The crocodile attack scene featured in 1995’s original Jumanji movie has been brutally dismissed by a real-life animal expert. Based on the children’s book of the same name, Jumanji follows a pair of young siblings who unleash several jungle-based threats from a supernatural board game, and in the process free Robin Williams’ Alan Parrish, who had been trapped in the game for over 20 years. At one point, a monsoon is unleashed and causes the Parrish house to become flooded with crocodile-infested waters. In a bid to protect others, Williams’ character valiantly attempts to wrestle an attacking crocodile by jumping on its back.
As intense as the crocodile scene may have been, one expert has dismissed the realism of the Jumanji moment. In a video for Insider, crocodile wrangler Frank Robb broke down the movie’s reptilian encounter and pointed out several obvious fallacies, including rejecting the notion of Willams’ character being able to wrestle a 15-foot crocodile into submission. Check out his comments below:
It’s very common that one [crocodile] will make his way through an area calmly. If he’s just kind of motoring around, if they’re going a little fast somewhere they’re not going to do it on the top of the water. They’re going to be stealthy about it and do it underwater.
Crocodiles are ridiculously strong. They’re a very powerful animal and there’s no person on that can match strength with one. There would be no reason for him to go knock someone off there. That crocodile could have easily reached that chandelier with no problems whatsoever, and you’re looking at a crocodile that’s 15 plus feet long. Yeah no, you’re not safe.
There’s a big misconception that their mouth shuts very easily and stays shut very easily with a little bit of pressure. That is not true, they have a giant, enormous amount of power in opening their mouth as well. We use tape, so we’ll use.. electricians like could call it electrical tape, it’s really alligator tape, we use that to wrap their mouths up and we’ll usually cover their eyes at the same time, cause it makes them a little bit more relaxed.
I don’t care if you’re Arnold Schwarzenegger in your prime, you’re not getting away with doing that. He’d fling you off like a bug and you’d be lunch so quick.
Robin Williams Took Jumanji’s Crocodile Scene Too Seriously
While a professional crocodile wrangler may have issues with the realism of Jumanji’s crocodile scene, the movie’s star didn’t have any such qualms about the nature of the action sequence. Despite being renowned for its use of CGI special effects at a time when the technology was still very much in its infancy, there were still several shots that were too difficult for director Joe Johnston and his crew to achieve digitally. Foremost among them was the moment when William’s Alan Parrish jumped onto the back of the thrashing crocodile.
Jumanji 4 Needs More Than Next Level’s OG Actor Return To Unite The Rock & Robin Williams’ Movies
Jumanji: The Next Level brought back a member of the original Jumanji’s cast, and Jumanji 4 needs to go even further with this strategy.
Instead, Johnston decided to return to more traditional methods and settled on the simple yet effective approach of placing a puppeteer into a life-sized crocodile suit. While this allowed Williams to react far more realistically than he would have been able to with a purely CGI creature, the legendary comedian would later recount that he got so carried away during filming that he began fighting the creature as though his life depended on it.
In a 1996 interview with British talk show host Clive Anderson, Williams told the story about how he thumped the Jumanji puppeteer inside the suit a little too hard with his elbow, and it was only when he heard the man shouting that he came to his senses. Nonetheless, Jumanji’s crocodile scene remains an iconic part of the beloved family classic despite both its lack of realism and Williams’ over-enthusiastic dedication to his craft.
Jumanji
Jumanji is an action-adventure comedy film by director Joe Johnston and starring Robin Williams. Two orphan siblings move into a home occupied by the former Parrish family, whose son disappeared years ago. When the two start playing a mysterious board game known as “Jumanji,” they unknowingly release the missing Alan Parrish later, along with various other jungle-themed dangers that can only be stopped if they finish the game.
- Release Date
- December 15, 1995
- Director
- Joe Johnston
- Cast
- Robin Williams , Kirsten Dunst , David Alan Grier , Bonnie Hunt , Jonathan Hyde , Bebe Neuwirth
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 104 Minutes
- Genres
- Action , Adventure , Comedy
- Writers
- Jonathan Hensleigh , Greg Taylor , Jim Strain
- Story By
- Greg Taylor, Jim Strain, Chris Van Allsburg
- Budget
- $65 Million
- Studio(s)
- TriStar Pictures , Interscope Communications
- Distributor(s)
- Sony Pictures Releasing
- Sequel(s)
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Jumanji: The Next Level , Jumanji 4
- Franchise(s)
- Jumanji
