Jumanji parents guide

Jumanji Parent Guide

Although marketed as a family movie, parents will want to be careful about showing it to young viewers who may be frightened by the scary images.

Overall B

When a couple of children (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) begin to play the board game Jumanji, they accidentally unleash jungle animals, a great white hunter (James Handy) and Alan Parrish (Robin Williams) -- a young man who has been trapped in the game for the last 26 years.

Release date December 14, 1995

Violence C-
Sexual Content A
Profanity A
Substance Use --

Why is Jumanji rated PG? The MPAA rated Jumanji PG for menacing fantasy action and some mild language.

Run Time: 104 minutes

Parent Movie Review

If you thought landing on Boardwalk with a hotel was bad news, wait until you give Jumanji a try. This mysterious board game has the potential to suck up people and not spit them out again for a couple of decades—when some other naive fool stumbles across it and decides to play.

Robin Williams takes on the role of Alan Parrish, the unfortunate boy who disappeared into the world of Jumanji twenty-six years ago. He returns the day another set of children (Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) blow the dust off the intriguing box. Nor is he the only thing to suddenly be released by a roll of the dice. In fact, each turn produces a new surprise, such as stampeding animals, crazed monkeys, and mosquitoes big enough to put the chicken wing industry into a nosedive.

Soon the town is full of out-of-control jungle creatures. Still, Parrish insists the kids play the game to its conclusion, firmly believing that is the only way to bring everything back to normal. But Judy and Peter are growing increasingly skeptical of the wild-man’s wisdom, because every move they make unleashes greater danger and more property damage.

Although marketed as a family movie, parents will want to be careful about showing it to young viewers, as they are likely to be frightened by the many intense scenes. Other possible concerns are the depiction of inept police officers, magic and sorcery, as well as a trophy hunter with a semi-automatic weapon and murderous intentions. Also disappointing is a scene where crowds of looters take advantage of the ensuing chaos, which is handled with a casual attitude implying stealing is a crime of parking ticket magnitude.

For teens, Jumanji does deliver an action-packed adventure story—with the added bonus of no obscenities or sexual references. While the premise may sound like child’s play, the thrills and excitement are actually better suited for older eyes. After all, even from my adult point of view—those mosquitoes were big!

Directed by Joe Johnston. Starring Robin Williams, Kristen Dunst, Bradley Pierce, Bonnie Hunt. Running time: 104 minutes. Theatrical release December 14, 1995. Updated

Jumanji Parents' Guide

When Judy and Peter track down Sarah Whittle (Bonnie Hunt), in the hopes of more information about the game, they find the grown woman is still suffering from the events of her childhood. How can unresolved issues affect a person’s future sense of peace?

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Jumanji movie is December 5, 2017. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Jumanji: Remastered
Release Date: 5 December 2017
With the sequel Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle opening in theaters on December 20, 2017, Sony is remastering the 1995 movie Jumanji for home video (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital, Remastered Blu-ray + Digital or DVD). Bonus extras include:
Supplements
- Animated storybook excerpts from Jumanji (the book), narrated by author Chris Van Allsburg
- Two episodes of the 1996 “Jumanji: The Animated Series” TV show
- Special Effects Crew Commentary
- Making-of Documentary
- Production Design Documentary
-SFX Featurette
- Storyboard Comparisons
- Original Theatrical Trailer
Exclusive HD Content
- Sneak peek of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
- Never-before-seen Deleted Scenes
- Hilarious Gag Reel featuring Robin Williams and the cast

Home Video Notes: Jumanji: 20th Anniversary Edition
Release Date: 22 September 2015
Jumanji releases in a 20th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray. Special Features include:
- From the cast of Goosebumps
- New animated storybook excerpts from Jumanji (the book), narrated by author Chris Van Allsburg (the author).
- Two episodes of the 1996 Jumanji: The Animated Series TV show
- Original Theatrical Trailer (NEW)
- Special Effects Crew Commentary
- Making-of and Production Design Documentaries
- SFX Featurette
- Storyboard Comparisons

Related home video titles:

Jumanji is based on a book by Chris Van Allsburg—same author who penned the stories behind the movies Zathura and The Polar Express. The 2017 sequel to this movie is called Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.