25 Movies Like Jumanji You Need To Watch

"Jumanji" was originally based on a children's book by author Chris Van Allsburg. That book was followed up by a sequel, "Zathura," which has a similar premise to "Jumanji" but instead revolves around a space-themed board game that two bickering brothers end up playing that transports their house into an outer space filled with aliens and other dangers. The book was adapted into a 2005 film starring a young Josh Hutcherson and Jonah Bobo, as well as Kristen Stewart and Dax Shepard. It was directed by "The Mandalorian" creator and "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau.

While the film isn't a direct sequel to the "Jumanji" movie, "Zathura: A Space Adventure" takes the basic premise of the book and expands upon it, delivering a sci-fi spectacle perfectly suitable for younger viewers without sacrificing any action. Favreau's direction is typically great, but the performances of the young cast help elevate the material.

"Ready Player One" never misses a beat when it comes to reverence for famous movies. In fact, Spielberg even manages to sneak in references to his own films. These callbacks make sense considering many of Spielberg's earlier works are some of the best examples of the adventure genre, especially the iconic dinosaur flick "Jurassic Park." Even though the film was released all the way back in 1993, our first trip to Isla Nublar still holds up to this day.

From the shot of Dr. Alan Grant witnessing the field of dinosaurs for the first time to the "must go faster" chase scene with Jeff Goldblum, "Jurassic Park" is filled with so many thrilling moments that you could make your own list simply off of the series alone. Even after several other sequels and spin-offs, including another "Jurassic World" sequel coming later in 2022, there's still nothing else quite like the original.

Another children's book adaptation that failed to get a sequel was "A Series of Unfortunate Events," based on the novel series of the same name by Daniel Handler (written under the pen name Lemony Snicket, a character within the books). An adaptation of the first three books, the film saw Jim Carrey play the sinister Count Olaf as he schemes to steal the inheritance of the Baudelaire orphans. Meanwhile, the siblings set out to discover the mystery of their parents' deaths.

There are a lot of things to admire about the film, but the absurd characters and surreal story of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" are what truly make this quirky adventure worth watching. It's made even better by Jim Carrey's performance. Although a sequel to the film never happened, the series did get a full adaptation in the form of a Netflix television series, with Neil Patrick Harris taking over as Olaf.

Another children's book adaptation starring a young Josh Hutcherson, "Bridge to Terabithia" is based on the novel by Katherine Paterson. This time, Hutcherson stars alongside a young AnnaSophia Robb as two neighbors who become friends after they create their own fantasy world called Terabithia together in order to escape the hardships they face in their real lives. Unlike "Zathura: A Space Adventure," which was a science fiction spectacle, "Bridge to Terabithia" is a tragic story about friendship and loss that blends fantasy elements with real-life problems.

The heavy subject matter, particularly the sad ending, offers a much different intensity than the thrills of a board game come to life. The visual effects when the kids enter the world of Terabithia are still great to look at, but the chemistry between Hutcherson's character Jess and Robb's character Leslie is what really carries the film to special heights.

The 2009 film "Where The Wild Things Are" has a similar history to that of "Hugo." Both are children's films made by a director, in this case Spike Jonze, who isn't well known for making films for families. Both received critical acclaim for their themes and visuals, but neither was able to make a lot of money at the box office. Adapted from the Maurice Sendak book of the same name, "Where the Wild Things Are" follows a boy named Max as he runs away from home and becomes king of an island filled with monsters.

At the time, the dark themes and designs of the monsters drew criticism for how they would be perceived by younger audiences, but looking at the film now, all of these elements make "Where the Wild Things Are" one of the most uniquely satisfying children's films to watch.

Nowadays, most of Disney's live-action films are remakes or updates of their large portfolio of animated works from the Disney Renaissance era. Many of these films are of varying quality, but one of the best remakes to come from Disney was 2016's "The Jungle Book." Another film directed by Jon Favreau, this remake retells the classic story but updates the narrative with photorealistic CGI versions of the talking animals that help guide the young boy Mowgli on his quest to defeat the fearsome tiger Shere Khan.

It's truly hard to judge which version of "The Jungle Book" is better. The original's classic animation style and songs are still great to watch today, but the remake's landmark visuals shouldn't be missed. This indecision is surely a testament to how well-made the remake really is. Mowgli's adventure is still satisfying to watch after all these years.

In 1982, Disney released "Tron," a science fiction film about a programmer who is transported into a computer system and must find a way to escape. "Tron" starred Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner and featured revolutionary visuals for its time. It wasn't until 2010 that a sequel would finally come out. "Tron: Legacy" follows a similar premise to the original, with the son of Jeff Bridges' character getting launched into another computer program and needing to both escape and rescue his father.

