Visitors Review

(2012-05-26 08:16)

Making Jumanji Dull

Zarthura / B000DBHX4M*Spoilers*I like Jumanji. I like the book, I like the movie. The premise is daring and clever - that a board game could come to life, bringing right into your home the adventurous and dangerous elements to terrify and thrill you. I was excited to see that this concept had been expanded into a space-themed game, and figured that this movie would be a fun family ride. Somewhere along the way, however, the movie writers achieved what I would have thought was impossible: they made a thrill-ride like Jumanji...dull. Boring.Firstly, the first 20+ minutes of the movie should have been heavily edited and apparently weren't merely because they'd paid for Tony Robbins and were determined to use the footage. It does not take 20+ minutes to lay the basic, stereotypical movie set-up of a house shaken by a recent divorce and sibling rivalry. When the game does come roaring to life, we find that the space game is excessively tame compared to the horrors of Jumanji. For instance, each game has penalties for cheating. In Jumanji, the penalty is that Peter shockingly and frighteningly de-evolves into a monkey-like creature, hampered in communication and movement. In Zathura, the penalty is that the child is...ejected into space for a three-minute interval while the other players stare blankly at the hole in the ceiling and wonder if the child will come back. The viewer doesn't really worry about the boy coming back because he kind of HAS to for the movie to continue, and the sheer helpless horror we felt at seeing Peter de-evolve is just completely lost here.Several characters in the story have no real reason for being in this movie and should have been escorted off the premises. We've already noted that Tony Robbins should not be in this movie at all - why does he have 20 minutes of screen time to establish that his dad-character is super-patient, super-cool, and the divorce is totally not his fault? Condense the part, give it to a deserving no-name, and move on. Why is the sister here? Her only role appears to be as victim (frozen in cryo), designated panic person (upon revival), and to moon over the Hot Deus Ex Machina Spaceman who disturbingly turns out to be a grown-up version of her brother. Seriously, why was that included? They could have used a non-relative "babysitter" or something for that joke. The fact that the kids joke about it in the end (Remember when you had the hots for my future self?) is just...squick. The twists are predictable and boring, such as when the kids receive a mysterious "Reprogram" card to tuck away in the beginning. Gee, I predict a malfunctioning robot in the near future.Lastly, I love children but, having said that, I will also say that the two starring children in this movie are the best argument for birth control I've ever seen. The amount of time devoted to lavishly covering the start-to-finish family bickering in this movie was ridiculous. The youngest child in particular is unusually high-pitched and shrill and you will have an incredibly harsh head-ache after listening to him shriek, whine, and wheedle for over an hour of film time. Pass on Zathura, unless you just don't have enough tedious family arguments to fill your days.~ Ana Mardoll

TheLittleSongbird (2012-05-25 19:53)

Simply great family entertainment

I have often seen this compared to Jumanji, just for the record I lovethem both equally. About Zathura:A Space Adventure, as a family movieit is truly excellent. True, the role of the sister is rather clichéd,but a lot makes you not worry so much about it. Jon Favreau's directionis excellent, and the sense of childlike wonder featured so prominentlyhere is delightful. There is a witty script, a highly imaginative storyand a great fix of fun, scares and poignancy, it was wonderful to hearFrank Oz as the voice of the robot, Jonah Boo and Josh Hutcherson makea great duo and Dax Sheppard's astronaut provides the touching momentof the film, that of the revelation of his true identity. What madeZathura:A Space Adventure so good especially were the fantasticproduction values, a soundtrack that fitted perfectly with the film'stone and the gripping action. Overall, just great. 9/10 Bethany Cox

lindzm819 (2012-05-25 23:09)

Cute Kid's movie, but unnecessary language.

