Films That Should Be : Jumanji 2

Jumanji had all the makings of trilogy, it's hard to fathom then how a sequel was never made. The end scene of the film was clearly set up for sequel, in such a way that I wouldn't be surprised if a script was on stand-by. Besides it made a lot of money at the box-office, raking in $262,797,249 worldwide and becoming the 7th highest grossing movie of 1995, just under the marvellous GoldenEye. It received mixed reviews from critics but audience goers paid with their wallets and thought it was the best family movie of the holidays.

I personally saw it in cinemas in '95 and I enjoyed the hell out of it. When I left the cinema I day-dreamed about the possibilities of a sequel, as the ending made me anticipate one. It would surely be more extraordinary and more wild than the first, perhaps they would travel to the jungle itself? Or maybe it would be set in a desolate theme park, there were numerous doors opening in my mind. I'm sure many others thought just as myself that it wouldn't be long until a new Jumanji.

I became a fan overnight and as Christmas was only a week away my family quickly knew what to get me. Many sleepless nights later and the fateful day rolled around, I got given the official movie tie-in novel and board game. One thing I really wanted was the board game. To me as a kid it's style and design was a work or art, so I was wrapped and quite content regardless of whatever other presents I got. Now this game wasn't quite like the movie as that was wooden and this was cardboard, but it's overall effect was the same and I was happy to have it. The novel was a fun read that I'd re-read ad-nauseam just to remember every detail, until it was eventually released on cable.

Many years have now passed and Jumanji isn't the golden gem I once thought. It's not bad by any means but the CGI hasn't stood the test of time and now feels dated. Secondly some comedic parts feel too kiddy like what you'd expect from an Ernest movie, but 19 years later there's still much to enjoy.

I first expected a sequel within the coming years around '98 or so. There was rumours flying and tidbits of news circulating on Entertainment Tonight, yet sadly nothing was confirmed or eventuated. Years rolled on I'd given up hope and instead become preoccupied with Pokemon, Dawson's Creek and various cartoons including Jumanji. I definitely felt the cartoon was the best and closest to a sequel we'd get.

Why Jumanji 2 wasn't made remains a mystery, much of it's history is unintentionally or intentionally shrouded in secrecy. Zathura was the most recent link which was given the unofficial title of a sequel, yet it's merely the same author and features a board game that manifests things. The board game itself is very different to the 1995 film and most importantly isn't 'Jumanji'.

In '99 aintitcool news revealed a plot outline for the sequel which concerned The President of The United States visiting a strange shop somewhere in Europe, where he sees and buys the magical board game, perhaps as a present for his children. He takes it back to America and strikes up a game with the Vice President in the oval office. Unfortunately the President makes the same mistake as Alan Parrish and is sucked into the jungle of Jumanji, after which the Vice-President who has pesky ulterior motives, takes advantage of the situation and quickly hides the board game. Eventually resulting in him becoming President and all hell breaking loose.

I assume Robin Williams turned down the role a couple of years prior and 'Plan-B' was opted, which unmistakably sounds awful. Not only is the President unrelatable but uninteresting, cliche and way too grand, even in the adventurous spirit of the first movie. I can only hope this was a very loose plot device that would have counted for 10 minutes of actual screen time, then thankfully focused on another family. The cartoon series had much better plot potential with a hefty number episodes working flawlessly as a continuation of the film.

Ken Ralston was reportedly attached to direct, basically using the sequel as a launching pad to make Mysterious Island sometime after. Ralston has no direction to his name but a large list of visual effects supervising work on many films including Jumanji. Which in theory sounds like a great fit although by most reports he would have rushed the sequel and it would've suffered. It even got to the stage of preliminary animation before Ralston left the project, which seemed to steam from arguments with Sony, who were then in charge.

I can't say I'm sad this effort didn't get off the ground. The wrong people were involved, the plot was almost non-existent and most importantly it wasn't a continuation of the first film, but something very different and mostly tacked-on. I believe Robin Williams was a stepping-stone to a faithful new chapter that would've been true to the original while elaborating more strange characters and problems from the jungle. It's difficult to imagine that more attempts and efforts weren't made subsequent or prior.

Williams would have opted out of a sequel after '95 because he was too busy. Making 5 films a year until the turn of the millennium, It would be surprising if he even considered cramming Jumanji 2 somewhere in the mix. Williams was clearly riding the wave of success and a sequel would have been beneath him, while also unusual as he only ever returned to play Genie in Aladdin until later roles.

