Lyla Lindsey
The Jumanji franchise, including the films *Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle* and *Jumanji: The Next Level*, has been reviewed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) to help parents find age-appropriate and enjoyable movies for their children. The films contain violent scenes, coarse language, and sexual references, leading to varying ratings in Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle |
| Review Date | 3 January 2018 |
| Reviewing Body | Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) |
| Rating | Not suitable for children under 5 due to scary visual images and violent scenes |
| Plot | Four high school students are transported into a Jumanji video game and must survive as their chosen avatars |
| Review | Contains suggestive sexual references, coarse language, and violent scenes that may be unsuitable for children |
| Sequel | Jumanji: The Next Level |
| Sequel Review Date | 17 December 2019 |
| Sequel Review | Suitable for families with older children due to violence and sexual references |
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What You'll Learn
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle plot
In 1996, in Brantford, New Hampshire, a boy named Alex finds a board game called Jumanji, which he attempts to play with his friend, Jenny. When Alex rolls the dice, he is attacked by bats and goes running home, leaving the game behind. Over twenty years later, four high school students—Spencer Gilpin, Anthony "Fridge" Johnson, Bethany Walker, and Martha Kaply—arrive at their school for detention. The quartet is ordered to clean out the school's basement, where they stumble upon the Jumanji game and decide to play. As they begin, they are transported into a jungle environment within the game, assuming the avatars they chose at the start: Spencer becomes a brave and strong adventurer, Fridge becomes a tiny zoologist, Bethany becomes an overweight male cartographer, and Martha becomes a fierce fighter.
The group soon discovers that they must return a precious jewel called the "Jaguar's Eye" to a statue of a jaguar in order to lift a curse and leave the game. During their journey, they each discover unique abilities associated with their avatars: Spencer gains incredible strength and combat skills, Fridge can use his zoology knowledge to communicate with animals, Bethany finds maps of the world around her, and Martha can use martial arts and wield karambit knives. They also encounter dangerous animals and obstacles, including giant venomous mosquitoes, rhinos, hippos, and a pack of wild jaguars led by a massive alpha male.
As they traverse the jungle, Spencer, Fridge, and Martha begin to adapt to their avatars' strengths, while Bethany struggles with her new appearance. Along the way, they discover the abandoned orphanage of a previous player, Alan Parrish, who has been trapped in the game for decades. They learn that Parrish left clues to help other players beat the game and escape. The group also encounters a helpful NPC named Nigel, who directs them to the next stage of their journey: a mountain where the jaguars reside.
As they climb the mountain, the group is attacked by the jaguars, and Spencer realizes that the only way to defeat them is to allow himself to be eaten, using his avatar's multiple lives to his advantage. He respawns inside the jaguar's stomach and cuts his way out, defeating the alpha male and regaining the jewel. With the curse lifted, the players are transported back to the real world, where they find themselves back in the school basement, having apparently only been gone for a few seconds. They leave detention and return to their everyday lives, but with a newfound appreciation for each other and the lessons they learned in the game.
The film ends with a tag scene: the Jumanji game is seen on a beach, where it is found by two young men, who decide to play it, only to be sucked into the game themselves, setting up a potential sequel.
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Suggestive themes and coarse language
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle features suggestive themes and coarse language that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.
The film includes suggestive sexual references and innuendo throughout. For example, a male avatar is described as having a "smouldering intensity" and speaks in a masculine, husky, and sensual voice. A young woman distracts soldiers by dancing sensually and then fighting them, smashing a wooden chair over one of their heads. A biker lassoes a woman's foot and drags her along the ground until she is rescued by another Jumanji player.
The avatars' appearances and interactions also contribute to the suggestive themes. A conservative teenage girl's avatar is a sexy-looking young woman who wears revealing clothing. She borrows a jacket and ties it around her waist, commenting that she feels like she's "wearing a bikini at school". Her companion responds, "You're a babe – own it". Another male avatar touches his chest, and a drop-down menu appears on the screen. When asked how he did this, he replies, "I pressed my enormous left pec".
In addition to the suggestive themes, the film also contains some coarse language. While specific examples of coarse language in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle are not readily available, the presence of suggestive themes and innuendo indicates that the language used may include sexual references or mature topics that are not suitable for younger audiences.
Parents and guardians should exercise discretion when allowing younger children to watch Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle due to the presence of these suggestive themes and coarse language. It is important to consider the maturity and sensitivity of individual children when deciding whether the film is appropriate for their viewing.
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Violent scenes and scary imagery
The 1995 film Jumanji and its sequels, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jumanji: The Next Level, and Jumanji: The Next Level 2, contain violent scenes and scary imagery.
