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Movies / Upcoming / Zathura
Zathura

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Zathura (2005)

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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... 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 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. [More]

Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart

Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, Tim Robbins, Peter Billingsley, Derek Mears

Director: Jon Favreau

Director: Jon Favreau
Producer: Ted Field, Scott Kroopf
Composer: John Debney
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Zathura

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41 - 60 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

When Robbins exits the movie for a business meeting, we kind of wish he'd take us with him.

Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI) | comment Comment
11/18/05
Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Drips with 1950s nostalgia.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/17/05
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

A spirited film about fraternal bonds and bravery.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/17/05
John P. McCarthy
John P. McCarthy
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

This is the flick you always hoped to bump into on Saturday afternoon, and never did.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
11/16/05
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Zips along with speed and confidence, and though I'd never have guessed it, goofy Jon Favreau can direct a pretty exciting action scene.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
11/16/05
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Here’s a film that is stuffed with cleverness and imagination – one that taps into some of the most primal childhood fantasies of adventure.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
11/15/05
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

Most of the film's 101 minutes is an onslaught of explosions, attacks, escapes and infighting.

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
11/15/05
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

If you or your kids haven't seen Jumanji, this is definitely worth a trip to the theater.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Insiders | comment Comment
11/15/05
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Entertainment Insiders

A smart and funny kids' movie that will also keep parents entertained.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
11/14/05
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Go with kids to Zathura, because it will look so much better through their eyes.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Weekly | comment Comment
11/14/05
Sean O'Connell
Sean O'Connell
Charlotte Weekly

Zathura could have used that Tim Burton touch, but it's still an imaginative way for kids to kill an afternoon.

Full Review Source: Washington Times | comment Comment
11/13/05
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
Washington Times

Space ships are cool, especially when you're six. And a boy.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
11/13/05
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

An uneven mixed bag, Zathura is more likely to appeal to screaming kids and the parents who love them, than it will to the average moviegoer.

Full Review Source: Fantastica Daily | comment Comment
11/13/05
Staci Layne Wilson
Staci Layne Wilson
Fantastica Daily

Smart and engaging, Zathura is one big "Check Mate" to Jumanji, a movie it trumps in every way.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
11/12/05
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

An action-packed, family-friendly film that everyone can enjoy.

Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
11/12/05
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
Modamag.com

... a Jumanji-inspired lesson in family values (that) makes for a fun family adventure that doesn’t talk down to its target audience...

Full Review Source: MovieCrypt.com | comment Comment
11/12/05
Kevin A. Ranson
Kevin A. Ranson
MovieCrypt.com

Zathura ultimately comes across as little more than the template for an eventual kiddie-friendly theme park attraction.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
11/11/05
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Slant Magazine

Zathura, Jon Favreau's adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's kid-lit adventure of the same name, more than fills the bill -- though it's unlikely to draw anyone over the age of 11 (not counting baby-sitters).

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
11/11/05
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News

Zathura salutes the low-tech magic that lurks inside a board game -- that hidden ability to bring people together.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
11/11/05
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film's Buck Rogers-style graphics are cool, but the shrilly squabbling brothers are insufferable, the story's your-turn/my-turn structure is tedious, and its relentlessly reiterated message about brotherly love and cooperation is really grating.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
11/11/05
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide
 
 
41 - 60 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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