A flawed but likeable and kid-friendly fantasy with smartly blended effects, Zathura is a throwback to the space adventures of the 1980s.
Comment
01/21/06
Zathura (2005)
76
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:146
Fresh:111
Rotten:35
Average Rating:6.6/10
Consensus: Dazzling special effects for the kids + well-crafted storytelling for the 'rents = cinematic satisfaction for the whole family.
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Genre: Childrens
US Box Office: $28,045,540
Synopsis: Actor-turned-director Jon Favreau (SWINGERS, ELF) delivers another work of intelligent, charming family fare with this space adventure, based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg (JUMANJI). Older... [More]
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart
Director: Jon Favreau
Reviews for Zathura
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; Australian critics are listed first)
Top CriticClick to read the article
03/31/06
Top CriticWell directed, acted, and written, and is bolstered by a light tone which emphasizes wonder and amazement over shock and awe.
11/10/05
Clever space adventure with dazzling special effects.
10/31/05
It's not nearly as good as Jumanji.
11/10/05
Favreau is one of those rare directors who remembers his own childhood and can actually re-create what kids might want to see in a film.
11/11/05
Not without its flaws, but overall surreal fun. Slightly above average. (Might be a bit too scary for little kids.)
11/09/05
Most of the film's 101 minutes is an onslaught of explosions, attacks, escapes and infighting.
11/15/05
Favreau continues to show a real flair for concocting worlds that persuasively blend the real and the fantastic ...
12/06/05
Highlights those things that seem to be important to the author: imagination, creativity and family.
11/10/05
Zathura is welcome late-year fun for all ages -- a pleasant contrast to the nauseating dreck that normally masquerades as family-friendly science fiction. (Clockstoppers, Thunderbirds… need I go on?).
11/10/05
After watching the kids play Zathura in Zathura -- a crackling family adventure in which sibling rivalries play out against a backdrop of Robbie-like robot assaults and devouring gila monsters -- all I can say is, let me at it.
11/11/05
Director Jon Favreau creates a childlike world for the movie. Mostly everything is shown through the eyes of the boys.
11/11/05
Zathura is a rousing tale with an agreeable balance of fear and teachable moments, the kind of adventure story that seems old-fashioned these days.
11/11/05
Tagged as a "new adventure from the world of Jumanji," Zathura certainly keeps to the same venturesome spirit as the original. But the sequel still seems to be a bit of a retread.
11/11/05
Zathura is a rarity: a stellar fantasy that faces down childhood anxieties with feet-on-the-ground maturity.
11/09/05
Some pals and I subscribe to the popular theory that any movie is automatically worth watching if it contains (a) jet packs or (b) a giant robot. Zathura has both.
11/08/05
The performances, lavish special effects, the setting and Favreau’s pacing combine in a winning adventure.
11/11/05
'Silly' is this movie's trade and, more often than not, it works.
11/11/05
even with all the peril danger and turmoil the game causes, we secretly with that we could open a box from our basement and enter into an adventure like this... at least I do
11/10/05
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