It's no secret that in the past two decades, sequels, reboots, remakes, and/or franchises in general have dominated ticket sales at the box-office. And while some installments have been more unnecessary or less stellar than others (we're looking at you, Lion King), the number of upcoming releases shows no signs of slowing down. Spring of 2020 alone will find new installments of Ghostbusters (titled Afterlife), the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Black Widow), and the DC Extended Universe (Wonder Woman 1984). And so it is this weekend with the release of Jumanji: The Next Level. And so today, it's as good a time as any to look back on the original, memorable fantasy adventure from the 1990s that inspired this weekend's release.
Adapted from a beloved children's book written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg (Zathura, The Polar Express), Jumanji follows a group of kids who find an ancient board game that comes to life, as fantastical elements (jungle animals and natural environments) enter into the real world while playing the game. The game's tagline reads, "for those who seek to find a way to leave their world behind". First played in 1969 by a young Alan Parrish and his friend Sarah (Alan gets sucked into the game in a frightening opening scene), the game is picked up twenty-six years later by siblings Judy and Peter Shephard (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce), while the original players return as grown-ups (in the form of Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt) to face and finish what they started, including what apparently robbed them of their childhoods.
I'll never forget seeing this movie as a child of the 90s. I knew it was going to be high fantasy from seeing commercials on TV, but it wasn't until my brother and I first saw it in theaters that I learned it was a game. Compared with action-packed extravaganzas starring Will Smith, CGI breakthroughs from Pixar, and game-changing blockbusters from Steven Spielberg, there was something original and unpredictable about this premise, as each segment and impending dangers were dictated by a roll of the dice. (I even loved playing the spin-off board game that came out the same decade.) It's movie escapism, to be sure, but at the cost of a dangerous journey (much like The Goonies, Gremlins, and Indiana Jones were in the 80s). That is, the game is not as simple as it seems, nor should it be taken lightly.
Looking back, the film stands as an unlikely but unforgettable showcase for the late Robin Williams, who set aside most of his trademark improv comedy in favor of illustrating the joy and sadness of a childhood lost, as his grown-up version of Alan Parrish returns from being trapped in the game for almost thirty years and seeks to make things right at best with what he still has. It's an endearing and understated performance from an actor and comedian who continues to be dearly missed, but who lives on in memory and celluloid, including the latest follow-ups to this franchise in recent years.
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| Robin Williams in Jumanji |
It's a jungle in there.
One of the joys of the 2017 surprise hit Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (despite its much bigger scope, millenial update, and some unnecessary crude and suggestive content) was seeing its A-list cast brilliantly channel their teenage counterparts as video-game avatars in a PC-expansion of the original board game. From Dwayne Johnson's germaphobic Spencer to Kevin Hart's motormouth, small-statured athlete Fridge, Karen Gillan's introverted student Martha, Nick Jonas's game-trapped Alex, and (wait for it) Jack Black's snooty teenage girl Bethany, each performance makes you believe these are all teenage kids who were sucked into a game a la TRON, and into adult bodies a la Tom Hanks in Big. (This is something Zachary Levi also did brilliantly in this year's Shazam!) The movie even pays respective homage to the 1995 original, despite being more light-hearted and action-packed in comparison, and with echoes of teenage characters from John Hughes 80s movies and meta gags at video game tropes.
The latest installment, The Next Level (a fitting title, to be sure), seems like another unnecessary studio cashgrab. On the other hand (at least from the trailers), it is amusing to see the filmmakers tackle the franchise from some slightly different angles and journeying to some new territories--er, "levels"--of the Jumanji universe, even as one or more characters try to hold onto what it means to be a kid and onto what they have, even if that's passed or behind them. For one thing, the trailers suggest characters inhabiting different avatars this time around. For one thing, it's hysterical to see Johnson and Hart basically imitating veteran actors Danny Devito and Danny Glover, respectfully. But it certainly won't have anything on the 1995 original, which holds up today as a genuine example of high fantasy, danger, and an unexpected "adventurers beware" journey.
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