family movie review zathura

Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

Zathura Parent Guide

A game that's out of this world..

Danny (Jonah Bobo) has no idea of the consequences when he talks his older brother Walter (Josh Hutcherson) into playing a mysterious board game. Flinging the squabbling siblings into the far reaches of the universe, the two must work together if they hope to navigate their way home.

Release date November 10, 2005

Run Time: 113 minutes

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

Video games might lose their appeal if toy makers could find a way to make all board games as interactive as Zathura . The antique, metal playing surface, outfitted with a windup key and tiny rocket ships, sends the players literally shooting into space.

Unfortunately, Danny (Jonah Bobo) has no idea what the consequences will be when he finds the game hidden beneath the stairs in the family’s basement.

But when the first card pops out of the game board dispenser, warning the constantly bickering boys of an impending meteorite shower, the brothers know this isn’t going to be your average Monopoly game.

Flung into the far reaches of the universe, the siblings have to navigate their way home by taking turns spinning the controls. While hurtling back through the cosmos, they must side step a gravitational field, withstand an attack by heat-seeking Zorgons and gain an appreciation for one another. Luckily they get some help from a stranded astronaut (Dax Shepard) they find drifting through outer space.

The explosive onslaught from the Zorgons makes for some prolonged, intense moments of peril that may leave younger space travelers squirming in their seats. The script includes other scenes of suspense when a defective robot tries to annihilate the boys and meat-eating aliens clamber into the house looking for dinner—meaning anything human. It also results in an auditory assault on the eardrums.

Parents may have concerns with the kids’ rampant name calling, including the use of some sexual slang. Warning children about the real hazards of soaking the couch in lighter fluid or using a blow torch may also be important for impressionable youngsters.

Yet while the film bogs down in a time warp during part of the journey, the director manages to pick up the pace by the end of the film giving Danny, Walter and many audience members a romping, galactic adventure.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Zathura rating & content info.

Why is Zathura rated PG? Zathura is rated PG by the MPAA for fantasy actions and perils, and some language.

Although the film steers clear of any sexual depictions or drug use, Dad and Lisa have a brief discussion about sexual activity before he heads to the office. Left to baby-sit, Lisa’s patience with the boys’ constant bickering begins to wear thin especially when Walter scares his brother by locking him in a tight, dark space. Once in space, the house is bombarded with meteorites and firebombed by aliens while the boys try and play their way back home.

Page last updated September 22, 2015

Zathura Parents' Guide

What is Danny afraid of in his dad’s old house? How does he overcome that fear?

How does the relationship between Danny and Walter change during their adventures? Why is it sometimes difficult for siblings to get along? What things do you appreciate about your brothers or sisters?

The astronaut warns Walter about acting on ideas when he is angry. Why is it easier to make rash or foolish decisions when you are upset? What did the astronaut learn about making impulsive wishes?

The most recent home video release of Zathura movie is September 22, 2015. Here are some details…

Related home video titles:.

In Jumanji (which is also penned by Zathura’s author—Chris Van Allsburg), a girl (played by a young Kirsten Dunst) and her brother magically unleash a whole jungle of characters when they begin playing a mysterious board game. Space enthusiasts can take an animated intergalactic ride in Treasure Planet . Older viewers may enjoy the quirky adventures of a group of travelers who trek through the cosmos in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy .

Related news about Zathura

Netflix Releases New Movie Line-Up for September

{parents:pull_quote}

"I Am My Brother's Keeper"

What You Need To Know:

(BB, Pa, H, L, V, M) Strong moral worldview with strong positive lessons for children and father is a strong role model, though he is a bit distracted by his work, with pagan and humanist elements where game appears able to manipulate reality or create its own fantasy world and the idea of alternate realities is expressed implicitly; three obscenities (one of which is lovingly rebuked by boy’s father), five light exclamatory profanities such as “My God,” man uses the word “sphincter” in referring to traveling through a black hole in outer space, and man burps; light action violence, such as small and medium meteors crash into house and on floor and objects, scary (for younger children) lizard aliens try to get and grab people to eat them, spaceships fire on flying house and demolish much of it, scary robot tries to kill boy, robot smashes through walls and ceilings, robot falls down stairs, and explosions; no sex, but fourth grader says he has a girlfriend and teenage girl is attracted to older young man but nothing comes of it; no alcohol; no smoking; and, brothers often bicker loudly with one another, teenage sister fails to keep an eye on younger brothers despite father's orders and boy cheats at game but is rebuked.

