DVD Reviews

Over sixteen years ago I remember a game I was desperate to own.  It was a board game of sorts that was a plan of a house, with windows, doors and what not....and the object was to find out where all the people were by opening these features.  I think they moved around somehow, although that could be a figment from my then young and vivid imagination, hell.. I can't even remember what the game was called....I just remember I WANTED IT BAD!!!!...Oh course as a youngster many devastating and life affecting things happen...I never got that game....I was thinking about this game while watching Jumanji as I am sure it is also a game I would have loved to own as a kid...I mean, the pieces move by themselves, mystical and cryptic messages appearing thru a dark crystal ball, things come OUT of the game....how cool's that to a seven year old!!!!!

So yes, Jumanji the movie is about Jumanji the game.  Back in the late sixties, a boy (Alan) and his friend Sarah play this game and not before long Alan is literally sucked into it.  Sarah is attacked by African bats and runs away, leaving Alan lost inside the game, in a place called Jumanji.  Some Twenty Six years later a brother and sister move into Alan's folks now rundown house, with their Aunt (Bebe Neuwirth of Cheer's fame).  The two skip school one day and discover the game, and as they start to play it, they release Alan, now an adult (Robin Williams), and also unleash a few other things along the way.  Unfortunately they can not finish the game without the fourth player, Sarah (Bonnie Hunt).  She has been undergoing counselling since playing the game all those years ago and become known as the town loony, and is also the local Fortune Teller.  So with these four essentially playing a game of life and death, they conjure up various creatures from Jumanji and battle to end the game once and for all, allowing for some very creative Special effects along the way.

So How Does This Transfer Hold Up?

This is the first PAL Columbia DVD I have seen and bought, and definitely NOT the last.  Released in the 16:9 Enhanced format with a screen ratio of 1.78:1, this is a very nice looking transfer.   Granted it is not up the same jaw dropping quality of other Columbia releases, but is none the less pretty darn good.  A few artifacts appear here and there but you can count them on one hand (not 3 foolscap pages), Flesh tones are very good and while there was a slight change in contrast now and then, it's not too bad.  You can definitely see PAL is going to be a better format for DVD as you don't see lines like on NTSC, not that this is overly distracting, its just noticeable when switching between it and PAL.

There are three soundtracks on this disc. MPEG2.0., MPEG5.1 and DD5.1, all in English only, which I thought was odd seeing as there are 8 Subtitled languages to choose from.   I essentially listened only to the DD5.1 track, except when I was playing around.  This is something of a treat.  While the surrounds are mostly used for ambience, this occasional changes to full on aggression in several of the attack sequences.  Some of the bass will knock you out of your seat.  The sequence in which the lion attacks is awesome as is the stampede through the city centre (watch out from the Rhino sideswiping the car, it's a killer)

There are no real added features to this DVD.  At first glance of the main menu, you see a selection of "movie trailer"....yippee I thought.  So I start playing it and only to discover it is a Columbia DVD promo, NOT a Jumanji Trailer, what a cop-out.  Other than this you get the usual main menu allowing you to select the audio track, subtitles, and the scene selection (which is a bit annoying to scroll through).  You get 4 chapters per page and it's a bit of a bother to to get to the chapter you want (use the chapter skip on your remote instead).  One other thing, if you start from chapter 1 OR select PLAY MOVIE, you have to sit through an Unavoidable WARNING page, that lasts 20 odd seconds and you cant even fast forward through it!!! Bummer.

Video Shift is selling this title for $AUD34.95 (including shipping in Australia), and seeing as this is one of the few PAL DVD titles in 16:9 and DD5.1 it's definitely worth a look. Stupid, but worth a look.

Review Equipment: DVD: Samsung DVD905, TV: Mitsubishi DIVA 68cm TV (S-Video),  Receiver: Marantz SR870, Speakers: Front - B&W 602's, Rears - Jamo, Subby - M&K V125 (grumble-growl-BOOM). Cinema Chairs (Gilberton Recliners....okay so there not REALLY cinema chairs but they're very comfy..)