Before the era of the games of death, such as in Alice in Borderland and Memories of Alhambra, we had children-friendly and heartwarming version like Joe Johnston’s Jumanji starring the favourite Robin Williams along with Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt and more. The film is based on Chris Van Allsburg’s picture book for children with the same name. Let’s go on a ride to a 1995 adventure!
Jumanji Plot Synopsis
Jumanji revolves around a boy called Alan Parrish who finds a mysterious game called Jumanji. He invites his friend Sarah to play the game with him. As the magical game begins, Alan is sucked into the crystal ball while Sarah is chased by a swarm of bats. 26 years later, the new inhabitants of the Parrish mansion, Judy and Peter, find the game in the attic. What follows are a series of magical events that turn their lives upside down!
How does the game end?
As the mansion is in utter chaos with the jungle quite literally encompassing it, Alan and Sarah are caught between the floor. Sarah uses her mouth to roll the dice and with it, the mansion divides itself into two, releasing Alan from Sarah’s grip. He somehow finds the game and freezes as Van Pelt arrives before him but not before the dice starts rolling.
Alan needs 3 to win the game. The first dice rolls a 1. The second dice dramatically rolls out of sight as Van Pelt has Alan at gunpoint. As Alan sees his piece move, it finally lands on the crystal ball as Van Pelt says, “Any last words?”. Alan, replies smiling, “Jumanji”. Van Pelt shoots but the bullet stops and everything from the world of Jumanji gets sucked into the game.
What happens to Alan and Sarah?
As the game sucks everything that came out of it – Van Pelt, the jungle, animals and so on, Alan and Sarah return to the night that they first played Jumanji on, in 1969. Both of them also return to their teenage selves as if the last 26 years never even happened. However, they still have their memories intact. Alan rushes to his father and hugs him.
His father apologises and tells him that he doesn’t have to go to Cliffside if he doesn’t want to as he glances over to Sarah. He also confesses that he was the one who put the shoe on the conveyer belt and not Carl.
Alan and Sarah throw the game into the river and share a kiss. Years later, they are happily married and expecting. Alan’s parents are alive and he is running the family business. They meet Judy and Peter again with their parents at a Christmas party.
What happens to Judy and Peter?
Peter cheated in the game and as a punishment, started turning into a monkey as hair grew out his body along with a tail. At the mansion, Judy gets hit by a poisonous plant and loses consciousness in Peter’s arms as they wish to go home to their parents.
As the game ends, Alan looks for Judy and Peter in 1969, but Sarah reminds him that they do not exist yet. 26 years later, at Alan and Sarah’s Christmas party, they do meet Judy and Peter and get them their presents. They also stop the parents them from going on the Canada skiing trip, where they tragically passed away, by offering Jim a job and asking them to start working as soon as possible.
What happens to the Jumanji game?
After Alan and Sarah throw the game in the river, weighed down by bricks, it lands somewhere on a beach and begins its typical rhythmic beats to attract the attention of potential players. The film ends as two children walking down the beach hear Jumanji beating.
The game has a will of its own it seems, and with the rumbling attracting new players, it would seem that the game is going to start anew with these unsuspecting players!