More Detail:

ZATHURA is a delightful space adventure based on the fantasy worlds of author Chris Van Allsburg (THE POLAR EXPRESS and JUMANJI). Despite some ontological problems with its concept of reality and some brief foul language (one instance which is rebuked), ZATHURA is funny, inventive and otherwise positive.

The movie opens with two brothers, six-year-old Danny and 10-year-old Walter, fighting one another outside their dad’s house. Walter treats Danny terribly, and Danny calls Walter a very bad name. Their father rebukes Danny for saying the bad word and tries to cheer him up, but he and Walter keep fighting.

Their father leaves for work, leaving them in the care of their older sister, Lisa, who ignores her father’s instructions after he leaves and goes back to sleep. Danny and Walter keep bickering until Walter lowers Danny into the dark, scary basement from the dumbwaiter.

In the basement, Danny discovers an old tattered metal board game, “Zathura.” After trying unsuccessfully to get his brother to play, Danny starts to play on his own. A spaceship marker moves by itself, lands on a space, and a card is ejected. “Meteor shower, take evasive action,” it reads. Suddenly, a shower of hot, molten meteors pummels the house. When it’s over, Walter and Danny discover that the house is flying in outer space near Saturn!

So begins an exhilarating, scary, unpredictable adventure with a rampaging robot, monstrous lizard aliens and other dangerous obstacles. Walter and Danny realize they must keep playing the game in order to get home.

The bad news with ZATHURA is that the game manipulates reality and the movie suggests a belief in alternate realities in a science fiction manner, complete with a black hole in outer space. These elements have aspects of paganism and humanism in them, but most people or children probably won’t consciously notice these ideas because they mostly just set up the main story and provide resolutions to a couple plot problems. Furthermore, although the father rebukes one obscenity, he is not there to rebuke two other obscenities.

The good news is that not only is ZATHURA a very entertaining, energetic movie that will enchant many, it also makes a few strong moral points. First, both Danny and Walter learn to stop arguing and take care of one another. Walter also learns to share with other people and sacrifice his desires for the good of others. Finally, Tim Robbins plays a positive, caring father figure who tries to help his sons, even though he is somewhat distracted by a project he is doing for work.

Jonah Bobo and Josh Hutcherson are a hoot as the two bickering brothers, Danny and Walter, respectively. Director Jon Favreau displays a deft hand directing the young boys and the rest of the cast, which also includes Dax Shepard as a mysterious, no-non astronaut and Kristen Stewart as the sister. The actors do a great job of making this well-written, fun script come alive. The special effects are state-of the-art, including Stan Winston’s creation of the lizard aliens, but they are also done in a fun retro style that reflects the 1950s milieu of the mysterious game that Danny discovers.

The good outweighs the bad in ZATHURA, which is surely one of the more entertaining, funny and original family movies of the year. MOVIEGUIDE® suggests a caution for older children, however. Parents who decide to allow their children to see ZATHURA will need a dose of media wisdom to navigate the problem areas, but the positive aspects of the movie will help them concentrate on the good.

Dear readers, time is running out in 2024 to help Movieguide®. Only a tiny portion of our readers give. If everyone reading this right now gave $7 right now, our fundraiser would be done within an hour. That's right, the price of one movie ticket is all we need. If Movieguide® is useful to you, please take one minute to keep it online and growing. Thank you!

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

• DVD & Streaming

Zathura: A Space Adventure

• Action/Adventure , Drama , Kids , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Jonah Bobo as Danny; Josh Hutcherson as Walter; Dax Shepard as the Astronaut; Kristen Stewart as Lisa; Tim Robbins as Dad

Home Release Date

• Jon Favreau

Distributor

• Columbia Pictures

Positive Elements   |   Spiritual Elements   |   Sexual & Romantic Content   |   Violent Content   |   Crude or Profane Language   |   Drug & Alcohol Content   |   Other Noteworthy Elements   | Conclusion

Movie Review

“What’s Zathura?” asks Danny after finding an old space-adventure board game in the basement. It’s a good question. As far as the game is concerned it’s the place you land on to win. As far as this movie is concerned it’s the happy place kids end up at after they finally stop bickering with their siblings long enough to figure out that it makes a whole lot more sense to be best friends, not worst enemies.