The original film Jumanji has been criticised for its reliance on special effects to convey its story, which some felt was lacking. The special effects and imagery were deemed too scary for younger children. For example, Roger Ebert questioned the decision to rate the movie PG rather than PG-13, stating that young children would be traumatised by much of the film's imagery, specifically citing Peter's monkey transformation as making him "look like a Wolf Man... with a hairy snout and wicked jaws".
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle contains extended sequences of video game violence, including gun-related violence. Characters die violent deaths and are then brought back to life, lessening the impact of the deaths on older viewers but not on young children. Minimal blood and gore are shown. For example, a motorcycle chase features bikes fitted with machine guns and rocket launchers. Bullets hit the ground, and rockets explode as they hit the ground. One of the players is chased by a herd of stampeding rhinoceroses that trample over him. A man holds a knife to another man's throat and threatens to kill him. Children under five are likely to be frightened by such scary visual images, including monsters and physical transformations.
Jumanji: The Next Level contains frequent and sudden violent scenes. Marauders attack a village, beat people with clubs, and set huts on fire. Dr Bravestone is killed by a violent ostrich and explodes and disintegrates. Ostriches violently attack a fleeing vehicle, pecking off its roof. Hyenas viciously attack people. A bazooka bomb blast blows up all the characters. In a fight scene, Ruby takes on a large number of enemies, using nunchucks to strike at their heads and body parts. Children aged five to eight will be frightened by scary visual images and disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened, and natural disasters.
Jumanji: The Next Level 2 features a scene in which a teenage boy and girl in adult avatars attempt to kiss. The film also includes substance use, such as the making and tasting of margaritas by teens who haven't previously drunk alcohol.
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Australian classification and consumer advice
In Australia, the film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was reviewed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 3 January 2018. The review provides details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and associated consumer advice.
The film contains suggestive sexual references and innuendos, as well as some coarse language. There are scenes of violence and peril, including monsters, physical transformations, and scary visual images that may disturb children under the age of eight.
For example, in one scene, a young woman distracts soldiers by dancing sensually and then attacks them with stylised fighting moves, smashing a wooden chair over one soldier's head. In another scene, a player is chased by a herd of stampeding rhinoceroses, and a man holds a knife to another man's throat, threatening to kill him.
The film also includes depictions of alcohol and tobacco use, as well as brand-name cars, appliances, phones, and social media.
The Australian review of the sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, was completed by the ACCM on 17 December 2019. This film also contains frequent and sudden violent scenes, coarse language, and some sexual references and nudity, making it more suitable for families with older children.
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Jumanji: The Next Level as a sequel
Jumanji: The Next Level is a sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. It was reviewed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 17 December 2019. The movie is a continuation of the story established in the previous instalment, where a group of teenagers were sucked into a computer game and played as their chosen avatars.
In Jumanji: The Next Level, Spencer (Alex Wolff) becomes bored with the real world and feels that he can't live up to the prowess of his Jumanji avatar, Dr Bolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson). He inserts himself back into the game, and his friends Fridge (Ser'Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner) decide to follow him into the game to save him. However, Spencer's grandfather, Eddie (Danny DeVito), and his friend, Milo (Danny Glover), are also inadvertently sucked into the game, resulting in a mix-up of avatars.
The movie explores themes of overcoming negative perceptions and reconciling with oneself and others. It features coarse language, violent scenes, and sexual references, including some nudity. Due to its content, it is recommended for families with older children. The Australian Government Classification Board provides consumer advice regarding the film's classification and suitability for children.
The movie received positive reviews, with viewers praising the action, humour, and new twists on the original story. It is considered a worthwhile sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, offering a balance of excitement and comedic elements.
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Frequently asked questions
The Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) classified Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle as suitable for children aged 10 and above.
The film begins in 1996, with a video-game-playing teen, Alex, who discovers a strange old board game called Jumanji. The board game magically transforms into a video game, and Alex goes missing. The film then jumps to the present day, where four high school students are in detention and discover the Jumanji game. They are transported into the game and become their chosen avatars.
Yes, there are several scenes that could scare younger children. These include a woman being lassoed by a biker and dragged along the ground, a player being chased by a herd of rhinoceroses, and a man holding a knife to another man's throat. There are also giant snakes, alligators, and other monstrous jungle predators.
Yes, there are some suggestive scenes and innuendos. For example, a female avatar wears a revealing outfit, and there is a scene where a male and female avatar try to kiss.
The ACCM reviewed Jumanji: The Next Level and recommended it for families with older children due to violence and sexual references.
