Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing.
- Director
- Writers
- Chris Van Allsburg(book)
- David Koepp(screenplay)
- John Kamps(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Chris Van Allsburg(book)
- David Koepp(screenplay)
- John Kamps(screenplay)
- Stars
- Awards
- 2 wins & 3 nominations
Videos4
Frank Oz
- Robotas Robot
- (voice)
Joe Bucaro III
- Zorgonas Zorgon
- (as Joe Bucaro)
Stuart Scott
- Selfas Self
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Chris Van Allsburg(book)
- David Koepp(screenplay)
- John Kamps(screenplay)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
An old and forgotten game develops magical powers in this fantasy for the whole family. Twelve-year-old Walter Budwing (Josh Hutcherson) and his younger brother, Danny (Jonah Bobo), figure they're going to be in for a boring time when their father (Tim Robbins), who was supposed to spend the day with them, is suddenly called away on business, and gives them strict orders not to leave the house. Walter, who doesn't have much use for Danny, is motivated by boredom more than anything else when he agrees to play a board game Danny has found in the basement during a round of hide-and-seek. However, the boys quickly discover the space-themed game Zathura has some unusual qualities -- a roll of the dice unexpectedly launches the Budwing home into outer space, and Walter and Danny are suddenly fending off menacing robots, angry aliens, and showers of interstellar debris outside the Earth's atmosphere. As the boys try to figure out a way back home, they get some unexpected help from an earthling astronaut (Dax Shepard) who has also lost his way.
- Taglines
- A new adventure from the world of Jumanji
- Genres
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated PG for fantasy action and peril, and some language
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe beginning and end of the movie were shot on the same, intact, set. Throughout the movie the set was damaged and destroyed forcing the film to be shot in sequence except for the beginning and the end.
- GoofsWhen Danny get a card that says "Shipmate enters cryonic sleep for 5 turns," it actually takes 8 turns.
- Alternate versionsIn the UK, two sequences where an aerosol is used as a blowtorch and where fire is set to a sofa with the use of an accelerant (around 1 min 17 secs) were cut by the distributor. This is because the BBFC have a very strict policy on imitable techniques (headbutts etc.) and decided that the scene was unsuitable for anything lower than a 15 certificate. Since this would have excluded the entire target audience, Sony asked for the scene to be cut in order to obtain a PG certificate.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Jeopardy!: 2005 College Championship Semifinal Game 3 (2005)
- SoundtracksHey Man
Written and Performed by The Vacancies
Courtesy of Blackheart Records Group
Top review
Kindergarten to Fifth Grade Unless You are a Kristen Stewart Fan
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 chose to play (because Walter did not like jungle games). So it is "supposed" to be like 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 "Sharkboy and Lavagirl", 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 a "hot teenage sister" is not an image he has ever published.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
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 "Sharkboy and Lavagirl", 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 a "hot teenage sister" is not an image he has ever published.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
helpful•5627
- aimless-46
- Aug 4, 2006
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Zathura
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $65,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $29,258,869
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $13,427,872
- Nov 13, 2005
- Gross worldwide
- $65,079,104
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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