2005 would have been an ideal time to make a sequel as it was the ten year anniversary and Robin Williams' schedule was relatively empty with only two films to his name that year, The Big White and Robots, the latter being one he could do in his sleep. Williams would have been in his early 50's, a few years before his heart problems, and raring to have a another crack at a family comedy after a series of dark dramas and thrillers.
Zathura was also released in 2005, which maybe coincidental but to me adds weight that the ten year mark was ideal and something studio heads would have wanted. Perhaps after exhausting their efforts they settled on Chris Van Allsburg's other children's book.

Maybe it's a good thing it wasn't made but I can't help wondering what might have been if not for a few obstacles. Especially something so successful and wildly popular that it now seems odd that nothing afterwards was made. Where The Crow gets 3 sequels after the Brandon Lee's death and Jumanji can't even manage one, and there's no real reason, deliberation or explanation for fans, except a visually better looking re-boot that'll surely be a pale imitation and not nearly the same.

Review: Samurai Jack Episode 1 (2001)

Creator and Director: Genny Tartakovsky

Voice Actors: Phil LaMarr (Jack), Mako Iwamatsu (Aku)

Samurai Jack was an action/adventure cartoon which aired on Cartoon Network between 2001 and 2004. It was primarily about a samurai warrior that was sent to the future by a demon wizard, Aku, just moments before he was to be defeated. It's about the time-displaced samurai who adopts the name 'Jack' and his journey to find way back to his own time, to rid the world of Aku once and for all.

I remember the show fondly as a kid and tried to catch it whenever it was on TV in the early 00's, unfortunately I missed a few episodes here and there so I was never sure exactly where I was in the series. But I always liked how action was at it's forefront and it's sci-fi setting naturally stuck out to me, it's lengthy fight scenes were exciting and the blocky shaped style with it's brightly lit colours was visually splendid.

'The Beginning' is as you'd expect the very first episode, and as such it mostly serves as a origin tale. Aku is brought back to the living by a lightning bolt and eclipse, coincidentally as a young boy's dad, an Emperor, explains the history of Aku and his almost eternal past threat. Although his dad believes he vanquished him long ago with the help of a special sword crafted by three monks with mystical powers. His father tells him to 'always be alert, for the presence of evil is sometimes right behind you', just as the evil demonic wizard crashes through the roof of the palace. Almost at once his father's army attacks and shoots a thousand arrows, all of which are collected effortlessly and shot back by Aku. The little boy's father tries to grab the magical sword but is quickly stopped and held captive by Aku. All is lost but not before the father instructs his mum to protect the Prince.

The two thankfully escape by boat and travel out to a large ship, where the Prince must tearfully depart alone and leave his mum. Aboard the large ship the Prince begins his quest to fulfil his father's wishes. What follows is a fun montage that summarizes the young Prince's turn from student to warrior, he trains with gladiators, Vikings, Russian axe throwers, Mongolians, Tibetan monks and even Robin Hood. How this exactly occurs over the span of 30 years is interesting, but nevertheless our samurai emerges strong and ready. He travels to a temple in the clouds where he reunites with his mother and is given his father's sword.

At this point the Prince seeks out his home land, to deliver payback and death upon his life-long enemy. We see what was once the Prince's home has long since become Aku's desolate land, which resembles Hell in many ways, even consisting of slaves building structures and digging for jewels by the strict command of Aku minions. The minions are dressed with devil-horned hoods and red and black ninja clothes, with black whips at their side, they are eager to inflict pain for any who disobey. Elsewhere in Aku's massive cave-like fortress, the Prince's father is stuck at the bottom of a statue of Aku, where he works under the watchful eye of a tormenting minion.

The Prince arrives and quickly defeats Aku's minions with swift strikes and chops. After freeing his father, he promises him to finally vanquish Aku. The Prince charges on horseback towards Aku's tower where he calls the formidable demon out. With swift and continuos strikes and calculated blows, Aku's shape-shifting attack method proves fruitless. Each strike takes more of Aku's power until he is a just weak shadow. In a last desperate attempt to stay alive, the demonic wizard opens a portal where the Prince is flung inside and sent into the future.

In comparison to other episodes there's seems to be a general lack of humour, it's unmistakable, I suppose given it's dark subject matter and the fact we are only are just getting to know the Prince, it's to be expected. The action on the otherhand, especially the final battle between The Prince and Aku is really exciting, it makes the whole episode worth watching. It's most of all satisfying seeing our warrior finally rise to the occasion.

