Past the nature of its titular game, the story of “Jumanji” carries its eeriness over to its cinematic atmosphere. Twenty-six years after the disappearance of teenager Alan Parrish, orphaned siblings Peter and Judy Shepherd move with their aunt Nora into the vacant mansion of the Parrish family, and it is within minutes of that new experience that director Joe Johnston and editor Robert Dalva establish a haunted mansion, an idea irradiated by two shots cut together: Over a long, high-angle frame, we see Peter opening the door that leads to the attic. The shot takes its time (17 seconds), as the boy comes in and explores the room with a flashlight. The creaks in the wood from the door and flooring reverberates in the windy ambiance, while the xylophone on the score, by James Horner, suggests an air of mystery and curiosity. The point of view, behind objects placed way back in the room’s furniture, is fully identified with Peter, tracking his every step at his same speed. It also stops a...
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