Overall, the film was cute, the lead characters were engaging, and thestory was entertaining. I was bothered, however, by the unnecessary useof rude language/swearwords. Zathura is marketed as a children's movie,but for some reason the writers decided to allow the words "dick","hell", "ass", and "bi-otch" into the script when there are severalperfectly innocent alternatives to get the point across. It wasjarring, and would make me hesitant to allow a child prone to parrotingmovie lines to view it.The word choice jolted me out of the movie's story and instead made mefocus on every inappropriate word in the script. Generally, I have noproblem with strong language to get an important point across, or in amovie for adults where it is appropriate (loved Superbad, forinstance), but here there was no reason for it. Danny could just haveeasily called Walter a "jerk" instead of a "dick", and Lisa could justhave easily complained that she was freezing her "butt" off than her"ass". So, if you have an older child who will not repeat everythingthey hear in movies, or if you don't mind a child using these words,then you should show them Zathura, because it is a cute movie.Otherwise, I would advise that you find a movie with cleaner language,or, better yet, get the book Zathura!

takatomon (2012-05-25 03:28)

jumanji for trekkies

i was expecting this film to merely be a decent way to waste some timelike it's predecessor, but zathura is better. it's just as wacky asjumanji, but just seems to make more sense.it's a little bit on the short side and i expected a few more actionscenes, but what's there is pretty good.the dialogue is funny, but was a little more edgy than i expected.overall, the film moved along at a brisk pace and had some niceunexpected twists. it was nice to see that it was filmed as a retro"buck rogers type" sci-fi game, but with modern day action levels. it'sa nice mix.the film offers enough action to keep your attention and enoughsurprises to keep you guessing. it was a lot better than i expected itto be. it was fun.

(2012-05-24 12:42)

Zathura: Awesome Movie

I first saw Zathura in the theatres on the first day it came to them. The DVD is better because of the special features like "Race To The Black Planet" I am a fan of this movie. I have the junior novel and the game. The movie has great effects like the Meteor Shower scene. This is my favorite movie. It's cool.

kaystro (2012-05-24 01:08)

Good (but SCARY) film for the whole family

My daughter and I saw the sneak, and we both loved it. The story wasvery true to the Chris Van Allsberg book on which it is based (a sequelto his earlier book, Jumanji). Best of all, we liked the realisticbickering, teasing, and cold shoulder treatment between the siblings inthe story. It may have been magnified a bit for the screen, but thesibling rivalries really rang true. A lot of kids will see themselvesand friends in the petty jealousies and sibling torments that arepictured here, and when the whole story is done, they will see aconclusion that has a gentle moral. There were several young childrenin the screening audience, and I noticed that they were nervous,clingy, and questioning in a few scary scenes. Nevertheless, the filmis generally palatable, even for the young. I would target the film forkids age seven and up. The elementary age and middle school age kidswill get the most out of the message of the film, but even younger kidsof five and six will enjoy the movie (although they may need a parent'sshoulder to hold on to in a couple of places.)

(2012-05-22 06:05)

Kindergarten to Fifth Grade Unless You are a Kristen Stewart Fan

This review is from: Zathura (Special Edition) (DVD) Those who criticize "Zathura" for being a copycat "Jumanji" are apparently clueless about the Van Allsburg's books. "Zathura" is a sequel to "Jumanji", it is about what happened when the Budwing brothers opened the game box that Peter and Judy discarded at the end of "Jumanji". Early board games were often designed with two-sided boards so that the game pieces could be used to play two different games-usually of the same type. "Zathura" was the flip side of the "Jumanji" game board and the ones the brothers choose to play (because Walter did not like jungle games). So it is supposed to be another "Jumanji".Having grown up with this same sibling age dynamic (six and ten) I was not surprised at the amount of yelling, anger, and resentment that goes on between the two brothers. I was however surprised that anyone would find this sort of thing entertaining. While their divorced father (Tim Robbins playing the only sympathetic character in the film) is away at a meeting, the younger brother (Danny) finds an old Zathura game in the basement. Based on those old 1950's tin toys it involves two tin spaceships on a track racing around space. Each spin of the dial determines the distance the ship will move on that turn and a card is ejected detailing what happens to the ship at that point of space. As Danny and Walter face the challenges of space they discover that they can work as a team and they even develop some affection for each other (a more unrealistic idea than anything they actually encounter in space). Like the source book, the movie adaptation of "Zathura" targets kindergarten to Grade 5 children. Like "Sharkboy and Lavagirl", older viewers will find very little of interest other than a fun production design and nice effects. Unfortunately "Zathura" it is not as pure as that film which uniquely refused to compromise its "for kids only" story. "Zathura" does compromise, as the producers attempt to expand their audience by creating an older sister (Lisa played by Kristen Stewart) who was not a character in the book. While Stewart is fine in this role and even provides some comic relief, it is rather disturbing that the producers chose to turn her into a pubescent sex object, blustering around the house in her underwear for most of the film. Van Allsburg's illustrations are the best part of his books but this image is not one than he has ever published. The DVD has some excellent special features, which even older viewers will enjoy. The best is an interview with Van Allsburg in which he discusses his influences and his other books.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Ithorianjedimaster2 (2012-05-21 14:58)

