Jumanji

We have now arrived at the most difficult review for me to do. Because my favorite comedian, Robin Williams, hung himself two months ago on my birthday, reviewing any of his movies now will be difficult for me. I had planned to review the 1995 movie, “Jumanji” for this month because it fits with Halloween. I probably will have to take breaks in between so that I don’t crack, but let’s see how this goes. Just take a deep breath in…ok, let’s begin.

Did you think Ouija Boards were trouble? Take a look at the board game “Jumanji,” in the movie of the same name. Chris Hicks calls it a “catharsis for a whole world of changes in the ecosystem that turn a modern-day New Hampshire town upside-down with raging exotic animals and a virus that threatens to wipe out the human race.”

Based on the famous children’s novel that is not as dark as the movie (since it was made to appeal for children and not adults), the film stars the late Robin Williams (man, does it suck to say that) as somewhat of a man-child who, along with Bonnie Hunt (a respectable actress who has her own talk-show) and two children, a young Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce, must finish this board game of Jumanji that was started about 25 years ago.

Every time they roll their dice, a new and scary event is brought out into the world, but they must continue playing this game in order to make things go back to normal. As terrified as our four main heroes are, they continue playing the game, even though giant mosquitoes, spiders, troublesome monkeys, a rampaging herd of elephants and rhinos destroy their town.

The film begins in 1869 where two little boys, played by Brandon Obray and Cyrus Thiedeke, bury the game after knowing what kind of dangers it brings. A century later, it is accidentally dug up and found by a young boy (Adam Hann-Byrd) who begins playing it with his girlfriend (Laura Bell Bundy). After a certain roll of the dice, the boy is then trapped inside the board game, and after 26 years, the boy is freed and is now a man, which causes them to continue playing the game.

Along the way, there are some crazy surprises, which might have been ruined for you if you had seen the trailer for this movie when it was being released. For those of you who had been fortunate enough to not see the trailers, like I was, it’s adequate to say that these players find themselves in dangers that you would never expect to encounter in modern suburbia ever.

Now every cast member does a good job here, with Williams taking on the unusual role of a straight man for a good majority of the movie. The scenes with comedian David Alan Grier as the police officer give the most laughs.

Hicks said in his review, “And if you thought "Toy Story" was a wow — and it is, of course — wait till you see the three-dimensional computer-generated creatures on display here.”

If I remember correctly I think I first saw this on TV before I saw it again when I was in Elementary School. It stuck with me forever, and I still believe that it’s a scary movie for kids, but now as an adult, I appreciate the special effects for the time because they were pretty neat. Definitely check this one out, but I warn you, it will be a hard one to watch since we lost quite possibly the greatest comedian who ever lived.

Alright, now I have to recollect myself while preparing for tomorrow’s review of “Halloween Month.”