Jumanji (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #12.2 extract: Jumanji (1995)

I've always enjoyed this movie, and having just seen it after a long while, I still do. The CGI has dated, of course, and there are quite a few holes in the film; the director fails to express the nuances of scenes, leaving problems with logic, and the screenwriter leaves quite a few interesting questions concerning characters unexplored. 

What I noticed on this watch that I never have before is the use of the past, memory and expectation through the fantasy elements of this narrative. In such, the main antagonist that comes out of the game is seemingly Alan's grandfather - or someone higher up in his family tree. It's through this narrative that Alan then has to confront his family legacy and heritage, overcoming elements of his childhood to become a responsible man, so that one day he may be able to raise functional children (which implies Sarah, Julie and Peter's role in this narrative). Along with this, however, comes a plethora of African animals. This of course adds spectacle to this plot, but it also brings in possible themes of colonialism; the legacy of the Parish family probably extending back to England and the days of their colonialist rampaging through Africa as implied through Van Pelt. 

This suggests that this film is, in part, a critique of this past - especially with the juxtaposition to impoverishment and economic decline in (what was) the present day, moreover, with the use of Carl. But, this is an incoherent part of Jumanji that, whilst seems to add aspects of character to this narrative, doesn't amount to much at all. 

All in all, despite the downfalls of this movie, it was still a lot of fun. I really am not looking forward to the up-and-coming re-imagining of this movie though...