Jumanji

Based on a book by Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji details the havoc wreaked by the eponymous board game after a couple of kids (Kirsten Dunst’s Judy and Bradley Pierce’s Peter) uncover it and begin playing – with their game unleashing a raft of outrageous events and freeing a man (Robin Williams’ Alan) trapped in its confines for decades. Filmmaker Joe Johnston has infused Jumanji with an appreciatively old-school feel that’s reflected in its many attributes, and there’s little doubt that the movie benefits substantially from its easy-going vibe and raft of above-average performances – with, in terms of the latter, Williams delivering a typically engaging turn as the fish-out-of-water protagonist. It’s clear, too, that the heart at the center of the narrative – Williams’ character has, after all, been stuck in the game since childhood – results in a handful of unexpectedly emotional moments, although Jumanji is, by and large, propelled forward by gleefully over-the-top moments of comedy and adventure (eg a stampede of wild animals charges through town, a seemingly sentient vine goes on the attack, etc, etc). The movie admittedly does begin to wear a little thin once it passes the one-hour mark, as Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain deliver an unabashedly episodic screenplay that becomes dominated by a somewhat repetitive execution (ie a character rolls the dice and something crazy happens, another character rolls and something else happens, etc) – with the picture ultimately benefiting from a heartwarming conclusion that cancels out its few missteps.

*** out of ****