Just watched Jumanji for the first time in 24 years....

[GearSolidMetal]

Jumanji was the first movie I've ever watched in the theater and loved it so much I watched it again at the theaters.
Never rented it on VHS, or saw it on DVD, but I bought it a year ago and haven'r watched it... until now.

Why the hesitation?

Have you ever REALLY enjoyed a movie or TV show as a kid, but rewatched it as an adult.... and its not NEAR as good?

Well, this is half and half.

The BAD -

*The #1 aspect of this film that has aged the worst is the CGI. CGI was still in its infancy back in 1995, but this was still a few years after T2 and Jurassic Park.

*The practical effects are horrible. I've seen better puppetry in movies from the 1950s.

*The movie is only 100 minutes long, but it feels like there was ALOT of filler. Too many 'roll the dice, something crazy with animals or insects happen, and everyone is saved with a deus ex machina.' It became too formulaic and didn't advance the plot.

*The monkey-makeup on the young actor playing Peter was absolutely horrible. He couldn't make any facial expressions whatsoever.

*And I didn't realise this back in 1995, but it has a 'Back To The Future' ending.

Spoiler

The two main characters are time-warped back to when they began playing the game, in 1969, and live their lives normally and set right the things that 'went wrong' by playing the game in the first place.

*Some of the jokes that landed in 1995 -don't in 2019 - and I'm wondering how they landed as well as they did in the theaters. Like this entire scene, and especially the last punchline.


*It never explains why Kirsten Dunst's character lies constantly, or if she eventually stops. (Unexplained character traits in characters always annoys me)

*A 'Home Alone' trap? Fucking seriously?



The Good -

*It certainly is of its time, a 1995 family disaster movie. If you keep this in mind much of the flaws will feel like camp. (Comedy)

*Its a pretty good family film to watch with kids in December. It ends during Christmas time.

*The performances were decent. Robin Williams was great, acting as an adult-sized kid. A young Kirsten Dunst (her 2nd big film role) did a great job compared to all the other child actors in the movie.

*The soundtrack is... well... pretty good. It really sells the emotional moments.

*Overall the best thing about the movie is Allen (Robin Williams) overall story.

*Had some great one-liners.

*Really wish there was some kind of backstory as to how and why the 'Jumaji' board game was created.



Good & Bad -

*David Alen Greir as a small role, he isn't significant to the plot, he's just there as comic relief and to add runtime to the movie, and he's just there to say they hired a black guy in an otherwise all-white cast. BUT........ he had a damn good performance for what he had to work with.

Conclusion -

If you liked Jumanji in 1995, its probably best to not rewatch it. Its not the worst-aged film from the mid-90s, but time certainly has taken its toll.

 

[SSgt Dickweed]

Robin Williams ran on cocaine.

The part where he apologized to the kid after scolding him: "twenty six years in the jungle and I still turned out like my father" was particularly touching and memorable.

RIP.

 

[Midnighter]

I like how you spoiler tagged the ending.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

"twenty six years in the jungle and I still turned out like my father" was particularly touching and memorable.

RIP.

Yeah, that was one of the five or six memorable quotes of the entire movie.

 

[heavyarms21]

The only thing that holds up for me is Robin Williams being excellent .

 

[icemanliddell]

Jumanji was the first movie I've ever watched in the theater and loved it so much I watched it again at the theaters.
Never rented it on VHS, or saw it on DVD, but I bought it a year ago and haven'r watched it... until now.

Why the hesitation?

Have you ever REALLY enjoyed a movie or TV show as a kid, but rewatched it as an adult.... and its not NEAR as good?

Well, this is half and half.

The BAD -

*The #1 aspect of this film that has aged the worst is the CGI. CGI was still in its infancy back in 1995, but this was still a few years after T2 and Jurassic Park.

*The practical effects are horrible. I've seen better puppetry in movies from the 1950s.

*The movie is only 100 minutes long, but it feels like there was ALOT of filler. Too many 'roll the dice, something crazy with animals or insects happen, and everyone is saved with a deus ex machina.' It became too formulaic and didn't advance the plot.

*The monkey-makeup on the young actor playing Peter was absolutely horrible. He couldn't make any facial expressions whatsoever.

*And I didn't realise this back in 1995, but it has a 'Back To The Future' ending.

Spoiler

The two main characters are time-warped back to when they began playing the game, in 1969, and live their lives normally and set right the things that 'went wrong' by playing the game in the first place.

*Some of the jokes that landed in 1995 -don't in 2019 - and I'm wondering how they landed as well as they did in the theaters. Like this entire scene, and especially the last punchline.


