film all the better. I like how the story begins during the 60s with Alan and Sarah who begin the game and of course, things go wrong. We are then given a time jump of 26 years, and for the whole time, Alan has been stuck inside the board game, living there and surviving. We, the audience, are brought to the 'modern day' during the 90s where that very same game is continued by Judy and Peter who, through one of their roles, free Alan. Now much older, Alan figures out the game he had started is still being played and set out to find the other player. Upon getting a reluctant Sarah to join them, they continue the game with every intent to end it once and for all. It is such a phenomenal story concept that's so well executed. Throughout the film with each of their turns, the dangers grow and the uncertainty as to what could happen next, always has you on the edge of your seat. From wild beasts like lions to monkeys, man-eating plants, crocodiles and a stampede, there are so many dangers our protagonists face. This is especially the case when the group rolls the dice unleashing the hunter, Van Pelt, who stops at nothing until he kills Alan, who he has been hunting for the entire 26 years he was trapped in Jumanji. For the remainder of the film, he becomes a formidable threat and leaves a constant feeling of dread as he closes in. I loved how they used Alan's character. Since having lived in the wild world of Jumanji, he works as an advantage to the survival of the others by knowing what each horror within is capable of. Seeing Alan's face when he reads the riddle from the board, showing some form of recognition as to what is about to come out of the board game really ups the tension. The true fear in his eyes show what true horrors he must have faced and endured whilst in Jumanji. Every time one element comes out, he is brought back to that nightmare and Williams does a fantastic job of expressing all those emotions. The film has quite the climactic finale with all matters of creatures and dangers escaping, destroying the neighbourhood whilst they try to finish the game. I won't spoil much of the ending as there are some scares and nice resolutions best viewed unspoiled. Overall, this is an incredible film and a must-see classic with a brilliant story, loveable characters, exciting action, hilarious comedic moments and amazing special effects. This is undoubtedly one to watch with the whole family. So let the wild adventure unfold in the game to end all games, Jumanji. Also, check out the sequel Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017).
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