JUMANJI
A film review by Thomas Wheeler
Copyright 1995 Thomas Wheeler
Some of this review bounces off a few points made by a reviewer in my local newspaper, but I also saw the film for myself today. Any such points are strictly comparative.
The local reviewer was comparing it to TOY STORY, and actually preferred it. I enjoyed JUMANJI well enough, but it was no TOY STORY, which I consider the best movie of the season, and I really don't see it as a major classic in years to come.
It's amusing enough, though. But it has some major faults. First off is a general lack of enthusiasm from most of the performers. Not even Robin Williams gets to really cut loose. I'm sure everyone in the movie is a capable actor or actress -- it just seems like they go through the movie not entirely sure what's going on -- and that unfortunately comes across in the movie.
There were some high points. The local reviewer cited the drubbing that New-Age pop psychology takes on the part of the adult woman (whose name now escapes me), and he's right. And it's a much needed drubbing, too. Also the make-up on the young boy later in the movie was a lot more effective than the special effects -- and we get another amusing scene in the movie when the boy is experiencing a certain discomfort. (I make it a point never to blow significant plot points of a movie in reviews like this).
The special effects are unfortunately not terribly impressive. Toy Story wasn't trying to be anything other than computer animated. Fortunately, it had strong enough characterization, good performers, and a storyline that worked with the basic premise, so that the movie was wonderful.
Granted, it's hard to get characterization out of a troop of berserk monkeys and stampeding elephants and rhinos. But one comparison I read, likening them to JURASSIC PARK, was way off base. Perhaps it was because these were computer-generated images of living animals, as opposed to extinct ones, but I was not convinced. There is the scene in which some computer-generated elephants stomp a car, which has been seen in repeated previews, but while the car most surely gets stomped, the elephants still look more than a bit phony.
The ending of the movie was, not really confusing, but certainly anti-climatic. Ultimately, it rendered all the chaos of the previous hour and a half pointless, for the most part. That's no way to end a movie.
To be fair, as I said, it's an amusing enough film, and kids will probably enjoy it who don't mind a good bit of cartoonish action and chaos and not a whole lot of storyline. I didn't really dislike it. But I suspect it could have been a lot better if there had been more depth to it, which was certainly possible. The origin of the game itself is never explained, for starters. Such considerations were obviously sacrificed in favor of the special effects.
I should point out that I haven't read the book upon which the movie was based, but one other local reviewer, who absolutely despised the movie, made the point that the movie takes some very substantial liberties as far as the source material is concerned.
I wouldn't build it up as much as much as Toy Story, which didn't need to be as deep as Jumanji should have been. There's no way I would equate those two movies. Actually, they're sufficiently different that a comparison is really very difficult. And Jumanji itself, while it could have been better, isn't really all that bad if you have some idea of what to expect.
My vote for best movie of the season, though, still goes to TOY STORY!
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