*It never explains why Kirsten Dunst's character lies constantly, or if she eventually stops. (Unexplained character traits in characters always annoys me)

*A 'Home Alone' trap? Fucking seriously?



The Good -

*It certainly is of its time, a 1995 family disaster movie. If you keep this in mind much of the flaws will feel like camp. (Comedy)

*Its a pretty good family film to watch with kids in December. It ends during Christmas time.

*The performances were decent. Robin Williams was great, acting as an adult-sized kid. A young Kirsten Dunst (her 2nd big film role) did a great job compared to all the other child actors in the movie.

*The soundtrack is... well... pretty good. It really sells the emotional moments.

*Overall the best thing about the movie is Allen (Robin Williams) overall story.

*Had some great one-liners.

*Really wish there was some kind of backstory as to how and why the 'Jumaji' board game was created.



Good & Bad -

*David Alen Greir as a small role, he isn't significant to the plot, he's just there as comic relief and to add runtime to the movie, and he's just there to say they hired a black guy in an otherwise all-white cast. BUT........ he had a damn good performance for what he had to work with.

Conclusion -

If you liked Jumanji in 1995, its probably best to not rewatch it. Its not the worst-aged film from the mid-90s, but time certainly has taken its toll.

You forgot something. If this were a suspense thriller or horror, I think Van Pelt could make a good villain. And imagine if the main character is a person of color.

 

[DeJulez]

Jumanji was the first movie I've ever watched in the theater and loved it so much I watched it again at the theaters.
Never rented it on VHS, or saw it on DVD, but I bought it a year ago and haven'r watched it... until now.

Why the hesitation?

Have you ever REALLY enjoyed a movie or TV show as a kid, but rewatched it as an adult.... and its not NEAR as good?

Well, this is half and half.

The BAD -

*The #1 aspect of this film that has aged the worst is the CGI. CGI was still in its infancy back in 1995, but this was still a few years after T2 and Jurassic Park.

*The practical effects are horrible. I've seen better puppetry in movies from the 1950s.

*The movie is only 100 minutes long, but it feels like there was ALOT of filler. Too many 'roll the dice, something crazy with animals or insects happen, and everyone is saved with a deus ex machina.' It became too formulaic and didn't advance the plot.

*The monkey-makeup on the young actor playing Peter was absolutely horrible. He couldn't make any facial expressions whatsoever.

*And I didn't realise this back in 1995, but it has a 'Back To The Future' ending.

Spoiler

The two main characters are time-warped back to when they began playing the game, in 1969, and live their lives normally and set right the things that 'went wrong' by playing the game in the first place.

*Some of the jokes that landed in 1995 -don't in 2019 - and I'm wondering how they landed as well as they did in the theaters. Like this entire scene, and especially the last punchline.


*It never explains why Kirsten Dunst's character lies constantly, or if she eventually stops. (Unexplained character traits in characters always annoys me)

*A 'Home Alone' trap? Fucking seriously?



The Good -

*It certainly is of its time, a 1995 family disaster movie. If you keep this in mind much of the flaws will feel like camp. (Comedy)

*Its a pretty good family film to watch with kids in December. It ends during Christmas time.

*The performances were decent. Robin Williams was great, acting as an adult-sized kid. A young Kirsten Dunst (her 2nd big film role) did a great job compared to all the other child actors in the movie.

*The soundtrack is... well... pretty good. It really sells the emotional moments.

*Overall the best thing about the movie is Allen (Robin Williams) overall story.

*Had some great one-liners.

*Really wish there was some kind of backstory as to how and why the 'Jumaji' board game was created.



Good & Bad -

*David Alen Greir as a small role, he isn't significant to the plot, he's just there as comic relief and to add runtime to the movie, and he's just there to say they hired a black guy in an otherwise all-white cast. BUT........ he had a damn good performance for what he had to work with.

Conclusion -

If you liked Jumanji in 1995, its probably best to not rewatch it. Its not the worst-aged film from the mid-90s, but time certainly has taken its toll.

The "You're not a postal worker are you?" was actually a good joke and could be referenced today. He was referencing mass shootings which had alot that were postal workers hence the term "going postal". Its actually a joke that if you did it today people would frown and claim its in bad taste.

I think you should take a step back and realize you just approached Jumanji like it was a fuckin Scorsese film.
This isnt Goodfellas. This movie was made for kids.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

I think you should take a step back and realize you just approached Jumanji like it was a fuckin Scorsese film.
This isnt Goodfellas. This movie was made for kids.

