Jumanji is a 1995 American fantasy adventure film about a supernatural board game that makes wild animals and other jungle hazards materialize upon each player's move. It was directed by Joe Johnston and is based on Chris Van Allsburg's popular 1981 picture book of the same name. Industrial Light & Magic provided computer graphics and animatronics for the special effects.
The film stars Robin Williams as Alan, a man who emerges from the game's unseen jungle world, along with Kirsten Dunst as a kid named Judy Shepherd who plays the game with her brother, Peter Shepherd (Bradley Pierce), David Alan Grier as Carl Bentley, a hapless shoemaker-turned-police officer, Adam Hann-Byrd as Alan when he was a boy, Laura Bell Bundy as little Sarah Whittle, the girl who played the game with Alan when they were children, while his adult version was interpreted by Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde plays a double role as Alan's father and Van Pelt, a big-game hunter intent on killing Alan--Van Pelt is patterned after Alan's father. The cast also features Bebe Neuwirth as Judy and Peter's aunt. It was shot in Keene, New Hampshire, where the story is set, North Berwick, Maine (the Parrish Shoes factory) and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Cast
- Robin Williams as Alan Parrish, A man trapped in Jumanji for 26 years. He is the main protagonist of the film
- Bonnie Hunt as Sarah Whittle, A psychic driven into madness after Alan's disappearance
- Kirsten Dunst as Judy Shepherd, A young girl in the Shepherd family and Peter's older sister
- Bradley Pierce as Peter Shepherd, A young boy in the Shepherd family and Judy's younger brother
- David Alan Grier as Carl Bentley, Alan's oldest friend and an employee at Sam's shoe factory who later becomes a police officer
- Jonathan Hyde as Sam Parrish, Alan's father
- Jonathan Hyde as Van Pelt, a big-game hunter from the game and the main antagonist of the film
- Bebe Neuwirth as Nora Shepherd, Judy and Peter's aunt and legal guardian
- Malcolm Stewart as Jim Shepherd, Judy and Peter's father
- Annabel Kershaw as Martha Shepherd, Judy and Peter's mother
- Patricia Clarkson as Carol-Anne Parrish, Alan's mother
- Gillian Barber as Mrs. Thomas the Realtor
- Adam Hann-Byrd as young Alan Parrish
- Laura Bell Bundy as young Sarah Whittle
- Frank Welker provided the creature vocal effects
Soundtrack
All music composed by James Horner. Total length: 52
| Track Number | Track Name | Track Length | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Prologue And Main TItle | 3:42 |  |
| 2. | First Move | 2:20 |  |
| 3. | Monkey Mayhem | 4:42 |   |
| 4. | A New World | 2:40 |   |
| 5. | It's Sarah's Move | 2:36 |   |
| 6. | The Hunter | 1:56 |   |
| 7. | Rampage Through Town | 2:28 |   |
| 8. | Alan Parrish | 4:18 |   |
| 9. | Stampede! | 2:12 |   |
| 10. | A Pelican Steals The Game | 1:40 |   |
| 11. | The Monsoon | 4:48 |   |
| 12. | Jumanji | 11:47 |   |
| 13. | End Titles | 5:55 |   |
Commercial songs from film, but not on soundtrack:
| Song | Writer | Performer | Chorus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Una Voce Poco Fa | Gioacchino Rossini | Agnes Baltsas and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra | Ian Marin |
| Night & Day | Cole Porter | N/A | N/A |
| Serenade in D, Op. 44 | Antonin Dvořák | Neville Marriner & Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields | N/A |
| Locomotive Breath | Ian Anderson | Jethro Tull | N/A |
| The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle (Theme from Gilligan's Island) | Sherwood Schwartz & George Wyle | N/A | N/A |
Reception
Jumanji did well in the box office; it took in $100,475,249 in the United States and Canada and $162,322,000 overseas, totaling to $262,797,249.
The film earned mixed reviews from critics, with review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reporting that 50% of 32 professional critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 5.6 out of 10. Metacritic posts an average rating of 39%, based on 18 reviews.
Legacy
In 1995, a novelisation of the film was written by George Spelvin with contributions from Chris Van Allsburg, the author of the original picture book. It is a largely faithful adaptation with some backstory and wording differences and scenes that did not appear in the film or were cut from the final release.
In 1996, a cartoon adaptation known as simply Jumanji was released. It is an abridged adaption of the 1995 film with some elements also taken from the original picture book were added. The gameplay of Jumanji is an alternative method to the film, while Sarah Whittle did not appear.
In 1996, Milton Bradley released a board game adaptation of Jumanji, based on the game board and rules seen in the film, with some new gameplay elements added and new consequences as danger cards.
In 2005, an adaptation of the original Jumanji book's sequel Zathura, was released. While the movie does not make any references to Jumanji, it is advertised as being a spiritual sequel to Jumanji, taking place within the same universe.
In celebration of the original picture book's 30th anniversary, an audiobook read by Jumanji film star Robin Williams was released.
In July 2012, rumors emerged about a reboot of the film already being in development. Columbia Pictures president Doug Belgrad had a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, saying: “We’re going to try and reimagine Jumanji and update it for the present.”. On August 1, 2012, it was confirmed that Matthew Tolmach will be producing the reboot alongside William Teitler, who is the producer of the original film.
Finally, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was released in December 2017. It serves as a sequel/soft reboot of the series, being in continuity with the original film, but not featuring any of the characters.Trailers
Trivia
- The 1995 Christmas scene was the first scene to be shot on location, back to back with the Parrish Mansion in it's much "cleaner" state to allow the crew to start creating the damaged effects needed to film.
- This is the last film that I.L.M. special effects supervisor Stephen L. Price worked on before his death. The film is dedicated to his memory.
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| Books | Novel • Film novel • Zathura | |
| Media | 1995 film • TV Series • Zathura: A Space Adventure • Welcome to the Jungle • The Next Level | |
| Games | Board Game • Jigsaw • Trading Cards • LCD Game • PC Game • PS2 Game • Mobile Game • 2019 Game • Fluxx • Stickers • The Curse Returns | |