ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, December 16, 1995            TAG: 9512190037
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 12   EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: MOVIE REVIEW
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT 

`JUMANJI' ISN'T KID STUFF

Though ``Jumanji'' is being promoted as a children's fantasy along the lines of "Gremlins," it's really a darker film.

The imaginative action and special effects - including giant spiders and crocodiles - are enough to give smaller kids nightmares. For older viewers, though, it's a fast-paced story with a fair number of surprises.

After a labored introduction that begins in 1869 and then moves up 100 years, young Alan Parrish (Adam Hann-Byrd) discovers a buried board game called Jumanji. He and his friend (Laura Bell Bundy) begin to play, but Alan is literally sucked into the board.

Fast-forward 26 more years. Young Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce) move into the same house and find the same game. When they play, out pops the grown-up Alan (Robin Williams) followed by all manner of jungle creatures and even wilder stuff. Most of those are accomplished through computer generated effects that are almost as slick as those seen in ``Jurassic Park.''

For the most part, director Joe Johnston lets those effects overshadow the cast, even Williams. Johnston also avoids much of the cloying sweetness that infects so many movies aimed at young audiences these days. The script, adapted by several people from Chris Van Allsburg's children's book, is about evenly divided between the concerns of adult characters and kids.

It's not always a comfortable balance, but whenever the story threatens to drag, Johnston and his effects people conjure up an earthquake or a herd of angry rhinos charging through the wall ... whatever.

For a Christmas release, ``Jumanji'' is probably too wild and violent to repeat the box-office success that Williams has seen with ``Hook'' and ``Mrs. Doubtfire.''

Jumanji

** 1/2

A TriStar release playing at the Salem Valley 8 and Valley View 6. 100 min. Rated PG for violence.

LENGTH: Short :   48 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  Bradley Pierce, Bonnie Hunt, Robin Williams and Kirsten 
          Dunst unleash terrifying forces when they roll the dice of a board 
          game in "Jumanmji."