Zathura: Jumanji In Space (A Good Thing)

I wonder how many people remember the movie "Jumanji" as a good movie.I wonder how many remember the scores of animals rampaging through thestreets. I wonder how many people remember the movie just because RobinWilliams was in it. Probably the last one. You see, "Jumanji"introduced the idea of a 'cursed' board game that when you play it, youbecome an actual part of the game. Unfortunately, that is all the moviehad going for it...and Robin Williams.This generation's "Jumanji" takes the stage as "Zathura", which isbasically Jumanji in space, but has much better production value. Themovie centers around two brothers, Danny (Jonah Bobo) and Walter (JoshHutcherson), who are obviously at odds. Danny wants nothing more thanto hang out with his father (Tim Robbins) and his big brother whileWalter wishes Danny never existed. Well, this brotherly separation istested when suddenly, Danny finds a board game called Zathura. You canprobably guess the rest. He starts to play it and in an instant, theirhouse is in space. "Zathura" can be given plenty of credit because ithas much more character and imagination behind it. It is a neat littlepiece that Danny can't read and so has to rely on Walter to read thecards that foretell doom or salvation.However, there are a few plot points taken from Jumanji that can easilybe pointed out, but it's not like deja vu. In both movies, there is thesummoning of a trapped previous player who helps the heroes get totheir goal, Jumanji had Alan, the jungle man, and Zathura has DaxShepard playing the role of a stranded astronaut. Also, in both movies,cheating is heavily punished, but Zathura doesn't go as obscene asmaking a kid into a monkey. It literally ejects Walter from the house!And then how Zathura sucks all the game's dangers back as a black holelike in Jumanji, though it looks a lot more awesome in Zathura.The hazards in Zathura are also much more life-threatening. Jumanji hadits animal stampedes and harassing monkeys, but during the long haul,they didn't really threaten the lives of the characters after they aresummoned. A lion for example attacks the characters, but is locked inthe bedroom where it stays for the rest of the movie. Zathura's dangersare very extreme and eye-pleasing. While the idea of evil aliens androbots is nothing new, at least they are continuous threats. Theflesh-eating Zorgons, who are attracted to light, return later in thefilm after Kristen Stewart's character ignites the furnace pilot lightafter Walter has previously lowered its flame and how the robot isalways that silent danger that you know is there but is taking its timeto strike.The movie isn't without its flaws. Kristen Stewart's character, Lisa,feels unneeded. Hell, she spends most of the movie in cyrogenic sleep!And when she isn't, she just stands in the background, wide-eyed andscreaming. The character of Danny is just awful. He's the movie's flattire, which is a shame since he is one of the protagonists. Danny isconstantly chickening out during the game, refusing to play on severaloccasions, despite the fact that completing the game will end thenightmarish events. Jonah Bobo may be young, but he just doesn't makeDanny likable. His horrified little face is permanently plastered inevery scene.The script can also be to blame since it doesn't really do Danny anyfavors. Danny's constant shouting the obvious like "Meteors!" and"Zorgons!", as well as his ridiculous requoting of "Zorgons eat meat!We're meat!" will make your groan. The only actors who can be givenprops for their performances are Josh Hutcherson and Dax Shepard. Josh,who has appeared in several movies following Zathura, is verybelievable for his age and even when he is being a jerk, you still likehim. Dax Shepard, another developing actor, is easily the best in thefilm.Still, it is fun to point out references to other scifi movies. WhenLisa, Walter's sister, becomes infatuated with the astronaut, only torealize he is actually an adult Walter is a funny nod to Star Wars,with their whole "Luke and Leia" situation and Star Trek references areabound, especially the reptilian Zorgons, which were clearly inspiredby Star Trek's multitude of alien species.Though Jumanji had its plot issues, Zathura does too. The movie'sclimax and falling action has some pretty strange writing. Like howDanny is able to sneak into the Zorgon ship, grab the game, sneak outthrough a herd of four-eyed goats (I'm not kidding), and escape withoutso much of a scratch. It makes the evil, terrifying Zorgons look like abunch of chums. Then how the best card in the game, the gold card,allows Walter to make a wish through a shooting star. Of course, thiscan be let go on account of the movie IS for kids rather thancriticizing guys like me.All in all, Zathura is a very good movie. Few movies are flawless andit's not like Zathura's iffy script will completely ruin theexperience. If you want to watch this film, sit down with your kids,pop some popcorn and enjoy an adventure that is literally out of thisworld.

