Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15803 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-26
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Hindi, English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 101 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
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

Synopsis
Actor-turned-director Jon Favreau (SWINGERS, ELF) delivers another work of intelligent, charming family fare with ZATHURA: A SPACE ADVENTURE, based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg (JUMANJI). Older brother Walter (Josh Hutcherson) and the younger Danny (Jonah Bobo) are constantly at war with one another, bickering over the mediating voice of their long-suffering father (Tim Robbins). When he has to go to the office to replace some papers the boys destroyed in their crossfire, he leaves them in the dubious care of older sister Lisa (Kristen Stewart), who is sleeping upstairs. When Danny discovers an old board game called Zathura stored in the basement, his excitement is lost on Walter, who has no time for such old, boring toys. Soon, however, the game becomes impossible to ignore, as the boys are transported into space, and one of them must win in order to make it home again. Each turn brings a new, often dangerous, surprise, and the boys are faced with a murderous robot, an explosive meteor shower, and lizard-like aliens, while poor Lisa is cryogenically frozen early in the game. The adventure yields some heartwarming, family-friendly life lessons, and Dax Shepard (IDIOCRACY) is unusually subdued in his role as a stranded astronaut.

Customer Reviews

Ditch The Chicken! Lets Go Into Space!
I really wasn't expecting much of this film as I never really enjoyed Jumanji and the idea of a space version of Jumanji made me cringe. However I should not have doubted Zathura as it turned out to be mind-blowing, a little bit scary and out of this world (literally).

First off the movie isn't perfect as child performances suffer and the Zorgons look quite fake. (Don't ask me what a zorgon is). However the film does contain special effects up to the standards of Star Wars and a scene rather familliar to War Of The Worlds where one of the kids trys to not be seen by the deadly zorgons and sneak around wihout being seen (ring a bell). The only difference is that Zathura pulls it off better than Zathura and had me sitting at the edge of my sit in suspense. War Of the Worlds also did this but lacked the realism.

The boradgame itself was very cleverly planned out and included loads of fun bonuses like the shooting star, it also contained meteor showers, frozen sisters and lots of other exciting things. Children will lap this up but may leave feeling a little scared for as fake as teh zorgons are they still have a frightful characteristic to them.

I will be buying this when it comes out on DVD and I pat Jon Favreau on the back for suprising me with the delightful fun-filled, action-packed, scary film.

This kid loved it!
This year I'll be 46, and as much as I love the challenge of a multilayered plot, brain scrambling time-lines and head spinning editing, nothing quite beats the comfort of a slightly scary kids movie on a wet weekend. And Zathura is it! I gather it must have slipped under the blockbuster net, as it came to me as a second-hand '... if you've nothing better to do' recommendation. Sure it's cheesy, sure it's funny where sometimes it shouldn't be and sure it's a little slow to get started. But forget all that. It's got a clever storyline, superb (believable) effects and lots of laugh out loud moments. Unfortunately, as another reviewer mentioned, it is a tiny bit repetitive which means it may well find itself collecting dust under the stairs (along side the boardgame) between yearly outings. Good to buy, watch once and pass on as a gift.

15 kids loved it
We rented this film for an 11th birthday party. 13 11 year olds and my 7 year old daughter thoroughly enjoyed it, keeping them entertained for the duration. What more do you need?