Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- playful
- exciting
- eerie
- family movie night
- nostalgic weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film visually inventive and entertaining for families, while judging its effects-driven story underdeveloped and occasionally frightening for young children.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jumanji's rules directly generate jungle creatures, stampedes, and other threats, making gameplay the engine of the plot.
Animals, vegetation, insects, and jungle disasters erupt through the Parrish home and surrounding town.
Alan Parrish reappears after nearly three decades, forcing him and the surviving players to confront the unfinished game and his interrupted life.
Robin Williams's exuberant performance offsets stampedes, giant insects, and monstrous transformations without removing the danger.
Films like Jumanji, and why
Zathura: A Space Adventure
family fantasy adventure driven by a magical game, escalating hazards, comic spectacle, and teamwork
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
family adventure fantasy combining children, supernatural peril, humor, and a vividly realized alternate world
The NeverEnding Story
high-concept family fantasy in which ordinary children confront dangerous magical forces and restore normality
The Indian in the Cupboard
effects-heavy fantasy adventure with a playful premise, comic danger, and a charismatic comic lead
Movie Details
- Director
- Joe Johnston
- Release Date
- 1995-12-15
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (11594)
Cast
- Robin Williams
- Kirsten Dunst
- Bradley Pierce
- Bonnie Hunt
- Jonathan Hyde
- Bebe Neuwirth
- David Alan Grier
- Adam Hann-Byrd
- Patricia Clarkson
- Laura Bell Bundy
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Jumanji about?
- A magical board game unleashes a jungle's worth of chaos, forcing a long-lost player and two young siblings to finish what was started.
- What is Jumanji like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Jumanji as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Jumanji violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Jumanji as mild.
- What did critics think of Jumanji?
- Critics broadly found the film visually inventive and entertaining for families, while judging its effects-driven story underdeveloped and occasionally frightening for young children.
- Which films are like Jumanji?
- Films with a similar feel include Zathura: A Space Adventure, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The NeverEnding Story, and The Indian in the Cupboard.
- How long is Jumanji?
- Jumanji runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Jumanji?
- In United States, Jumanji streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
