Is the New Jumanji Movie Related to the Old Jumanji?

In the world of film adaptations, Jumanji stands out as a unique series that has captured the imagination of audiences for decades. The latest installments in the franchise, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), have maintained a strong connection to their 1995 predecessor. But how closely are they related, and what are the underlying ties that draw these films together?

**1. Overall Connection

The new Jumanji movies are indeed related to the original 1995 film. The series follows a similar adventurous spirit and themes of friendship and teamwork, derived from the children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. The original film starred the late Robin Williams, while the newer films introduce a fresh set of characters and settings.

For instance, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) has a stand-alone storyline that is connected to the 1995 film by the presence of a cursed board game. This game, which was thrown into a river in the original film, maintained its allure and lured people into play through a drumbeat. This connection is tied through an Easter egg in the new film, where the game reappears as a video game, symbolizing a recognizable link between the generations of the Jumanji legend.

Technical Connections

While the new films may appear as standalone adventures, there are subtle technical connections that tie them to the original. Jumanji: The Next Level, for example, begins with one of the kids discovering and playing with this board game, only to be transformed into a video game due to the game's discontent with being ignored. Although there are no direct narrative threads connecting The Next Level to the 1995 film, the presence of the board game and the drumbeat introduces a sense of continuity that fans can appreciate.

Specific References

For a more detailed connection, the remake of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has a direct reference to the 1995 film's treehouse scene. In this scene, the live-action character Alex Vreeke's in-game avatar, Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough, leads the other characters to a treehouse. This treehouse is a familiar motif from the original film, known to have kept the character Alan Parrish alive in the forest. In the old film, this treehouse served as a safe haven and a source of hope for Alex, allowing him to survive the ordeal.

In the new film, the treehouse symbolism remains intact, but its purpose and the characters' behavior change. The note on the tree's wooden post, which reads "Alan Parrish was here," is a direct reference to the original film's story. This small Easter egg serves as a nod to fans, linking the two movies in a way that is both subtle and meaningful.

Narrative and Uniqueness

While the new films are technically sequels to the original, they have their own unique narrative. The 2017 film, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, is not a direct successor to the 1995 film. The story takes place 26 years after the events of the original, and the narrative focus is on new characters and a new approach to the Jumanji adventure. The connections to the original are more thematic and environmental, rather than narrative-driven. The film's connection to the old Jumanji film is primarily through references and nods, as mentioned in the treehouse scene and a brief appearance of Robin Williams' face in a magazine.

To summarize, the new Jumanji movies are closely related to the 1995 film in terms of themes and settings. The board game's link, the treehouse symbol, and the Easter egg are clear examples of how the movies maintain a continuity that appeals to Jumanji fans. However, the new films also stand on their own as unique adventures, introducing new characters and fresh narratives that continue the Jumanji legacy in a modern way.

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