Movies From My Childhood: Jumanji (1995)

As I got older I've become more nostalgic for the movies from my own childhood and so I decided to start a new series of posts that reviews movies from that time in my life and for my first entry I've chosen Jumanji starring the late Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt and Jonathan Hyde. When two kids find and play a magical board game, they release a man trapped in it for decades - and a host of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game. I grew up with HBO on our TV set and it was one of the channels I spent most of my time on and I look back on it every now and then. Jumanji is among my favorites growing up and while I've seen it countless times over the years, there's still something special about it. Could it be the CGI of the time or is it because the story has a lot to offer? Having seen it again recently I noticed things that I never did before. 

The thing that stuck out to me the most is how there's a side story about masculinity and the effects it has on men and how they treat others around them because of it. An example of this is presented at the start of the story with Alan and his father Sam played by Jonathan Hyde, Alan is picked on by the other boys in school and tries to escape them while his father suggests that he fight back because he can't keep hiding forever. In these scene it's also indicated that Alan and his father don't communicate well enough. Twenty-six years later when Alan returns as a grown man we are introduced to Van Pelt (also played by Jonathan Hyde), a hunter who has taken it upon himself to hunt down Alan which in a way kind of represents the toxic cycle of that brand of masculinity. Thankfully by the end of the movie, Alan and his father have a moment of closure.

I thought this movie still remains one of the most enjoyable movies I've seen to date, the acting, direction, and the script as well as the cinematography and the special effects are very on point. It never seeks to be more than the sum of its parts but boy does it stick to its landing. Another thing that I did like is how much the action never gets boring, sometimes an action scene is too dragged out that it never fulfills its purpose but there's none of that in Jumanji, instead there's moments of calm before the next storm. 

Overall, Jumanji brings back a lot of memories watching it and while it's sad that Robin Williams has passed away he at the very least left us a lot of memories to remember him by. As for my recommendation, I highly recommend the movie to anyone who's looking to watch this movie for the first time or at least watch it again after having not seen it for a long time. Jumanji is one of the best examples of a blockbuster movie done right and it shows in the craftsmanship behind and in front of the camera. 

4.5/5 stars.