Danny and his older brother, Walter (a fourth-grader), can’t stand each other, you see, and the Zathura game seems to know just what they need to shape up and fly right: a trip into outer space. And so it happens. The second Danny winds up the game’s spring-run gears and pushes the “Go” button, his house is uprooted and tossed into an asteroid field somewhere near Saturn. Along for the ride is Walter, of course, and also their teenage sister, Lisa. (But she’s too busy primping for a big date to notice at first.)

Each boy’s turn yields a new challenge or adventure. Asteroids smash through the roof. Aliens attack. A wandering astronaut appears. Aliens attack again. A rampaging robot tries to kill them. Aliens attack. A comet races by. Aliens attack again. So much for Candy Land. This is one board game guaranteed not to be boring!

Positive Elements

Bobby, stop pestering your brother. Tommy, don’t hit your brother. Debbie, stop pushing your sister. Mia, stop taking your brother’s candy. Alex, stop pinching your sister. Boys, take turns! Girls, sit still! If you’re a parent, you know how it goes. And goes. And goes. The antidote? Gentle yet firm correction. And lots of patience. Zathura might actually help, too, since this film’s primary lesson is that siblings should learn to get along, learn to love each other and learn to take care of each other.

The board game that becomes an adventure teaches Danny and Walter that their bickering and fighting is wrong. And by using out-of-this-world danger to drive home the point, it shows them that the only way they’re going to get through childhood and adolescence in one piece is to team up and cut the criticism. The astronaut comes right out and says it. “Don’t be so quick to sell out your brother, kid,” he says, scolding Walter, “he’s all you got.”

Dad does his best to convince them that an overly competitive spirit isn’t the only thing they share. He tries to build each one of them up in the areas he needs it. He tries to keep them from using him as leverage in their power struggle. He plays baseball with them even though he desperately needs to get some work done. And he tries to be as fair as he can with them. Admitting that his divorce from their mother has put them all in a bad spot, he asks them to make the best of it with him, assuring them they will always have a place with him to call home.

Accompanying the message about getting along is one about facing your fears. Danny is scared to go into the house’s basement. But before their adventure is over, he’s gone into much worse places than a dark, dank rectangle of concrete. Also established is the fact that cheating and lying are wrong. And that anger causes you to say and do things you’ll regret (“No matter how good an idea seems while you’re angry, it never is,” the astronaut tells Walter).

Spiritual Elements

The game is magical. But only in an imagination sort of way, not a spiritual one. No basis for the game’s power to transport them into space is ever explored, leaving you to assume that everything happening is happening inside the kids’ heads. The only thing that’s even close to spiritual here is when Walter is told by the game to wish upon a falling star. He does, and his wishes are granted.

Sexual & Romantic Content

Lisa informs her dad that she’s going to be hooking up with her boyfriend that evening. And while she gives no indication that she means anything more than “meeting,” Dad rightfully expresses concern over her now-sexualized choice of words. Also, Lisa spends the first half of the film wearing a shirt and small boxers. She shows a little cleavage and her midriff. [ Spoiler Warning ] After Lisa learns that she has been mooning over an adult version of her brother Walter (none of them know a time warp of sorts has brought the man to them, and they don’t recognize him), she gasps and trails off, “And I wanted …!” Later, young Walter teases her, asking if she still thinks he has “gorgeous eyes.”

Violent Content

Remember those attacking aliens I mentioned? Allow me to repeat myself. Aliens attack! Only a few minutes have gone by before the house is a royal wreck. And by the time the credits roll, it’s quite literally destroyed. Alien spaceships fire on it over and over again, blowing holes through it and setting parts of it on fire. Small asteroids also rip holes through ceilings and floors. And a robot-on-the-blink crashes heedlessly through doorways, into a fireplace and through walls while chasing the boys.

Scarier than that, actually, are scenes in which Walter and Lisa get sucked out into space. A heavy gravitational pull rips part of the house apart and threatens to put an end to the three siblings. (Danny slams face-first into a window.) A fiery black hole does the same. Lisa is frozen (for five turns). And in that solid state, she falls over and crashes down a flight of stairs. The robot clamps its iron claws around Walter’s neck.

