Following our recent presentation of James Horner’s Casper, Renovatio Records is proud to unveil another beloved entry from the composer’s extraordinary 1995 output: Jumanji. In a year that saw Horner scale the historical grandeur of Braveheart and the emotional heights of Apollo 13, Jumanji offered him the chance to explore a world of fantasy, danger, and childlike wonder. The result is a score that bridges large-scale adventure writing with moments of intimacy, embodying both the peril unleashed by a mysterious board game and the rediscovery of family at the story’s core. Three decades later, Horner’s music remains a thrilling and heartfelt companion to the film, and arguably one of the most imaginative works of his mid-1990s career.
Directed by Joe Johnston and based on Chris Van Allsburg’s beloved children’s book, Jumanji follows Alan Parrish (Robin Williams), a man who, after being trapped for decades inside a magical board game, is released into the modern world alongside new players Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce). Joined by his childhood friend Sarah (Bonnie Hunt), all must finish the game as each roll of the dice unleashes new threats — wild animals, natural disasters, and the relentless hunter Van Pelt (Jonathan Hyde). Remembered for its groundbreaking visual effects, and mixing comedy, adventure, and moments of real peril, the film struck a chord with audiences, becoming a box-office hit and later a staple of ’90s family cinema.
By 1995, having already collaborated successfully on films like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and The Rocketeer, Horner had become Johnston’s trusted musical partner, capable of matching the director’s blend of spectacle, adventure, and heart. With his trademark sincerity, Horner combined large-scale symphonic writing with ethnic color and delicate thematic storytelling. In many ways, Jumanji bridges the two poles of his mid-1990s output: the heartfelt intimacy of his family/fantasy scores (Casper, Balto) and the muscular adventure writing that would define later works (The Mask of Zorro, Mighty Joe Young).
From the very beginning, in the “Prologue,” Horner sets the stage with a deep and foreboding theme for the game itself. Initially presented in low range brass with ominous weight, it proves remarkably versatile: sometimes mysterious (“Prologue,” “It’s Sarah’s Move,” “Faster Than Bamboo”), sometimes playful (“Rampage Through Town”), and in moments like “Stampede!” and “The Monsoon” even rising to rumbling orchestral grandeur. Throughout the score, it adapts seamlessly to the shifting moods of the film, embodying both the danger and the allure of the game.
Balancing this is the family theme, also introduced in “Prologue,” carried by piano and quena. Gentle and lyrical, it underscores many of the scenes involving Alan’s bond with Sarah and the surrogate family formed with Judy and Peter. It receives poignant development throughout the score, with one of its most stirring adaptations in “A New World,” as the adult Alan copes with the altered reality that has come to be while he was trapped, and a luminous reprise in the “End Titles.” A related, lighter idea for Alan himself appears in cues like “Alan is Back” and the latter half of “Finale,” emphasizing his journey from boy to adult. With warm strings, this poignant yet delicate motif reflects the innocence of a child forced to spend decades yearning for parents he would never see again.
Adding to this tapestry is a supernatural motif for the game itself, a delicate figure voiced by celesta and harp, first heard in “Alan and Sarah Start Playing,” and reappearing during “Mosquitoes, Monkeys and A Lion,” developing into a grand statement at the beginning of “Finale”, when the game is finished. Complementing it is a dice motif, a descending piano figure that recurs whenever the dice are rolled, providing subtle narrative punctuation.
For menace, Horner crafts a threatening theme for Van Pelt, the relentless hunter conjured by the game, introduced in “Van Pelt” with ominous shakuhachi lines and prowling brass. Horner also sprinkles in grotesque humor, such as the carnivalesque motif for the monkeys, scored with circus-like trumpet figures, comic bass lines, and even synthesized klaxon horns, underscoring the chaos they cause.
Horner’s orchestration is as colorful as the game itself. He makes striking use of exotic woodwinds — the shakuhachi for danger and mystery, the quena for tenderness and warmth — while percussion drives the action with energy. The score’s action set pieces rank among Horner’s most thrilling of the period. “Rampage Through Town,” “The Monsoon,” and “Jumanji” bristle with pounding rhythms, soaring brass, and furious string writing, evoking both the chaos unleashed by the game and the high stakes of the players’ quest. These passages demonstrate Horner’s ability to blend intensity with harmony, making the music as exhilarating on album as it is in the film.
The original 1995 Epic Soundtrax album offered 51 minutes of music arranged in Horner’s customary album style. In 2022, Intrada Records issued a complete two-disc edition, expanding the score in full for collectors, though its sheer comprehensiveness could prove daunting for casual listeners. Renovatio Records’ new 55-minute edition provides the perfect balance: a remastered, tightly assembled single-disc program presented in chronological order. It restores essential material missing from the original album while maintaining a concise flow, offering both newcomers and longtime fans the most accessible way to experience Horner’s score.
With Jumanji, James Horner created a score that is at once adventurous, playful, and deeply moving — a work that has stood the test of time and continues to enchant listeners three decades later. This new Renovatio Records edition invites audiences to rediscover Horner’s thrilling jungle adventure and the warmth at its heart, in a presentation that honors one of the composer’s most distinctive children’s fantasy scores of the mid-1990s.
Track listing:
Cover Artwork:
|
Track Title |
Slate Number and Cue Title |
|
1. Prologue |
1m1 Prologue / Main Title |
|
2. Alan and Sarah Start Playing |
2m4 First Move |
|
3. Mosquitoes, Monkeys and a Lion |
3m10/4m1 Monkey Mayhem (Edited) |
|
4. Alan Is Back |
4M2/3 A New World |
|
5. A New World |
4m4/5m1 Alan Parrish (Edited) |
|
6. It's Sarah's Move |
6m1 It's Sarah's Move |
|
7. Faster Than Bamboo |
1m3 Alan Finds The Game (Edited) 6m2 Plant Almost Eats Peter |
|
8. Van Pelt |
7m1 The Hunter |
|
9. Stampede! |
7m2 Stampede! |
|
10. Peter Retrieves the Game |
7m3 A Pelican Steals The Game |
|
11. Rampage Through Town |
4m4/5m1 Alan Parrish (Edited) 8m4 Rampage Through Town (Edited) 8m5/6 Store Mayhem (Edited) 8m7/9m1 Car Crash (Edited) |
|
12. The Monsoon |
9m2 Peter's Tail / Van Pelt's Hand (Edited) 10m1 The Monsoon (Edited) |
|
13. Jumanji |
11m1 Jumanji (Edited) |
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14. Finale |
11m1 Jumanji (Edited) |
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15. End Titles |
12m3 End Titles (Edited) |
