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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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101 - 120 (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
 
 

While it's possible to stretch a 32-page storybook into a full-length feature, it's not necessarily a good idea.

Full Review Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram | comment Comment
11/11/05
Scott Von Doviak
Scott Von Doviak
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

How to play "Zathura":Scrub away as much of the charm of Chris Van Allsburg's original book as possible... Raise the volume level to ensure that every one of the heroes' shrieks caresses each viewer's eardrums like a rusty fork...

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
11/11/05
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

[Ruined by] the utterly unsympathetic portrayal of Walter, and the one-note sourness of his treatment of Danny, for three-quarters of the running time.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
11/11/05
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

If I were still 12 years old, "Zathura" would be my new favorite movie, and even at 12, I had very good taste in movies.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/11/05
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

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

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
11/10/05
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

Zathura has pure adventure, a heart that doesn’t force itself, and visuals that will fuel the dreams of children everywhere for years to come.

Full Review Source: FilmJerk.com | comment Comment
11/10/05
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
FilmJerk.com

Never before has "space camp" been such a good compliment and such a bad pun.

Full Review Source: Richmond.com | comment Comment
11/10/05
Mike Ward
Mike Ward
Richmond.com

fun, imaginative adventure for kids and adults that needs some help in the special effects department, but keeps you interested throughout.

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
11/10/05
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

Imaginative! Fun! Good times...good times.

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
11/10/05
John Venable
John Venable
Supercala.com

Complete nonsense in many ways... but in portraying these two kids, their sister, and their dad, it somehow feels right.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
11/10/05
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

Much of the pleasure of Jon Favreau's adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's Zathura comes from its utter simplicity and directness of purpose.

Full Review Source: Zap2it.com | comment Comment
11/10/05
Dan Fienberg
Dan Fienberg
Zap2it.com

The game has an engagingly authentic retro feel and the special effects serve the action without being overly intrusive, but the kids are dismally unappealing

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
11/10/05
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Marginal special effects and a heavy-handed dead-end plot ... space trash.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/10/05
David Levine
David Levine
Filmcritic.com

Zathura is a pleasant surprise that combines action, humor and special F/X in even, balanced portions.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
11/10/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Highlights those things that seem to be important to the author: imagination, creativity and family.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
11/10/05
Winda Benedetti
Winda Benedetti
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Far and away more engaging that its predecessor, Jumanji...director Jon Favreau ("Elf") looks to have his second holiday hit on his hands

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment 1 Comment
11/10/05
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Thanks in part to its over-reliance on special effects, the result seems all too familiar.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
11/10/05
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Favreau draws the audience in by keeping it simple.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
11/10/05
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

What really ruins this game is a contrived pair of bickering brothers at the heart of the tale whose relationship swallows any potential excitement like a gargantuan black hole.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
11/10/05
Piet Levy
Piet Levy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The movie has a lot of the elements that might make it thrilling and it's visually arresting, but it's missing the emotional connection necessary to make it interesting.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
11/10/05
Kevin Crust
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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