Lizard-men alien beasties board the house and hunt its occupants in a sequence that drags out a bit and will frighten most younger children half to death. The astronaut squirts lighter fluid on the couch and sets it afire to distract the aliens—hopefully something that’s never tried at your home! Also, the two boys and the astronaut break up furniture and build a fire with it in the kitchen.

Non alien-inspired violence involves some roughhousing. Danny accidentally hits Walter with a baseball. Walter responds by chasing him around the house. Lisa smacks Walter to make him go away.

Crude or Profane Language

The movie opens with one brother calling the other a “d–k.” And later, Walter gleefully includes “b–ch” in one of his sentences. That’s inexcusable in a piece of entertainment such as this that’s obviously trying to become a teaching tool parents can use to help their kids mature. I’ll note here, though, that Dad does give Walter a talking to for his name calling. It’s not a stern rebuke, but it’s more than you usually see at the movies when kids swear onscreen. Also, “a–” and “h—” are said once each, and God’s name is misused as an exclamation a half-dozen times.

Drug & Alcohol Content

Other noteworthy elements.

Beyond their typical boyish bad behavior, Walter terrorizes Danny by lowering him (via dumbwaiter) into the basement, knowing his brother is scared. Lisa’s attitude toward her father is one of disrespect and disdain, and he ultimately leaves her alone about it. Walter accuses Danny of messing up his life (“Nobody wants you around”) and even of making their parents split up. Lisa doesn’t live up to her responsibility of babysitting her brothers. Walter uses hairspray and a lighter to make a flamethrower. An indirect nod is given to the R-rated movie Thirteen .

Based on a children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg (as was 2004’s The Polar Express and 1995’s Jumanji ), Zathura is colorful, clever, compelling, and it teaches valuable lessons that are well-suited to its primary audience. “I have two children now,” says director Jon Favreau. “I watch a lot of movies that are geared towards kids and this one really appealed to my sensibility. As a filmmaker, a big part of your job is to put energy into getting a message out into the world that you believe in. I like stories that offer hope and films that have responsible themes. When you’re making a movie for young people, there should be a little aspirin in the applesauce. There should be a nice message at the core.”

Zathura is violent and a bit intense in spots (and parents should consider that), but because the intensity is used so effectively and toward such a good goal—to teach siblings to stop bickering and start cooperating—it’s not what trips me up. My main quibble with Favreau is that he chose to include a mostly extraneous teenage daughter who derisively disrespects her dad, and he injected a couple of insulting crudities—spoken by kids. Those things aren’t necessary. They don’t move the story along. They don’t assist the point that’s being made. And at least one of the words is bad enough that it’s going to generate a ripple of shocked whispers through theaters full of families every time this movie plays. (It certainly did in the theater I was in.) Next time, how ’bout having the boys call each other “nerds” or “meanies”? Wouldn’t that have worked just as well? Just because kids use bad language these days doesn’t make it right to entertain them with it.

Steven Isaac

Latest reviews.

A Christmas Story

Weekly Reviews Straight to your Inbox!

Want to stay Plugged In?

Our weekly newsletter will keep you in the loop on the biggest things happening in entertainment and technology. Sign up today, and we’ll send you a chapter from the new Plugged In book, Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family , that focuses on how to implement a “screentime reset” in your family!

We sent an email to [email protected]

Didn't you get the email?

By joining, you agree to the Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

User 8 or more characters with a number and a lowercase letter. No spaces.

username@email

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 89% Wicked Link to Wicked
• 78% Queer Link to Queer
• 94% The Seed of the Sacred Fig Link to The Seed of the Sacred Fig

New TV Tonight

• 100% Get Millie Black: Season 1
• 67% The Madness: Season 1
• 50% The Agency: Season 1
• -- Family Guy: Season 22.2
• -- The Later Daters: Season 1
• -- Tsunami: Race Against Time: Season 1
• -- Chef's Table: Season 7
• -- It's in the Game: Madden NFL: Season 1
• -- Is It Cake? Holiday: Season 4
• -- Second Chance Stage: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 97% A Man on the Inside: Season 1
• 100% Arcane: League of Legends: Season 2
• 68% Dune: Prophecy: Season 1
• 85% The Day of the Jackal: Season 1
• 93% Say Nothing: Season 1
• -- Senna: Season 1
• 95% The Penguin: Season 1
• 96% Silo: Season 2
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 97% A Man on the Inside: Season 1 Link to A Man on the Inside: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Best New Christmas Movies of 2024

61 Best Thanksgiving Movies: Your Holiday Movie Feast

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming.

