Amazon.com Zathura, a smart and stylish kid's adventure, launches into action when Danny (Jonah Bobo) twists the key of a dusty science fiction game--a game that unleashes a localized meteor shower and wrenches Danny's house into orbit around a distant ringed planet, bringing Danny's brother Walter (Josh Hutcherson, Kicking and Screaming) and sister Lisa (Kristen Stewart, Panic Room) along. Soon a defective robot, a rangy astronaut (Dax Shepard, Without a Paddle), and an alien spaceship enter the picture. Only by completing the game can the kids return their house to its proper space-time coordinates, but the game board falls into the hands of some nasty, carnivorous lizards. Zathura has some obligatory emotional conflict and resolution between the two brothers, but that's pretty much beside the point; what makes Zathura a delight is the wonderful design, the skillful escalation of disasters, and the adroit direction of Jon Favreau (Elf), who is quickly becoming the go-to guy for mass-market movies with wit and timing. Some situations may be too intense for younger kids; Favreau ratchets up the suspense at a few points. Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg (Jumanji). Also featuring Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption). --Bret Fetzer
Description In Columbia Pictures' heart-racing sci-fi adventure Zathura, two squabbling brothers are propelled into deepest, darkest space while playing a mysterious game they discovered in the basement of theirold house. On their fantastic journey, they are joined by a stranded astronaut and must survive meteor showers, hostile lizard-like aliens, a rocket-propelled robot run amok and an intergalactic spaceship battle. Unless they finish the game and reach the planet Zathura, they could be trapped in outer space forever.
- A good family film but it drags on and for older audience's you'll lose intrece (3)
This is another toss up movie you think is it good or is it bad. Overall I thought the movie was pretty good but not a good movie or close to being great but it's a good family film. The kids will love the movie I say the film is good for ages 9-15. The film is ok for the older audience but they will lose intere becouse the film drags on and on and on. The special effects are good and the acting is ok. Overall kids will like it adults will be entertained a little bit but not alot to make it a good film. - If you liked Jumanji........ (4)
If you liked Jumanji, then Zathura is a must-see! It is a well written and exciting story line that is fun for adults as well as children. My 7 year old and I enjoy watching it together all the time! - Fun movie with some mildly questionable language (4)
"Zathura" is a very cute, well-made adventure movie that is, for the most part, kid friendly and entertaining for adults, too. The special effects are fantastic, and a plot twist or two make the movie more cerebrally stimulating than your average pre-teen adventure flick.
Parents, be forewarned, though -- the main characters (two brothers, ages 10 and 6) spout a few mildly bad words and phrases that struck me as being ripe for parroting. "Sucks," for example. The one "bad" line that stands out most to me is "Get me a juicebox, beeatch!" In context (shouted at a robot), it's funny and memorable, so I know that if I were a pre-teen boy, I'd repeat it ad naseum. Probably to my sister.
"Sucks" and "Beeatch" notwithstanding, "Zathura" has an unmistakeably positive "family" message (i.e. brothers and sisters should love, respect, and protect one another). Your kids will enjoy it, and so will you. - Bleah (2)
If you read the actual Zathura book, you quickly realize that it's probably Allsburg's weakest. Although the movie enhanced and expanded the story quite a bit, I was left disappointed. I turned to my wife a handful of times in the theater just wishing that the kids would stop shouting at each other and get on with the story. For crying out loud, I can come home from work at the wrong moment if I want to listen to kids yelling at each other. Yeah, they used some awful words too; but they were unlikeable characters for the most part because of their endless banter.
The movie had an endless potential for good adventure: an entire universe. Yet, the story revolves around their little house the entire time, and the perils repeat themselves rather than introducing something unique.
Don't see it thinking that it in some way relates to Jumanji, like it did in the book either. They don't resemble each other at all. Miss this movie. - Better than Jumanji! (5)
I thought Jumanji was awesome. This movie is a LOT like that movie (both of which were based on books from the same author), complete with stranded characters, a game that just has to be completed, disasters, cool special effects, distant parents, etc.
However, this movie is cooler. Naturally, a lot of it is computer enhanced, and you know how it is going to end, but as someone famous once said, it's the journey that matters.
The small quibbles that I have are thus:
1) The kids just aren't nice to one another during the movie's majority. Naturally, they learn in the end how to love each other, but I spent a lot of time explaining to our four year old that it just wasn't nice to talk that way.
2) It is pretty scary in parts. I wasn't scared, of course, in case you are wondering. No, our daughter asked us to turn it off during the robot scene. We'll try again when she is a little older. My wife and I were so into the movie that we turned it on again after our daughter went to bed.
So, all in all I'd say five stars. It's the best movie in its genre, I can easily say (if you can name more than two movies in this genre, I salute you!).