The score by John Debney is spot-on, and the sound design really puts you inside the action. The kids pull their weight, and Dax Shepard plays the stranded astronaut with just the right amount of bravado and whimsy. It’s wonder-inducing for all ages, and the timing of the jokes certainly helps sell it for adults. “Zathura” is Favreau’s film, and he has fashioned another PG flick that parents and children can enjoy together. The script was even co-written by David Koepp, who has penned several scripts for Spielberg, including “Jurassic Park” and “War of the Worlds.”īut enough about Spielberg. It’s not, but the master filmmaker’s influence shines through-not only with story beats, but also action sequences (and an Amblin-like bicycle that keeps circling the house as it hurtles through outer space). Several times, “Zathura” lets on like a Steven Spielberg film. Instead, the effects fuel the story, which boils down to the older son learning to appreciate his kid brother-especially in light of the parents’ divorce. To his everlasting credit, he never makes the mistake of so many of his colleagues: losing the story in the special effects. Favreau’s vision is retro, which seems perfecto for this material. Those obstacles include meteor showers, defective robots and man-eating aliens called Zorgons.

The plot is simple: Six-year-old Danny (Jonah Bobo) and 10-year-old Walter (Josh Hutcherson) find an old game, which then magically propels them into deep space where they must hurdle one obstacle after another if they are ever to return home. Director Jon Favreau, whose last outing was the smash hit “Elf,” is proving he can deliver the goods. Van Allsburg also wrote The Polar Express and Jumanji, both of which have been adapted for the screen, and the latter of which operates on a board-game premise much like Zathura.īut if “Jumanji” wasn’t your cup of tea, give “Zathura” a chance. With “Zathura: A Space Adventure” from Columbia Pictures releasing nationwide today, the silver-screen delights of the holiday season have already begun.īilled as an “intergalactic world of wonder,” this sci-fi family film is based on the 2002 children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg.

Walden Media and Walt Disney aren’t the only ones with a movie about kids who get transported to another world when they find a bit of magic in their house.

Zathura book