Awards Tour

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2025

Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024 & 2025: Your Guide to Movies Back In Theaters

• Trending on RT
• Anticipated TV Shows
• New Holiday Movies
• Renewed and Cancelled TV
• Verified Hot Movies

Zathura Reviews

Though many millennials may not have even heard of the film, Zathura is a classic family adventure film that deserves much better than the poor critical reception and box office receipts it received at the time.

Full Review | Apr 1, 2022

A charming small-scale adventure film for kids.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 24, 2022

An engaging, family-friendly, fantasy adventure.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Nov 9, 2020

There are moments in Zathura of pure delight and wonder.

Full Review | Sep 29, 2020

Zathura is a kids movie that doesn't demean its target audience... This is a solid A-grade experience for young viewers and kids at heart.

Full Review | Apr 29, 2020

Fun for the whole family, Zathura is an adventure ride you'll find yourself wanting to take again and again.

Full Review | Nov 3, 2019

It doesn't talk down its audience, it doesn't paint clichés, it doesn't insult our intelligence, and its entertainment is enjoyable for both adults and children. That's rare.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 29, 2009

At times it seemed like events were occurring just so the kids, or the kids in the audience, could learn their lesson a little bit more.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 8, 2007

A lively, imaginative tall tale that should thrill young audiences and engage their parents.

Full Review | Feb 22, 2007

A practically-perfect family flick which delivers a big lesson about the true meaning of brotherly love.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Jan 5, 2007

Charming children's adventure with some superb performances from the young cast.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 30, 2006

For those who love the majesty of the solar system, the thrill of space battles, and the adventure of finding secret passageways in old houses, this movie should be just the ticket.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 17, 2006

full review in Greek

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Oct 3, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 23, 2006

Favreau gratifyingly prevents the film from becoming a mere maelstrom of CG effects by pushing the brothers' amusing bickering to the fore...

Full Review | Jun 24, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 12, 2006

Despite its peculiar name and the fact it bears a strong resemblance to Jumanji -- another film inspired by a book by children's author Van Allsburg -- it's hard not to like Zathura.

Full Review | Mar 31, 2006

Any game is more fun to play than to watch others play, even if it involves death-defying stunts and harrowing alien encounters that would frighten even the heartiest souls.

Full Review | Feb 21, 2006

...rarely dull...

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Feb 18, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 18, 2006

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Parents' Ultimate Guide to Roblox (2024)

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Jewish Experiences
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Parent reviews of, zathura: a space adventure.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 30 Reviews
• Kids Say 54 Reviews

Parents Say

Based on 30 parent reviews

Parent Reviews

Language, inappropriate innuendos, rudeness, report this review, fun adventure movie, not ok for kids 8 and up, in my opinion..

This title has:

• Too much swearing

some salty language in a kids PG movie but still think it should be PG and pretty bad movie

Zathura review, use of god's name in vain., no bad words, fun movie, but with bad role models for impressionable kids.

• Too much violence

Exciting for little ones

What to watch next.

The Polar Express

Sci-Fi Movies

Best fantasy movies, related topics.

• Book Characters
• Space and Aliens

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Giddy with imagination and flush with fresh, inviting visuals Zathura flies into theaters. It’s the new movie from Elf director Jon Favreau , who continues exploring the world of family entertainment with his take on evil, magic board games. His movie is based on the book “Zathura”, written by children’s author Chris Van Allsburg. Van Allsburg also wrote the story on which the 1995 movie Jumanji was based, which explains the similarities, though Zathura is not a Jumanji sequel.

The film begins with one of the most creative title sequences of the year. Favreau’s camera zooms in, around, and through the movie’s titular game, racing across the mechanical board like a rocket, and making the metal and cardboard device itself look as though it has come wonderfully alive. Silly and simple though that short bit of credits may be, it’ll make you feel like a kid again.