'The Beginning' serves as a first taste of the main characters and their world, and as such we unfortunately don't get to see the fun and comedic side of Samurai Jack. Even it's unintentional comedic pauses and sight gags aren't for show. I think the comedy is important because it breaks up the daunting  violence with much-needed light-hearted humour. It's a balance that I believe wasn't crafted as well in this episode, yet I don't think it would have suited it's tone if more prominent.

Tartakovsky manages to show off his cinematic story-telling like few others. Despite simplistic drawings his inventiveness shines with creative screen layouts, such as splicing from comic book panels to traditional widescreen film, as well as epic music and sound effects of movie caliber. Samurai Jack has moments of brilliance and compared to other shows from Cartoon Network the action is jaw-dropping. Almost all cartoon shows of this era tried to shoe-horn in kid-friendly humour, whereas Jack was also serious enough that you could enjoy it as an action movie.

Dexter and It's Dull Art Direction.

As a long time fan of Dexter something that always bothered me is the art direction. When I think of a picture to sum up a 12 episode season, with all it's twists and turns, gripping action and interesting character study, I think of obvious cards that should be drawn into the equation, such as trademarks of the villain and landmarks featured throughout the season. This is just scratching the surface of a possible art direction but we are instead given bland profile shots of Dexter.

        
Get it? Blood, because he's a blood spatter expert. Even season 4, arguably it's finest season, can't escape the same uninspired fate.

I don't think these covers offer much beyond a superficial thought. If I didn't know, I'd think Dexter was some gleeful deranged psycho basking in blood from a fresh kill, proud of his senseless murder of innocent people. Some may argue that the subtlety and straightness of these images is the point, but I disagree when there's next to no variation. It's the same crap repackaged in a slightly different box. It's as if the thinking switch was turned off and the art designer/s settled with a random photo of Michael C. Hall, altered it's contrast and called it a day.
Now I could understand if these images were just teaser posters of upcoming seasons but they're the legitimate final stamp of the season.
And I say art direction because this plain style is across the board. Everywhere you see official Dexter themed art, whether game, novel or merch, there's next to no variation. Take a look at some items on show:

 


                                                              T-Shirts and Music.

One reason for this choice of art direction, of lack thereof, could possibly be because of the first two books by Jeff Lindsay that came before the tv-show, namely; Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004) and Dearly Devoted Dexter (2005).


    Possible original.     Re-release with new logo but character visually different to show.

Perhaps they were trying to keep with the theme of these covers, yet novels very rarely offer much and are inherently basic. There's of course oddities such as teen orientated books, but they usually always walk a fine line between being visually striking and lacking anything beyond text. I tend to think they tried to mimic the design of the books, as the tv-show covers could easily pass off as book covers, it's hardly a stretch to envision.

The problem is they're playing it safe and simply sticking to the source material, however bare-bones it happens to be. There's plenty of room for elaboration and it's not like the fans would throw their arms in rage to a little artistic flair. There's so many possibilities that can be incorporated and shown as evidenced by the 5-issue Marvel comic series released in 2013.

Landscape. Actual landscape.

Written by Jeff Lindsay and illustrated by Dalibor Talajic, the comic-book series basically encapsulates what it should be. With landscapes and more than one idea for viewers to interpret, it's the perfect balance that summarizes a series of events while still maintaining focus on the main character. The blending of images offers a deeper insight into Dexter and offers clues as to what the story inside is all about. After reading it one can reflect on the cover and know it without having to skim through or read a summary. The front cover acts as a story telling device just as the actual panels contained.

When I go to my local DVD and Blu-ray store and see Dexter covers first hand I struggle to buy a copy because I find them bland and uninspired. I'd feel right at home buying an online copy because I feel there's nothing visually significant and appealing about the containers for the tv-show. I simply don't feel I'm missing out by not having a physical representation. And it's a shame because Dexter's art design could have been so much more but it was twarted by safe bets. (Spoilers) Like the opening introduction scene that was only changed for one single solitary episode throughout a 8 season time span, or long running characters that could have been killed off for a more emotionally devastating final season, or Debra's half-baked love affair with Dexter that was ultimately written out due to fans reaction, and ultimately not killing Dexter when it could have saved an otherwise terrible ending.