Jumanji

Jumanji is rated PG: for menacing fantasy action and some mild language.

If you thought landing on Boardwalk with a hotel was bad news, wait until you give Jumanji a try. This mysterious board game has the potential to suck up people and not spit them out again for a couple of decades -- when some other naive fool stumbles across it and decides to play.

Robin Williams takes on the role of Alan Parrish, the unfortunate boy who disappeared into the world of Jumanji twenty-six years ago. He returns the day another set of children (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) blow the dust off the intriguing box. Nor is he the only thing to suddenly be released by a roll of the dice. In fact, each turn produces a new surprise, such as stampeding animals, crazed monkeys, and mosquitoes big enough to put the chicken wing industry into a nosedive.

Soon the town is full of out-of-control jungle creatures. Still, Parrish insists the kids play the game to its conclusion, firmly believing that is the only way to bring everything back to normal. But Judy and Peter are growing increasingly skeptical of the wild-man's wisdom, because every move they make unleashes greater danger and more property damage.

Although marketed as a family movie, parents will want to be careful about showing it to young viewers, as they are likely to be frightened by the many intense scenes. Other possible concerns are the depiction of inept police officers, magic and sorcery, as well as a trophy hunter with a semi-automatic weapon and murderous intentions. Also disappointing is a scene where crowds of looters take advantage of the ensuing chaos, which is handled with a casual attitude implying stealing is a crime of parking ticket magnitude.

For teens, Jumanji does deliver an action-packed adventure story -- with the added bonus of no obscenities or sexual references. While the premise may sound like child's play, the thrills and excitement are actually better suited for older eyes. After all, even from my adult point of view-- those mosquitoes were big!

Studio: 1995 Columbia Pictures.

When Judy and Peter track down Sarah Whittle (Bonnie Hunt), in the hopes of more information about the game, they find the grown woman is still suffering from the events of her childhood. How can unresolved issues affect a person’s future sense of peace?

Jumanji is based on a book by Chris Van Allsburg—same author who penned the stories behind the movies Zathura and The Polar Express

If you’re game to play Jumanji again, then you’ll find all the adventure you can possibly handle on this two-disc deluxe edition. The first DVD offers such amusements as Secrets and Riddles: The Jumanji Survival Game (find clues and solve mysteries as you read through the pages of a centuries-old book), The Extreme Book of Nature (a living, breathing novel revealing some of nature’s strangest, wildest and scariest creatures), Ancient Diversions (learn real cool tricks and optical illusions to amaze your friends) and a commentary by the special effects crew. On the next disc, get behind the movie magic with documentaries about making the film, production design, and special effects, as well as taking a peek at storyboards, photo galleries and production stills. Audio Tracks are available in English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0) and Portuguese (Dolby Digital 2.0), with subtitles in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.