Common Sense Media Review
By Charles Cassady Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Some thrills, but may be too much for little ones.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
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Jumanji
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 43 parent reviews
Based on 83 kid reviews
Kids say that the movie is a hilarious family comedy with a thrilling concept, although it may be too scary for younger children due to some intense scenes involving animals and action. Many viewers appreciate the performances, particularly that of Robin Williams, and consider it a timeless classic, but caution that the film's darker elements may make it more suitable for kids aged 8 and up.
- family comedy
- scary elements
- classic film
- great performances
- age recommendations
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
JUMANJI begins with a 19th century expedition to bury a board game of unexplained origin. In 1969, young Alan happens to dig up the game and plays it. The relic materializes multitudes of hostile African animals, and Alan gets sucked into the jungle-world of the game. More than 25 years later two orphans (Bradley Pierce, Kirsten Dunst) move into Alan's old house, find the game, and start playing, unleashing a fresh rampage of vicious beasts and Alan (Robin Williams). Alan is now a full-grown semi-wild man, being tracked by Van Pelt (Jonathan Hyde), a crazed, implacable, old-school safari hunter. The only way to return everything to normal is for the kids to continue playing the game to the end, even though each roll of the dice unleashes more attacking animals, from demonic bats to man-eating plants to a ghastly herd of giant spiders.
Is It Any Good?
There's no sense of wonder, really, just one scare after another, and the fact that the killer Van Pelt is played by the same actor who embodied Alan's snooty father adds another dark note. Young viewers who aren't nightmare-prone might be diverted a little by the computer-generated beasts, which all have a slightly livid, unreal glaze that's fitting for how lurid engravings and drawings of the late 1800s might portray exotic beasts.
But Jumanji's script is weak, and Williams pretty much plays it straight as the time-displaced, long-marooned Alan. The young actors are good, but there's a heavy undercurrent of continual peril, death, and morbidity, with no breathing room. The ending, in which history is rewritten for all the characters even better than It's a Wonderful Life, seems a little forced, to say the least, and doesn't dispel the general unpleasantness.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they think makes for a good fantasy adventure film. Was Jumanji funny, or more on the darker side?
If you were going to make this movie, is there anything you'd change, and if so, what?
Which game would you like to see come alive?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 15, 1995
- On DVD or streaming : September 2, 2000
- Cast : Bonnie Hunt , Kirsten Dunst , Robin Williams
- Director : Joe Johnston
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Columbia Tristar
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Run time : 104 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence and scariness
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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