Van Pelt/Film

Van Pelt/Film
Name:	Van Pelt
"JUMANJI" Consequences
Crystal Ball Message(s):	1995 Film: "A HUNTER FROM. THE DARKEST WILD MAKES YOU FELL JUST LIKE A CHILD"
MB Card Message(s):	"A hunter from The darkest wild; Makes you feel Just like a child."
Statistics
Home:	"JUMANJI"
Class:	Big Game Hunter
Diet:	Omnivore
Intelligence:	Very High
Skills:	Elephant gun & Sniper rifle Tracking Invulnerability
Affiliation:	Ralph Smigel
Appearance(s)
Book(s):	Film Novel
Film(s):	1995 Film
Media:	Games: Board Game
Behind the scenes
Portrayed by:	Jonathan Hyde

“You miserable coward! Come back and face me, like a man!”

—Van Pelt to Alan Parrish

“Blast!”

—Van Pelt's traditional curse

Van Pelt is a big game hunter who resides within the deepest darkest dimension of the cursed board game, "Jumanji". Van Pelt's portrait is carved into the top left corner of the cover of the "Jumanji" board game, making him one of the game's main dangers.

He is the main antagonist of the 1995 film, "Jumanji" and its novel adaptation, portrayed by Jonathan Hyde in the movie; who also played Alan's father, Sam Parrish.

Role

Van Pelt in the film.

When Van Pelt was first introduced after Alan's second turn on playing the "Jumanji" board game, releasing the imperialist great white hunter, he immediately began firing at Alan and hunting him. In the library, Alan told Sarah that he and Van Pelt have been enemies for many years for reasons he couldn't comprehend other than apparently offering offense to the hunter. Another reason for their perpetual rivalry is also explained when he reasons not shooting Sarah or the kids on purpose is because: "You didn't roll the dice. Alan did," implying he is hunting down Alan because it was he who rolled the dice and landed himself in "Jumanji's" realm to become sport for Van Pelt, and eventually ended up rolling the dice again which released him from the game (as part of the rules) allowing their rivalry to continue. It can also be noted that part of the reason why Van Pelt is hunting Alan down because he is not man enough to face him since he is always running away from him like a coward.

Van Pelt's jungle gun.

Arriving in Brantford with his lever-action Elephant gun, he hunted Alan outside of the Parrish Mansion onto Jefferson street; and even took shots at the interfering Officer Bentley until he ran out of ammunition and he postponed his hunt to find replacement ammo. Arriving at Brantford Pawnshop but ended up having to switch his weapon because his previous weapon's ammunition had ceased production years ago. Van Pelt bypassed the waiting period and background check by handing Ralph Smigel a pocket-full of antique Victorian era coins of solid gold, enabling him to get a fancy sniper rifle.

"Now if anyone asks, you didn't get this here..."

After returning to the devastated Parrish Mansion, Van Pelt tracked the quartet to the woods, and tried to shoot Alan from a distance when he is taken in by police officer Carl Bentley, then chases after Sarah and the kids to steal the "Jumanji" game so Alan will come to him for it; In the film's novel, Van Pelt even takes a moment to examine the "toy" that Alan treasures so much and even appreciates the accurate likeness of himself on the front painting. Their encounter is interrupted by Peter snatching the game from the great white hunter and getting in between panicking Brantford civilians, fleeing from the previously released stampede of Rhinoceroses, Elephants and Zebras, which all but crush Peter inside an abandoned car. Van Pelt then regained the game and heads to Sir Sav-A-Lot to set a trap for Alan, holding Sarah at gunpoint so that civilians would call the cops and lure Officer Carl Bentley (and therefore Alan too) back to him. Sarah and the kids managed to evade Van Pelt long enough in the store until he managed to restrain them under fallen tires, threatening them that Alan will arrive soon to save them. His predictions were correct then Alan and Carl drove his breaking cruiser through the front windows and ram into a stack of paint pots, seemingly crushing Van Pelt beneath. Once the store was empty of people, Van Pelt slowly staggered out from underneath the paint pots, still intent on resuming his hunt.