mstomaso (2012-05-20 17:44)

Clever, Fun, Sci-fi for the Young at Heart

Zathura is a different spin on Chris Van Allsburg's Jumanji story.Rather than a jungle-oriented adventure, Zathura is a wild spacefantasy. It has the literary quality of a modern fable and evenexpresses a few nice moral points about families, patience, andresponsibility.Two little guys - Danny and Walt - are stuck home alone with theirdisinterested teenage sister. Walt, the younger, desperately wantsDanny to play with him, but Danny thinks his younger brother isannoying and ignores him. Exploring the basement, Walt finds a gorgeousold mechanical rocket ship race game called Zathura. On each turn, thegame spits out a card and whatever the card says, happens..... IN REALLIFE.Danny can't help but get drawn into the game, and eventually, the boysfigure out that the only way they are going to escape the Zorgons, gettheir sister out of cryogenic suspension, and get their house back toearth will be to finish the game. But at what cost? Zathura keeps up abrisk, entertaining pace, and is scripted intelligently enough toengage most young intellects. I especially enjoyed the fact that thekids each had their own personalities and were anything butstereotypes. Although the film is appropriate for all ages, there aresome concepts which might disturb or frighten young kids - so lookbefore you leap.Great script, very nicely directed and edited, and with a very clever,wild story. Most of the acting was very good - especially Jona Bobo andJosh Hutcherson (Danny and Walter). Dax Shepard occasionally ran intosome trouble, but did fine in one of the film's more challenging roles.Recommended for sci-fi adventure fans, and adventurous family viewing.

Dee (2012-05-20 02:14)

For kids only

Unlike Jumanji, this is NOT for anyone smarter than a 5th grader. Theyuse typical kid shortcomings instead of writing a clever script. Muchof the story didn't make sense or was simply unbelievable. They seem tojust make stuff up to fit what they wanted - some things floated inspace including the sputum and the astronaut, but the kids were totallyunaffected by 0 gravity. The guy stuck in the game, the Zorgons wenever see, the robot repairing itself forever, all seemed like lazywriting and directing. The youngest kid screws up constantly and saysI'm sorry at least 40 times. I was so sick of this needy, whiny childthat I didn't care if they made it home or not. I'm sure there areparents who don't know how to discipline their kids so some will findthis believable. Those who feel parents should address rude andco-dependent behavior early, will lose patience with this mess of amovie driven by redundant bad behavior.

leilapostgrad (2012-05-20 07:55)

Austin Movie Show review - funny and believable

"Would you like to swing on a star, carry moonbeams home in a jar, andbe better off than you are, or would you rather go to Earth?" Rememberthat song? It was from an 80s sitcom about a girl who would talk withher alien father through that crystal thing? I think it was called Outof This World. Anyhoo, I thought of that song while I watched Zathuraat Fantastic Fest last month at the Alamo Drafthouse. I'm sure myslight intoxication added to my enjoyment of this film, but I did enjoyZathura nonetheless (and I'm sure I would enjoy it sober, too). It's asweet, funny, and exciting family movie that kids will totally relateto and parents will even get a chuckle out of.In Zathura, two young brothers, Danny (Jonah Bobo) and Walter (JoshHutcherson) start playing a board game that sends them and their entirehouse into space. That may sound goofy, but this movie is so well donethat you can't help but believe it. Ultimately, it's a lot of fun, andit might even make some kids think twice about how they treat theirlittle brothers or sisters. As a youngest child myself, I can totallyrelate to the youngest brother, Danny, who just wants his olderbrother, Walter, to play with him. Is that really asking so much?Hopefully other kids will watch Zathura and learn to get along withtheir siblings before being hurdled into space. But even if they don'tlearn that lesson, at least they'll have fun at the theater.

