Although Robin William's amazing improvisational skills are muted here, he's still great fun in this ground-breaking (for the time) movie. Whether the now-dated goofy humor is endearing or boring is largely up to the viewer's taste. Jumanji was released 15 years after Airplane! (with its far more modern/clever humor), but the creators of Jumanji probably wanted to ensure a family-friendly result (note how many reviews mention seeing it with your kids).
IMHO, this is a movie that most everyone should see at least once; not only is it a classic, but it's also a precursor of the excellent Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. I think it's worth noting that only in the original film (Jumanji) is it possible to have characters lose their memories of the game when their timeline is altered. In other words, only those who NEEDED to remember do. Alternatively, one could say that the oldest participants retain free will; it's up to them how to use what they've learned. Because this (technically) changes history (the younger participants end up never playing the game), a new timeline is created.
Jumanji is easily the most charming and sentimental of the three movies. The Christmas scene at the end is quite moving. I think it rates seven (7) stars.
IMHO, this is a movie that most everyone should see at least once; not only is it a classic, but it's also a precursor of the excellent Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. I think it's worth noting that only in the original film (Jumanji) is it possible to have characters lose their memories of the game when their timeline is altered. In other words, only those who NEEDED to remember do. Alternatively, one could say that the oldest participants retain free will; it's up to them how to use what they've learned. Because this (technically) changes history (the younger participants end up never playing the game), a new timeline is created.
Jumanji is easily the most charming and sentimental of the three movies. The Christmas scene at the end is quite moving. I think it rates seven (7) stars.