Van Pelt's new rifle.

After the Earthquake, Alan regained the game from the collapsing Mansion floor, intending to win the game until Van Pelt arrived too soon, telling him to drop the dice, and ordered Alan to start running again so that he can chase him. However, Alan refused to run off this time, admitting that even though he's still scared, he no longer found it in his heart to run away from what's he afraid of and instead face it to get it over with. Amazed, Van Pelt acknowledged Alan of finally acting like a real man and asked for any last words before he pulled the trigger. It was then the dice gave in the right number that allowed Alan to win the game, and say "Jumanji". Almost instantly, the hunter's last shot began evaporating, along with all of the animals and dangers of the game starting to get sucked back into it by Tornado-force winds, including Van Pelt himself, much to his dismay.

2017

In the 2017 film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Van Pelt appears briefly as his portrait is on the original Jumanji board game painting. His place in the video game version version's inner-dimension is taken by archeologist Professor Van Pelt, who is actually much closer to Ashton Philips than the great white hunter counterpart.

Abilities

• Elephant gun: At the beginning of his role in the 1995 film, his weapon of choice is a modified lever-action Winchester M1901 shotgun rifle. The shotgun had been modified with a custom stock, a false box magazine and a large tube placed over the barrel in order to make it appear to be a large caliber elephant gun.
  • Sniper Rifle: But when he ran out of ammunition, (which cannot be replenished since it hasn't been manufactured since 1903), a Daewoo USAS-12 is used after convincing the gun shop owner to bypass the mandatory waiting period with a bribe. It is outfitted with a scope, drum magazine, and suppressor to make it look like a sniper rifle.
• Tracking: Van Pelt's hunting skills and tracking abilities are second to none, as he can sniff out his prey by their scent, and track their pace by observing the environment left behind them. He is known to even use a magnifying class for closer inspection.
• Invulnerability: Despite being slashed by a saber, crushed to death by collapsed paint pots, Van Pelt has always emerged unscathed, making him un-killable as he is a game-essential character. Like the other exciting consequences of the game, the only way to stop him would be to finish the game and end it all.

Victorian era gold coins.

• Gold Coins: When trying to trade for replacement ammunition at the gun shop, his weapon's required ammo type ceased production in 1903 and he ended up resorting to trade for a new weapon altogether. Since there was a five-day waiting period and forms to fill, Van Pelt bypassed these with a bribe of a handful of exotic gold coins.

Theory

Van Pelt's role in the 1995 film is believed to serve as an allegory for Sam Parrish's lesson about standing to face fears.

• The most obvious clue being the fact that both Van Pelt and Sam Parrish are played by Jonathan Hyde in the film. This blurred reality trait is often used in notably influential media such as works and adaptations of J.M. Barrie and L.Frank Baum; (Footage from the popular 1939 Wizard of Oz film appears in the 1995 Jumanji film, while Robin Williams appeared in the 1991 film Hook, based on Barrie's Peter Pan media).
• The other clues being when the hunter tells Sarah that he did not shoot her because he is hunting down Alan because Alan released him from the game (as part of the rules).
• Van Pelt often refers to Alan as "Sonny Jim", alluding to the dual performance.
• It can also be noted that part of the reason why Van Pelt is hunting him down because Alan is not man enough to face him since Alan is always running away from him like a coward, akin to Sam Parrish inciting his son to follow his meaningful lesson about standing to face his fears. His clue from the crystal ball even refers to the player feeling just like a child in his presence; "A Hunter from the Darkest Wild. Makes you feel just like a Child."
• At the climax, Alan refuses to run off this time, admitting that even though he's still scared, he no longer finds in it his heart to run away from what's he afraid of and instead face it to get it over with. Amazed, Van Pelt acknowledges Alan of finally acting like a real man, followed by Alan returning to 1969 and reconciling with his father to have a man to man talk later.