Viewing Period:
Run Time:
1 Hour, 53 Minutes
Starring:
Director:
Writer:
Producer:
Released in:
2005
Rated:
PG
Synopsis:
In Columbia Pictures' heart-racing sci-fi adventure Zathura, two squabbling brothers are propelled into deepest, darkest space while playing a mysterious game they discovered in the basement of their old house. On their fantastic journey, they are joined by a stranded astronaut and must survive meteor showers, hostile lizard-like aliens, a rocket-propelled robot run amok and an intergalactic spaceship battle. Unless they finish the game and reach the planet Zathura, they could be trapped in outer space forever.
Copyright:
© 2005 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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CRITIC REVIEWS
Lew Irwin

It may not have received the promotional push that Chicken Little did, but Sony's Zathura: A Space Adventure, from Jon Favreau, the actor-turned-director who helmed 2003's surprise hit Elf, could prove to be another sleeper hit, several critics suggest. Indeed they are giving it the kind of praise that Disney must have hoped for when it released Chicken Little, its first fully computer-animated feature, last weekend. On Good Morning America, critic Joel Siegel called it, The best family film so far this year. In the Baltimore Sun, critic Chris Kaltenbach writes, Zathura is pure imagination and incalculable fun -- a guaranteed good time. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times comments that it works gloriously as space opera. There's no hyperbole in Stephen Holden's review in the New York Times. Instead, he writes, In the enchanted limbo between waking and sleeping, Zathura feels both real and unreal, like a dream you could shake off at any moment. On the other hand, the film also receives some scathing criticism. Rarely is a movie audience asked to put up with so much noise for such a thankless payoff as it must with 'Zathura, a loud, endless family picture, writes Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe. Lou Lumenick in the New York Post calls it a singularly loud, charmless and overbearing family movie that could use a hit or two of Ritalin. Then there's Michael Phillips, who begins his review in the Chicago Tribune this way: For a kid-aimed PG-rated fantasy you could do worse than Zathura: A Space Adventure. Now there's a ringing endorsement. You could do worse.

Reviewed by: kristiequerio on 6/16/2006 2:01:16 PM
Not very original. It was just like Jumanji only set in space. Overall it was ok with the effects and all.
Lew Irwin

It may not have received the promotional push that Chicken Little did, but Sony's Zathura: A Space Adventure, from Jon Favreau, the actor-turned-director who helmed 2003's surprise hit Elf, could prove to be another sleeper hit, several critics suggest. Indeed they are giving it the kind of praise that Disney must have hoped for when it released Chicken Little, its first fully computer-animated feature, last weekend. On Good Morning America, critic Joel Siegel called it, The best family film so far this year. In the Baltimore Sun, critic Chris Kaltenbach writes, Zathura is pure imagination and incalculable fun -- a guaranteed good time. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times comments that it works gloriously as space opera. There's no hyperbole in Stephen Holden's review in the New York Times. Instead, he writes, In the enchanted limbo between waking and sleeping, Zathura feels both real and unreal, like a dream you could shake off at any moment. On the other hand, the film also receives some scathing criticism. Rarely is a movie audience asked to put up with so much noise for such a thankless payoff as it must with 'Zathura, a loud, endless family picture, writes Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe. Lou Lumenick in the New York Post calls it a singularly loud, charmless and overbearing family movie that could use a hit or two of Ritalin. Then there's Michael Phillips, who begins his review in the Chicago Tribune this way: For a kid-aimed PG-rated fantasy you could do worse than Zathura: A Space Adventure. Now there's a ringing endorsement. You could do worse.
Reviewed by: kristiequerio on 6/16/2006 2:01:16 PM
Not very original. It was just like Jumanji only set in space. Overall it was ok with the effects and all.
Zathura has 7 user ratings.
Customer Reviews for
Zathura
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Reviewed by: kristiequerio on 6/16/2006 2:01:16 PM

Reviewed by: gabe3000 on 5/30/2006 9:38:10 AM
I would rate this film a little bit better then average.This movie is the same concept as 'Jumanji' (from the same writer) about kids playing a board game that sends them into space. This film seems to have needed a major movie star involved in the action, then this film would have possibly been a winner.
Reviewed by: davidrr on 5/1/2006 7:08:36 AM
Reviewed by: downco on 4/28/2006 8:48:48 AM
Favreau's direction is good, SFX, editing and style are great. What's with storyline? I love "time" twist movies, why do they always ending meeting brother or mother, etc. What about Buddha or Jesus or JFK? This one was particularly lame and unbelievable. Watchable but a bit of a waste.
Reviewed by: davecchan@hotmail.com on 4/25/2006 5:23:18 PM
I didn't expect to like this movie but it was really good.True that you don't have to be a kid to enjoy it.The special effects were great, the storyline kept it unpredictable, and the humor was intelligent.
Reviewed by: amie5961 on 4/24/2006 5:12:27 AM
yeah well i watched the movie with my cat and after the movie ended my cat actually spoke...he said he could not believe the moron rated this lame ass film 5 stars he should be banned i smiled and agreed...terrible movie
Reviewed by: berki63 on 4/15/2006 8:10:58 AM
Everyone in my family throughly enjoyed this movie. It had everything:great suspense, comedy, action, you name it. It's definitely not "just a kids movie." When the movie was over everyone looked at each other and smiled and said, "yeah, that was a good one!"You've got to watch this Movie!!!!
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Screen Format: Color
Language: English