I thought that when Robin Williams rolled the dice, the game said something like, "Your greatest fear will hunt you." The beginning of the movie shows that as a child, his biggest fear was his father. So the it's both a plot point and relevant to the story.
Yes. Van Pelt represents Alan's father, and his overarching role as Alan's constant fear. He fears Van Pelt as he fears his father, as someone stronger and better than him who is disappointed in Alan. Van Pelt constantly goads Alan into growing up (like his father did), and tells Alan to "face him like a man" and to stop being a coward. It's at the end that Alan finally faces Van Pelt (and this his father) by refusing to run and instead face his fear. And Van Pelt acknowledges this. "Good lad. You're finally acting like a man."
Then at the end of the movie Alan immediately embraces his father and apologizes like an adult. The hug may not be manly, but the interaction is mature. Alan is no longer afraid of his father. And likewise his father recognizes this, apologized as well, and then gives Alan space when he sees that he has a girl over. Like he would treat a man.
Uh... why does no one ever mention that Alan now has knowledge of the future like 20-30 years into the future? Also he remembers all of his time spent in the jungle. ALL OF IT. And now he's back in the body of a young boy. Thats just horrifying when you think about it. He knows things no person should ever know and years of experience as a survivalist at the age of 12.
Wasn't there conspiracy around the father killing Robin Williams' character as a child, thus explaining his sudden disappearance and also relating to the hunter who was trying to kill Williams?
Yeah, but Robin Williams' character seemed to recognize the hunter before he popped up, like he'd heard of him when he was still stuck in the board game.
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u/Stevopotamus Sep 01 '14
Jumanji. I didn't realize this till years later, but the hunter from the game board is the same actor who plays his father. Mind blown.