Here's my "Zathura" movie review for your reading pleasure.

[Radio_Lady]

(OPEN EDIT or add responses if you wish. Film opens wide today, 11/11/2005.)

"Zathura" - sounds like a recently recognized common affliction…
”Are you one of the many who are suffering from the annoying and unsightly effects of Zathura?”

Or maybe it sounds even more like a cure for a recently recognized common affliction…
”Ask your pharmacist today for Zathura and rid yourself of those awfulugly patches.”

Actually, "Zathura" is a cure…a movie escape from the day’s doldrums. It will whisk you away on a 95 minute adventure into the unreal and dangerous, where two brothers must learn to cooperate -- or be lost in ever-deepening terrors. Our heroes are six-year-old Danny (Jonah Bobo) and ten-year-old brother Walter (Josh Hutcherson). Their divorced dad (played by Tim Robbins) is attentive, but frustrated and pressured by his responsibilities to his work as well as his boys. Their "split time" with Dad is spent in what appears to be a dark fixer-up mansion that holds many secrets.

Danny and Walter are frustrated too… and bored. Walter blames Danny for his dilemma and disappointments and refuses to respond to Danny’s pleadings to be nicer to him. Then Danny happens upon "Zathura"…a fascinating, ancient board game of tin rockets and outer space. Danny is intrigued and manages to get a reluctant Walter involved. From there, all hell and unreality break loose as the house is yanked into outer space. Evading each new danger and meeting its challenge requires finally that the player to take his next move on the game board…and each new move produces yet another calamity…calamities including an insane robot and lizard-like aliens.

Along the way, Danny and Walter are joined by a lost astronaut (Dax Shepard) who has been through this before. The three must face the further dangers and ever increasing destruction of the house while searching for a way to escape this nightmare odyssey. The journey ends with unexpected and interesting twists in the tale.

If the yarn seems familiar...remember "Jumanji" with Robin Williams? Well, Chris Van Allsburg is the author of both stories. I haven't seen the earlier movie, but I'm told that "Zathura" is the better of the two. Skillfully directed by Jon Favreau, Bobo (Danny) and Hutcherson (Walter) turn in outstanding performances and are nicely supported by Robbins and Shepard.

All in all, "Zathura" is a good time for all. Take the older kids, take you special other, take Grandma and Grandpa and go for a scary but fun romp with Danny and Walter. I give "Zathura" an "A" on my Entertainment Report Card.

[Radio_Lady]

1. Anyone planning to see this movie... or another one -- this weekend?

[WritingIsMyReligion]

2. It DOES sounds a hell of a lot like Jumanji.

I love Jumanji. This isn't a cheapo ripoff? I'm impressed.

[Radio_Lady]

3. Actually, I never saw "Jumanji" in 1995. Some reviewers have called

it better than "Jumanji" because of the special effects. Of course, the two children's books are written by the same author. I edited the review to make it clear that I didn't see the earlier movie.

I don't think this was a cheap movie to make, however. The effects are pretty spectacular.

Here's another early review:

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/reviews/?id=1936&p=s.htm