Zathura: A Space Adventure Poster

Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)

Action | Comedy | Fantasy
Rayting:   6.2/10 94.4K votes
Country: USA
Language: English
Release date: 11 November 2005

Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.

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User Reviews

spacemonkey_fg 22 February 2006

Title: Zathura (2005)

Director: Jon Favreau

Review: You know the type of movie that you watch when you are a little kid and you never forget that film and hold it close to your heart for all your life? For me it was all about The Goonies and Explorers. Zathura is going to end up being one of those movies for a whole new generation of kids growing up right now.

Zathura is just a variation of what we saw earlier in Jumanji. Jumanji was a board game that once you started playing it would transport a savage jungle along with all its beasts and perils right into your living room. With Zathura we get the same basic idea, only this time around the adventure transports us into space. And all the alien creatures, spaceships, meteor showers and malfunctioning robots that come along with it.

There's a couple of things I liked better about this film then Jumanji. For example with Jumanji you got all these special effects and all these creatures and things happening, but to me personally the film always seemed a little empty. It didn't show anything to kids. It just felt like this empty shell of a movie with lots of razzle dazzle effects. And heres where Zathura improved on the whole idea: this movie had a whole lot more to say then Jumanji ever did.

With Zathura you get these two little brothers. One is six and one is ten. So naturally they are always fighting for attention and are in a constant competition to see who is best, who is first and who their dad loves the most. Once they get going on their space adventure they will learn to value and care for each other. And their bond as brothers grow. So yeah, Zathura has a lot more to teach to kids and has an actual message as opposed to Jumanjis empty effects.

But on top of that you get some kick ass action and adventure. And this is the part where I said, man some little kid somewhere is LOVING this movie. There was a lot of care taken to make this movie not just a preachy movie about loving your family and brothers..but an entertaining film as well. With some cool special effects too boot. You gotta love the giant malfunctioning robot, you gotta love those lizard like aliens called the Zorgons. I liked the fact that Hollywood didn't say, ah, its a kid movie, they wont notice. The effects here are top of the line cool stuff.

The performances by the two kids were great. I loved the fact that they seemed real. Kids fight like this, they talk to each other in this way. And the kids at the same time weren't annoying in the least. They acted very naturally and non of their acting felt forced or fake. Tim Robbins makes a cameo as the dad of the kids.

So in conclusion, if you have kids rent this movie and watch it with them. Theyll learn something in the process and you'll go back to being that ten year old kid saying cool every five minutes. Its a win win situation.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Chrysanthepop 9 January 2008

Fmovies: I'm pretty much sure that if you've liked 'Jumanji' then you'll enjoy this one. As a kid, I loved 'Jumanji' and 'Zathura' does not disappoint at all. Of course, both movies are adaptations of books written by the same writer. I was watching it with my kid sister who was having a blast. The two main characters are two brothers who are probably 10 and 7 years of age. The kid actors are quite good and they don't overdo the cute act. However, Kristen Stewart is the caricature whiny older sister who doesn't care. Thankfully, her role is limited. The only directorial venture of Favreau I have seen was 'Made' which was a laugh out loud dark comedy, completely different from 'Zathura'. He does seem to know the kind of movies kids love and families can enjoy. He's moving to being more versatile as a director as he's done a fine job so far. The special effects are awesome. Just like the engaging weirdness in 'Jumanji'. The house floating outer space, the dim lighting in the house, the house breaking, the bicycle orbiting around the floating house...all work well and add to the amusement. Highly entertaining! Kids will love it! Therefore families will love it too!

bell266 26 January 2006

This movie was surprised me. The only reason I went to see it was my boys ages 8-15 begged me. This film mirrored my boys. It was like watching them in action. For the first time they could see themselves in living color. They could see how horrible they treat each other. This film taught my boys a lesson they will not soon forget.

If you have children (boys or girls) who just treat each other like crap, then take them to see this movie. It has a moral all wrapped up in action, adventure, intrigue, and edge of your seat excitement. I really loved how the movie inspires kids to be adventurous. My scary little 8yr old learned that it was okay to be afraid just along as the fear did not control or hinder your efforts.

enderbc 27 May 2006

Zathura: A Space Adventure fmovies. If you're watching this show looking for science fiction, don't bother. This is a story in the grand old Buck Rogers vein. It's for KIDS. i never watched the show as a critical adult trying to find flaws in it or worrying about suspension-of-belief. i watched it as i used to when i was a kid, going to a Saturday afternoon matinée. Excited, thrilled at being in the theater... popcorn and pop in hand. Fidgeting in the seat until the lights dimmed. Then the anticipation... ready to enter into the story. i wasn't disappointed. The movie captured my imagination from start to finish. My advice; this is for kids only. If you're a grown-up, leave your adulthood at the door. If you enter into it as a kid you'll experience the wonder, the suspense, the thrills, the chills.

This movie will stay with me forever.

watchmanz 19 September 2006

It's not often a "kids movie" will keep me entertained right through by Zathura did just that. The actors are excellent, there are plot twists, and it's just good old fashioned fun as well. I was pleasantly surprised when watching this movie and at the end I wished it had been longer. Jonah Bobo and Josh Hutcherson work extremely well together as the two lead characters and with special effects that are realistic (as realistic as a fantasy film can get anyway) the end result is an excellent movie for all ages. Jumanji was good but Zathura is great and I can highly recommend it to everybody. Take your kids to see it, take your parents to see it - take everyone to see it.

aimless-46 4 August 2006

Those who criticize "Zathura" for being a copycat "Jumanji" are apparently clueless about the Van Allsburg's books. "Zathura" is a sequel to "Jumanji", it is about what happened when the Budwing brothers opened the game box that Peter and Judy discarded at the end of "Jumanji". Early board games were often designed with two-sided boards so that the game pieces could be used to play two different games-usually of the same type. "Zathura" was the flip side of the "Jumanji" game board and the ones the brothers chose to play (because Walter did not like jungle games). So it is "supposed" to be like another "Jumanji".

Having grown up with this same sibling age dynamic (six and ten) I was not surprised at the amount of yelling, anger, and resentment that goes on between the two brothers. I was however surprised that anyone would find this sort of thing entertaining. While their divorced father (Tim Robbins playing the only sympathetic character in the film) is away at a meeting, the younger brother (Danny) finds an old Zathura game in the basement. Based on those old 1950's tin toys it involves two tin spaceships on a track racing around space. Each spin of the dial determines the distance the ship will move on that turn and a card is ejected detailing what happens to the ship at that point of space.

As Danny and Walter face the challenges of space they discover that they can work as a team and they even develop some affection for each other (a more unrealistic idea than anything they actually encounter in space).

Like the source book, the movie adaptation of "Zathura" targets kindergarten to Grade 5 children. Like "Sharkboy and Lavagirl", older viewers will find very little of interest other than a fun production design and nice effects.

Unfortunately "Zathura" it is not as pure as "Sharkboy and Lavagirl", which uniquely refused to compromise its "for kids only" story. "Zathura" does compromise, as the producers attempt to expand their audience by creating an older sister (Lisa played by Kristen Stewart) who was not a character in the book. While Stewart is fine in this role and even provides some comic relief, it is rather disturbing that the producers chose to turn her into a pubescent sex object, blustering around the house in her underwear for most of the film. Van Allsburg's illustrations are the best part of his books but a "hot teenage sister" is not an image he has ever published.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

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