Son_of_Mansfield (2012-05-19 14:53)

Z is for Zowie.

Two young sparring brothers are transported into outer space by afifties style board game. This semi-sequel to Jumanji from author ChrisVan Allsburg and director Jon Favreau is a charming tale of "growingup." Danny is the younger acclaim starved brother of the arrogantWalter and their journey from bickering brothers to relevant relationsis both understated and true. Both Jonah Bobo as Danny and JoshHutcherson as Walter are quite good at balancing being kids whileshowing a maturity as the film progresses. Dax Shepard, former jacka**,fits in well as a slightly arrogant astronaut. Tim Robbins, who startedin comedy, gets to have fun as their stressed out father and KristenStewart, proud member of DOF, Daughters of Foster, gets the thanklessrole of straight woman, but gives depth to her underwritten part withher full voice and dark eyes. What separates Zathura from Jumanji isthe fact that the special effects serve the former, where as theysimply placed plastic looking monkeys in the latter. So a great story,a swinging director, a good cast, and form fitting special effectsproduce a satisfying "kids" movie.

nagemgrl17 (2012-05-19 01:35)

Really good movie

This movie is great i just saw it tonight and i would definitely see itagain if i got the chance i found it exciting and funny all in one itkeeps you on the edge of your seat yelling at the screen and repeatingthe funny comments in the movie "Walter" has funny comments "Danny" isadorable and "Lisa" kept the teenage look at the situations in thereeverything didn't end up like i thought it would though funny andunexpected twists make it very interestingMUST SEE WITH FRIENDS wouldn't be half as good without them my guess isits better in theaters then it will be on the TVdefinitely has some words i wouldn't use around young kids but it wasstill good and the brother make up in the end of course cause there hasto be a happy ending!!!

(2012-05-18 06:04)

My kids love it

This review is from: Zathura (Special Edition) (DVD) My kids really love this movie. They have seen it at least 10 times in the last two weeks. We went to Houston and all their friends enjoy the movie also. It is a very good history.

mlee-29 (2012-05-18 00:02)

2000's version of Saturday Matinée fare

OK, let's can the comparisons to Jumanji. You've all read about that inother reviews. Having said that, the movie can be summed up as a modernversion of those Saturday afternoon matinees in years gone by. It's apopcorn movie that would have been made by Disney in the 1960's withFred MacMurray as the dad and Don Knott's as the astronaut.Set your expectations correctly. This movie is targeted to 10 year-oldsand that's what it is. Your life won't change after seeing it and youwon't be talking about it with other adults at the book club meeting.It's a fast-moving, enjoyable film with a nice story and some typicalcharacters. The style is particularly cool with a decidedly retroslant; especially the design of the game.Acting is OK. Tim Robbins is wooden and the kids are smarmy (especiallythe younger one with the patented "look sad and confused" face).15-year old Kristen Stewart as sister, Lisa, is beautiful and I can seeher career growing into one of heavier roles in a few years. She hasthe eyes, cheek bones and appeal of an actress like, say, KieraKnightly without the pretension. Though her role in this film isdisposable, keep an eye on her in the future.Thankfully, the movie's effects are not ALL CGI and it doesn't get lostin effects-for-effects-sake land. They even use puppets! Where have yougone, Ray Harryhausen?Film makers seem to feel the need for hammering a morality lesson intokid movies and this is no exception. In this case the moral lesson is,"be kind to your siblings because they may not always be around." Yeah,OK. thanks. That is a lame 1990's-and-beyond technique that is annoyingand plain dumb. Hollywood shouldn't teach us morality, they shouldentertain us. Just make the movie, dammit.All in all an enjoyable, family-oriented movie that you will watchagain on DVD or on TV and enjoy it even more the second time. Oh, and Iwish they made a game that looked like that. I'd buy it today.

