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Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, Tim Robbins, Frank Oz

Ten years after Jumanji (1995) the idea of a board game reanimating itself by reemerging in the refurbished space cadet version called Zathura comes to life. The idea of reusing the idea initially seems clichéd, especially when it comes from the same source, as Chris Van Allsburg wrote both stories. Initially, I also thought that director Jon Favreau had run out of ideas, as he had to give the concept a face-lift. Regardless of what Favreau thought, it will undoubtedly hurt the films novelty. However, the film still succeeds in bringing forth a terrific tale of forgiveness, family, and hope for the whole family. ***

The six-year-old Danny (Jonah Bobo) often finds himself being far less skilled in several activities common for children than his slightly older brothers Walter (Josh Hutcherson). Danny’s skill discrepancy has become a major issue in his life and has brought on low self-esteem, as his brother exploits the situation by showing off. Their father, performed by Tim Robbins, tries to balance his attention equally among them, work, deadlines, and the time they do not live with their mother. It is a difficult job for him while trying to provide the best possible home for them. Nonetheless, Danny finds himself physically and emotionally bullied by Walter, as he most of the time finds him annoying. Yet, they spend a lot of time together, which forces Walter to pay attention to Danny and play with him. On occasion they are left on their own, as they are in this story when their father has return to work and leaves them under their older sister’s supervision. However, she is far too self-centered and focuses most on getting her beauty sleep. ***

After one of the sibling’s skirmishes, Walter sends Danny to the basement where he discovers an old board game called Zathura. Danny brings the game to the living room where he wants to play the game with his brother, but Walter is completely uninterested. Without anyone to play with, Danny opens and begins to play by himself, awe how the game initially operates. After his piece has moved by some old fashion machinery inside the game, a card materializes out of the game. The card says, “METEOR SHOWER. Take evasive action.” Unaware what he activated, Danny seeks shelter together with his brother, as the living room is bombarded by small burning meteors that cut through the room like rocks through air. In shock, the two brothers begin to realize what has just happened, as they must now finish what Danny has set in motion. ***

It sends Danny and Walter on an amazing journey where they are about to test their affection and caring for one another. The dangers that emerge could have costly consequences, but with the right decisions they might just get through the perilous adventure of the Zathura game. Throughout the story, the audience will learn several valuable lessons of forgiveness, understanding, and compassion among others. What is even more intriguing is that the story is told through the eyes of a child, which enhances its fascination for the younger viewers. Furthermore, the hazardous events in the film bring about an adult and childish atmosphere at the same time, which undoubtedly further children’s interest to the story. In retrospect, Zathura might present an already used idea, but the story is far more elaborated than Jumanji. It makes me wish that this were the first time I saw the concept, which might have made me love this already terrific science fiction tale even more. *** ---

In this day and age there should be no issues with the image quality, and Sony Pictures makes sure that the Zathura DVD looks both clean and vibrantly alive. The sound is equally impressive with a thick and robust use of all audio channels, especially the subwoofer, which stimulates both ears and touch. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is exceptional, as it shows no detectable flaws. *** ---

The Zathura DVD contains a good amount of extras that provide material in regards to the making of the film such as Race to the Black Planet and The Right Moves. Both cover the making, but allow the audience to learn about different aspects behind making the film. The second focuses on the writing portion while the first lets us view the actual shooting of the film. The Cast brings the actors to the viewers, as it informs about the casts’ importance to the film’s success and the actors comments on the story. The director Jon Favreau introduces the first three extras on the disc in a way that truly illustrates his affection for the arts of cinema. ***

On the second page of the special feature menu we first find Miniatures, which presents the significance of shrunken props. It is a little dry, but informative in regards to how miniatures were used in the film. The writer Chris Van Allsburg tells his side of how he got into the arts and creating books for a young audience in The World of Chris Van Allsburg. It is a short, but sweet documentary were Van Allsburg simply tells his story in front of a camera with intermittent images of his creations. Some of the special effects and other artistically ingenious creations emerge in Zorgons, Robots, and Frozen Lisa, which offer the audience a chance to appreciate the details and hard work of the filmmakers behind the film. Equally impressive, even though a much smaller item is the presentation of the making of the Zathura board game in the Making the Game feature. To see all of these extras allows the viewer to build a great understanding for the meticulous and tedious artistic work that rests behind a feature film such as Zathura. ***

The final extras on the disc are the Previews, which offer glimpses of films such as The Pink Panther (2006), Monster House (2006), and Open Season (2006). *** ---

Jon Favreau truly loves his calling, and Zathura radiates this throughout the whole film. However, the reuse of the coming alive board game from Jumanji hurts the overall cinematic experience, yet it is still a wonderful tale with suspense, drama, and entertainment for all ages. In essence, Zathura is a definitely a film I would strongly recommend to younger viewers and for older people to see in order to find their younger selves once again. ***