It’s no secret that family game nights can go from fun to frightening in a matter of moments. Especially if Monopoly is involved. But for one family, cracking open an old board game opens up a world of monkeys, vines and expert hunters. Based on the 1981 children's book by Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji was adapted into a feature length film starring Robin Williams in 1995.
After stumbling upon the mysterious Jumanji board game, Alan Parrish and his friend Sarah Whittle decide to play. Each roll of the dice sees the game pieces move by itself followed by a cryptic message describing the roll’s outcome. During this initial game, Alan’s roll results in him being sucked into the game with the promise of “in the jungle you must wait until the dice read five or eight.” As Alan disappears into Jumanji, Sarah is left traumatized as bats chase her out of the house. The game is left abandoned in the attic for 26 years, until Judy and Peter Shepherd move into the vacant Parrish mansion with their aunt.
The pair begin playing and summon oversized and vicious mosquitoes, as well as a swarm of monkeys. Despite being terrified of Jumanji, Judy and Peter realize by finishing the game everything would reset. On Peter’s next roll, he releases an adult Alan along with a ferocious lion from the game. After recovering from the shock of going from 1969 to 1995, Alan agrees to help the children finish the game. Unfortunately, in order to actually complete Jumanji they also need Sarah. Sarah, who endured therapy for years in order to recover from the trauma of her childhood, was not an easy sell.
Eventually, the game picks up and the quartet unleash carnivorous vines, big game hunter Van Pelt, a stampede, and more before finally completing Jumanji. The game reverses and sees Alan and Sarah returned to 1969 as children to enjoy an alternate future. Alan may have finally finished the game, but did you know the journey into Jumanji is far from over? Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a new movie based in the world of this far too realistic game, stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, and Nick Jonas. This highly anticipated sequel hits theaters on December 20, 2017.