Zathura then opens on two brothers, fighting and bickering as brothers do. Dad ( Tim Robbins ) has to go to work, and leaves them in the charge of their sleeping sister Lisa ( Kristen Stewart ). In the midst of their bickering, the boys stumble on a strange board game called “Zathura” hidden away in the basement of their father’s newly purchased, old and creaky house. They drag it out and play, only to discover that it’s a little more than a game. Like Jumanji before it, this game turns their spins into reality. Youngest brother Danny (Jonah Bobo) gets a card saying “Meteor shower, take evasive action”, and realizes that evading (or in his case running around in panicky circles) might indeed be a good idea. Their entire home is flung into space, and assaulted by burning, flying rocks. If they want to get back to Earth, they’ll have to play their way through Zathura and win. Look for a lawsuit from Milton-Bradley if they somehow end up dead.

Favreau’s film avoids the crass, cheap jokes that sometimes plague lesser family flicks in an attempt to create something truly timeless. His cast drives the movie, with great performances from child actors Jonah Bobo as the youngest and Josh Hutcherson as his 10-year-old brother Walter. Kristen Stewart players their oldest sibling Lisa, and though her role is relatively minor by comparison, the 15-year-old actress makes a big impression. Expect great things from her in the future. What works best is the dynamic between this family of characters. They fight, they bicker, their big sister is disinterested. The chemistry between them has an authentic feel, even if sometimes their reaction to what’s going on around them doesn’t. More on that in a moment.

The big surprise here is Dax Shepard , as an astronaut brought into their house by the game. His career so far has been littered with crass comedic roles in which he goes for obvious jokes and hangs out with less-than-talented people like Ashton Kutcher . In Zathura , he turns out to be the real spirit of the movie, a gentle guide, mentor, and wise-ass friend to the kids.

Any problems with the film come not from the actors or Favreau’s direction, but from the script which never quite lives up to the energy being brought to it. In between the big, frantic effects moments, some of the story falls flat, and the legitimately funny jokes are too few and far between. Worse is the unrealistic way characters (even kids) react to what’s happening around them. It’s that standard movie reaction, the one where nobody’s really stops to question what’s going on, and as a result the pic does a lousy job of explaining it to the audience. That leaves Zathura at times confusing, particularly the ending where everything is resolved with a sparkling glow that still, after hours of mental re-creation, I can’t figure out.

Luckily for screenwriters David Koepp and John Kamps, the kids watching this movie aren’t likely to stop and question any of that. They’ll be too entranced by the movie’s stunning visuals to trip in all the unexplained nonsense. Favreau has gone out of his way to avoid using CGI for most of his effects, and the result is absolutely eye-popping. The sets and characters have a gorgeous kind of realistic weight that you just can’t get with CGI, a deep authenticity to them that’s warm and exciting. It’s a beautiful film, a return to movie-making craftsmanship that’s gone by the wayside in a wave of cubicle nerds carelessly rendering spaceships on their Apple computers. Favreau’s next movie is a massive sci-fi epic based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels “John Carter of Mars”; let’s hope he’ll continue finding ways to use dazzling, computer-free effects.

With the holidays approaching and Harry Potter carrying a PG-13, Zathura could well end up being the big family movie of the fall season. It’s a fun movie, but one that misses greatness by rote of a flawed, confusing narrative. Parents my leave befuddled by the sometimes careless plot, but Zathura will fire up their kids’ imaginations. It’ll never be considered the family classic that Jon Favreau’s Elf already is, but Zathura’s an entertaining way to spend a movie-going weekend.

I Know We're Getting Another Wolf Man Movie Next Year, But Can We Please Talk About How Bad Ass 2010’s The Wolfman Movie Was?

Sarah Michelle Gellar Confirmed I Know What You Did Last Summer Is About To Start Filming, And Fans Are Freaking Out

Fans Are Calling Out Wheel Of Fortune’s Ryan Seacrest And Jeopardy This Week But For Polar Opposite Reasons

Most Popular

• 2 Pete Davidson And Colin Jost's Staten Island Ferry Gets Two Updates In One Week, And This One's A 'Screamboat'
• 3 Will Trent Adds A Scandal Alum To Season 3 Cast To 'Heat Things Up,' And I'm So Ready
• 4 I Know We're Getting Another Wolf Man Movie Next Year, But Can We Please Talk About How Bad Ass 2010’s The Wolfman Movie Was?
• 5 'Gwen Gets A Little Bit Irritated.' Blake Shelton And Gwen Stefani Are Often Couples Goals, But There's One Thing Driving Her Nuts About Blake's Career Right Now