(2012-05-17 06:42)

Waste of money if you expect anything different to Jumanji

I grew up watching & loving Jumanji. It was funny, it was original, and it's stood the test of the time (so far). I bought Zathura on the off chance, as I needed another DVD to complete the deal. But Zathura is practically a carbon copy of Jumanji, but set in space, and with robots, and stranded astronauts (hello Dax Shephard), instead of out of control animals. Both were originally books, and Zathura is a sequel to Jumanji in the books. But they're just too similar, it's like the author couldn't think of another good idea, so decided to rehash his previous story. Both share the same plot device: children find a board game that transports them into another world effectively and cards are drawn that decide their fate and their surroundings. The only way to escape the game, is to play it.There was a cool twist towards the end, but unfortunately I saw it coming, which was mighty clever of me, since I'm normally the last to spot these when it's staring me right in the face. Kristen Stewart, the girl from Panic Room, is in it a shocking little amount of time, and really isn't necessary to the story, apart from the fact she wears little more than a skimpy t-shirt, and what can only be described as guy's boxers. Basically, she's in the movie to look cute.I was very disappointed in this, and every minute seemed to last a lot longer. It doesn't live up to Jumanji in my eyes, and if I ever have kids, I will be sitting them in front of Jumanji not Zathura. The only reason I'm keeping this, is to 'complete' my DVD collection - I don't have any DVDs where the title begins with Z.

hacintash24 (2012-05-16 07:52)

A kid movie

Not a good one for me. It's truly childish with lack of good actionwhich thus makes the movie not quite entertaining. So no surprise thatI kept on watching at my watch to see what the time was, hoping thatthe movie would soon end. To me, it's more of a 'kid movie'; perhapskids would love it best. For instance, my sister (who's still in herteenage years) said that she enjoyed this movie very much, because sheloved to see the continuous arguments between the two brothers whichwere sometimes hilarious and jokey. She loved the role played by thesetwo kids, and said that they really did a good job in making the storyto look more alive. But, for me, only a 3-out-of-10 stars. I'd expect amore real action one + good amusing entertainment, then I'd give it afull 10 star rating.

(2012-05-15 14:37)

Zathura

I like the movie "Jumanji." I don't think it's a great film, but it was a fairly decent movie. The special effects haven't held up quite as well as they used to, but that's okay, that's just the way things work sometimes. With that in mind, I wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing "Zathura." Like "Elf," the movie just looked too dopy and childish for me. However, like "Elf," I walked away from "Zathura" quite surprised. I only then learned that the guy who directed "Elf" directed "Zathura" too.The storyline is simple: Boys who hate each other find board game, start playing, weird stuff happens, boys must learn to love each other if they are to survive. In this regard, "Zathura" is nothing special, as this story has been told multiple times before. What makes this movie worth seeing is that it is told in a very fun way. While "Jumanji" was a good movie, calling it a family film (and giving the film it's too flexible PG rating) was a joke, as that film was capable of terrifying kids. "Zathura" makes this a fun ride by establishing very early on that this is going to be a fun fantasy ride.The first thing that happens is a huge meteor shower takes place in the living room. The meteors fall everywhere, destroying the room, but the kids are unharmed. So while it looks like the kids are avoiding the meteors, it's really the meteors that are avoiding the kids. This scene does a great job in setting up the fact that this is all just going to be fun. As more disasters show up, there is always something to protect the kids, and (in a brilliant stroke of genius) some of the special effects are old fashioned. The old fashioned special effects (like the robot) helps establish the fantasy setting we are in.The actors all do a commendable job in the movie. There is no Oscar work to be found here, but what is in here works. Save for Tim Robbins in a very minor supporting role as the dad who doesn't have for his kids, the cast is made up entirely of unknowns. This is also okay, as we don't want anyone mistaking this movie for art. Still, it's a great family film, and even if you don't have kids it is quite and enjoyable ride in itself. Just remember: It's only a game.

swimbink (2012-05-15 07:42)

Whay didn't I see this movie in theaters?

Okay so this movie is so good but they didn't do a very good visualeffects. Zathura is so funny, real, adventure packed, family related,and anything else you need in a movie except kissing. They just did areally annoying way of advertising it though it rocks my socks! I lovedit though it was very scary. I thought it was going to be very bad butit changed and cracked me up as my friends and I watched it. We evenstarted yelling at the TV we were watching it on. Though that might bethe fact that they had a really nice TV......hmmmmmmm. It will be stuckin your head forever but you won't want it to go away! It worked it'sway into my heart and it will do the same for yours. Just watch out forthe Zorgons!!

(2012-05-14 22:07)

What an ending!

This review is from: Zathura (Special Edition) (DVD) Up until about 15 minutes before the end I was ready to say "Ah, watch the original - Jumanji." But then - that ending is AWESOME!