Actually no, I was being quite charitable overall, with the context that its a 1995 family film.

 

[Iron Mang]

I liked that movie as a kid. I'd probably still enjoy it if it came on basic cable and I happened to watch it.

The gun shop scene is fine imo.

 

[DeJulez]

Actually no, I was being quite charitable overall, with the context that its a 1995 family film.

As if a 2019 family film is better?
The year it came out doesnt need to be mentioned.

Toy Story came out that year. Lion King came out the year before and youd be hard pressed to find a better child film than those two that have come out since. No ones gonna go "Wow this is great for the year it came out"
Only fuckheads talk like that, as if you live in an era where everythings better.

Reminds me of one of my friends who claimed that if he was in the 1980's he would be the biggest rap star ever. This was minutes after he told me Bow Wow is actually a great emcee.
I shouldve sliced his face for a comment like that.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

This was minutes after he told me Bow Wow is actually a great emcee.
I shouldve sliced his face for a comment like that.

Sounds like you take rap alittle too seriously.

Anyway, the absolute best movies of each decade, like Toy Story and Lion King, withstand the test of time. I had no illusions Jumanji would, so I kept it within the context of being a 1995 film.

But I did compare its horrible CGI to the better examples that came out years before, as well as its practical effects and puppetry.

And I plainly say at the beginning of my OP that I was hesitant to watch it again because I feared it was going to be much worse than I remembered it. It wasn't anywhere near as good as I remember it, but I can't quite call it bad.

 

[RollSonnenRoll]

Robin killed this little monologue along the James Horner score. You immediately craft this dark hellhole of a jungle in your mind where your worst fears live and every moment could be your last/



Then 20 years later Kevin Hart and The Rock decide to show you that Jumanji is actually beautiful and sunny Hawaii.

 

[DeJulez]

Sounds like you take rap alittle too seriously.

Anyway, the absolute best movies of each decade, like Toy Story and Lion King, withstand the test of time. I had no illusions Jumanji would, so I kept it within the context of being a 1995 film.

But I did compare its horrible CGI to the better examples that came out years before, as well as its practical effects and puppetry.

And I plainly say at the beginning of my OP that I was hesitant to watch it again because I feared it was going to be much worse than I remembered it. It wasn't anywhere near as good as I remember it, but I can't quite call it bad.

I threaten acts of violence all the time, its not a big deal.
But when you say context of being a 1995 film.
It sounds condescending. As if it wasnt made in 1995 it would be better. Well they made another one two years agos and its an awful movie and thats not within context of being a 2017 film. Its in context that it sucks as film of cinema in general.

 

[FyrFytr998]

 

[GearSolidMetal]

I threaten acts of violence all the time, its not a big deal.
But when you say context of being a 1995 film.
It sounds condescending. As if it wasnt made in 1995 it would be better. Well they made another one two years agos and its an awful movie and thats not within context of being a 2017 film. Its in context that it sucks as film of cinema in general.

I do the same with another one of my favorite movies, which also came out in 1995, Mortal Kombat.

I COULD judge it by today's standards, but it'd ruin the movie for me. That movie is a staple of my childhood and everytime I watch it I put on the nostalgia goggles and enjoy it as if I am still 12 years old, and been playing the arcade games for three years.

 

[DeJulez]

I do the same with another one of my favorite movies, which also came out in 1995, Mortal Kombat.

I COULD judge it by today's standards, but it'd ruin the movie for me. That movie is a staple of my childhood and everytime I watch it I put on the nostalgia goggles and enjoy it as if I am still 12 years old, and been playing the arcade games for three years.

Todays standards are not very good. Name a movie that came out this decade thats better than Goodfellas or The Godfather?

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Todays standards are not very good. Name a movie that came out this decade thats better than Goodfellas or The Godfather?

Joker
Logan
Bladerunner 2049
Lincoln
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I'm not a huge fan of organized crime movies. So Godfather and Goodfellas aren't extremely high on my favorite movies list, though I do recognize they are objectively well crafted films.

 

[ThinkGreen]

I still quote this movie all the time. The CGI might be crappy but I still think it holds up.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

The CGI might be crappy but I still think it holds up.

It really doesn't.

One of the criticisms of modern movies is there's too much CGI for everything. But, at least it is good CGI for the most part.

Literally none of the CGI, practical effects, or puppetry in Jumanji are believable. Everything looks laughably fake.

 

[TKing]

I like it but it aged not so well as others did at the time, sucks that the Rock and co will be milking these for years.