The Joe Johnston directed movie had a star-studded cast

We all know the unmistaken thumping of the Jumanji board game. The classic 1990s movie Jumanji, became a major success and was one of the highest grossing movies of the year. Despite not receiving rave reviews from critics initially, it exceeded box office expectations, raking in over £200 million.

The Joe Johnston directed movie had a star-studded cast, adding to its lasting legacy as a 90s great. The 1995 movie stars the forever legendary Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde, and Bebe Neuwirth. The unique concept for the movie was based on a 1981 fantasy children’s picture book of the same name.

There has been plenty of spin-off projects since the release of the movie. This includes Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), and two sequels, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). However, the original movie is still much-loved and is still streamed on platforms to this day.

Jumanji will be shown on ITV1 this Saturday afternoon, October 11. Viewers can watch it from 4.10pm until 6.10pm, the movie description provided by Radio Times says: “Fantasy adventure starring Robin Williams. In 1969, a young boy called Alan gets trapped in the strange jungle world of a magical board game he has unearthed on a building site.” You can also stream it on Amazon Prime Video and NOW TV, with subscriptions.

Alan Parrish played by Robin Williams, is a boy who’d been trapped inside the Jumanji board game for 26 years. The film follows the series of events of two children who move into a long empty house and discover the supernatural board game.

After players roll the dice of the jungle-themed board game, it sends wild animals and other hazards to manifest in the real world. When they start playing, they release long time trapped Alan now grown into a man [Robin Williams] who was stuck in the game, reuniting with his childhood friend, the four continue to play the game that was started 26 years previously.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a rating of 53% from a total of 49 reviews. The critics consensus says: “A feast for the eyes with a somewhat malnourished plot, Jumanji is an underachieving adventure that still offers a decent amount of fun for the whole family.”

One review from Mike Massie said: “With plenty of laughs, action-packed excitement, great music (by James Horner), spectacular sets, and inspirational themes, this film is an absolutely winning adventure.”

Another positive review from Ron Yamauchi stated: “As he did with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, director Joe Johnston successfully juggles frenetic special-effects action with gentle character moments.”

Andre Meadows wrote: “It was totally one of those 90’s movies specifically made for 90’s kids”, giving it a 9/10 rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, some film buffs were not as impressed with the adventure movie. Owen Gleiberman’s review said: “The filmmakers create safari beasts with wizardly finesse but can’t think of anything to do with them but zap you.”

Another less-than-impressed viewer, Roger Ebert, said: “A gloomy special-effects extravaganza filled with grotesque images, generating fear and despair.”