Zathura: A Space Adventure Movie Review

Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)

Rent Zathura: A Space Adeventure on Amazon Video // Buy the book
Written by: Chris Van Allsburg (book), David Koepp & John Kamps (screenplay)
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, Tim Robbins, Frank Oz
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
Two young brothers and their sister are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.

Verdict
This is a great kids movie, though it doesn't offer as much for adults. I'm sure upi would have a lot of nostalgia if you saw it as a kid. It's also a recycle of the 1995 movie adaptation, using a lot of the same plot points or subverting them which makes this something you'll feel like you've seen before. All suspense and surprise are gone. If you need to entertain children, this is a great choice. If you're an adult, it may be too simple.
It depends.

Review
This seemed a lot like Jumanji (1995) in space. This is based on a book by the same author of Jumanji. When you have a good idea, why not run with it. At least that makes this a recycle rather than a rip off. Don't confuse this with the action movie Jumanji (2017) that hand waves all the lapses in logic by being a video game.

Josh Hutcherson and Jonah Bobo play brothers Walter and Danny.

Brothers aren't getting along. The older brother is falling into the fallacy of anything he doesn't like isn't fair as they both vie for their father's attention. When dad leaves the younger brother finds a strange board game. If I hadn't seen Jumanji, this movie would be so much more fun but I have and thus I know where this movie is going.

Dax Shephard plays the astronaut.

It's a fun premise that would be a lot more entertain if it were original. It's a nice kids movie. They won't be as bothered by the absence of logic. You can chalk that up to children making poor decisions, but it's still frustrating. A lot of the movie revolves around people not communicating what they know (the astronaut) or not asking any questions (older sister Lisa).

The movie allows both brothers to overcome their shortcoming during the course of their adventure with a twist that you'll be able to telegraph at least a bit if you know Jumanjj. This is the type of movie that if you see it when you're young enough, you'd end up really liking it. It's full of adventure and fantasy with a focus on children more than adults compared to the 1995 movie. Unfortunately this movie doesn't hold much interest for an adult unless you want simple entertainment, but it excels as a kids' movie.