Unlike most of the aforementioned films, "Tron: Legacy" wasn't very well received by critics. In fact, reactions to the sequel were about the same as its predecessor: the breathtaking visuals weren't enough to make up for the poor narrative. Despite these criticisms, "Tron: Legacy" is still worth a watch for its visuals alone, not to mention its action sequences and the amazing soundtrack by Daft Punk.

By the early 2000s, it was clear that hand-drawn animation wasn't as profitable as it once was. "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" was the first film to indicate that the style was dying out for Disney, and 2002's "Treasure Planet" was another bad sign, though it was not the final nail in the coffin (the last traditionally animated feature released by Disney was 2011's "Winnie the Pooh," but there weren't many others released in between).

An adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic "Treasure Island" story, this film adds a science fiction element to the story to freshen things up. This leads to some seriously impressive visuals for an animated film while also keeping in the spirit of the classic story. There may never be a true follow-up to "Treasure Planet," but the original film is definitely enough to satisfy both the adventure and the science fiction itch younger viewers might have.

In 2008, another adaptation of "Journey to the Center of the Earth" was released. Starring Brendan Fraser and John Hutcherson, this film — about a rescue mission that turns into an adventure deep within our planet — was notable for being a 3D adventure around the time the medium was becoming the standard for big-budget films. Four years later, the sequel "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" was released. It features the same amount of 3D spectacle but transports the adventure to a mythical island.

Fraser doesn't return for the sequel, instead being replaced by Dwayne Johnson. Like Nicholas Cage, Dwayne Johnson's action films feel like a genre of their own. The thrill of watching The Rock outrun giant CGI lizards and riding giant insects fits right into his "turn your brain off and enjoy the spectacle" brand of big-budget action movies.

One of the earliest examples of Dwayne Johnson's ability to elevate even the silliest of family action movies, as well as another relic of Disney's unique 2000s live-action offerings, is 2009's "Race to Witch Mountain." A remake of the 1975 film "Escape to Witch Mountain," this update follows a cab driver escorting two alien teenagers back to their ship while evading both the United States government and an alien assassin.

Johnson's star power helps give the film a great leading anchor, but AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig's alien siblings are the real stars of the show, delivering in every action sequence the film has. It may not be the best family action film out there — critics certainly weren't crazy about it — but "Race to Witch Mountain" offers just the right amount of science fiction thrills and Johnson-style charm to suit a family audience.

Coming out almost a decade after the last "Narnia" book was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl, which was adapted to film twice. Both 1971's "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and 2005's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" have many good things going for them, but the first film definitely wins out based on nostalgia and Gene Wilder (Dahl apparently didn't like the film. It's unclear if he would have much liked Tim Burton's take, either, as he wasn't around to offer his opinion).

The journey into the fantastical candy factory of eccentric owner Willy Wonka with Charlie Bucket and the rest of the Golden Ticket winners is a spectacle that still holds up today. Some standout sequences include Charlie's adventures in the Bubble Room and the strange boat ride of terror, but every scene is made even better by Wilder's wry, iconic performance as Willy Wonka.

The original "Spy Kids" trilogy focused solely on Carmen and Juni Cortez, siblings who discover that their parents are secret agents and decide to become members of a secret spy organization. The first film introduced audiences to the characters. While that first entry does have its merits, the sequel is where things truly get wild and crazy for the franchise.

In "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams," Carmen and Juni travel to a mysterious island filled with dangerous mutated animals as they fight against a pair of rival kid agents. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, the film features his signature blend of chaotic action and gross-out humor that would come to define the franchise. In addition to its young actors, the ensemble adult cast of Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Danny Trejo, Bill Paxton, and Steve Buscemi is another highlight of the film.

Each entry in the "Harry Potter" series can be treated like a separate adventure. Everyone has their opinion on which installment is the best, and most critics would argue that it's the final installment, but the third entry is definitely up there. "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" may not feature Harry facing off against Voldemort, but he does have to deal with the arrival of escaped convict Sirius Black and a slew of vicious monsters known as Dementors.

After two fairly lighthearted entries, "Prisoner of Azkaban" is the installment that helps the franchise mature a little bit without sacrificing the magical elements of the first two films. It's also the entry that features some of the franchise's greatest moments, from Harry's ultimate confrontation with Black to Harry and his best friend Hermione traveling back in time and Potter successfully using the Patronus charm to fight off a wave of Dementors.