Word: plot
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Jumanji's plot (from Chris Van Allsburg's book and a script by Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor and Jim Strain) is the 486th rewrite of a Spielbergian fantasy: lost child meets the Dead Parents Society. The story doesn't advance; it just piles up, like a multiple-car wreck. And its whimsy is spiked with way too much spite. In this nightmare replay of Toy Story, everything is demolished: a pretty old home, a local mall, an innocent town. It's destruct-o-rama, kids! Fun for the whole dysfunctional family! Because it exploits children's weakness for noise, clutter...
Slowly, the plot develops; the audience watches the aforementioned Italian played by Kevin Krim, the dumb blond (Kristen Rolf), the girl with a cold (Ona Hahs) and the vulgar staff member who proudly wields her cigarette (Anna Lewis)--all under the direction of the constantly angry boss, Emily Stone's Marge (often called--surprise, surprise--Sarge). The action picks up when a health inspector, played by Mark Bagley, has to review the kitchen, which for years has passed the test. This time, things are different. Bagley portrays a slimy 70s type, who will only give the kitchen a passing rating...
Unfortunately, any audience member could have guessed the plot from looking at the program. In fact, the play lacks such originality and virtually all other plot twists may be determined from the program alone. This formulaic approach transcends all aspects of the script, humor to plot advancement, and ultimately fails...
Even Scooby found an occasional secret passage, inviting seven-year-old minds to probe further, asking "Who could possibly want to destroy the amusement park?" However, in this play, the plot does not draw one in. Even when the audience learns the identity of the murderer, the climax of the play, there seems no suspense because there is no logical reason for his (or her) guilt. There are no clues, no plot progression or twists. The line are stale and occasionally incoherent, tangential to strang degrees. When Marge delivers a line about the British Royal Army in the context...
...Slaw and Order" serves up its best jokes when it tries to be a cartoon Laughter can abound at some of the recreations of the health inspector's death. Early on, he brings several moments of entertainment with his unctuous gestures. Later, a sub-plot, involving the unreaction of samplers brought out a few chuckles from the audience. But, these moments do not quite add up to a great play. Even Velma knows that it takes more than the discovery of a magnifying glass and phosphorescent paint to solve the crime...