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Zathura: A Space Adventure transpired to be a children's fantasy movie that is everything I had anticipated: predictable, clichéd, corny and lacklustre. This production was marketed as a follow-up to the 1995 film Jumanji (and tagged as such), which is scarcely unexpected bearing in mind that this is unerringly the same movie except divergently situated in outer space as opposed to a jungle.
The plots of Jumanji and Zathura: A Space Adventure are so intimately related that the principal plot conception is one and the same. Two young brothers named Danny (Bobo) and Walter (Hutcherson) are a pair of typical pre-teen children. Similar to most brotherly relationships the two recurrently argue and squabble much to the exasperation of their father (Robbins). On one boring weekend the two boys are spending time with their father who is balancing his time between his children and his work. While Danny and Walter are bored rigid under the supervision of teen sister Lisa (Stewart), they come across a board game entitled 'Zathura' (plausibly enough, therein lies the title). Little do they realise that this outwardly unexciting board game inhibits the power to generate scary happenings. Once the two begin playing the game they cannot stop - and are transported into the far reaches of outer space! With virtually every move the game flings every manner of space peril at the two siblings who need to sort out their squabblings and finish the game or else they could be trapped in space everlastingly.
Zathura: A Space Adventure is strictly for the children as opposed to the adults. When you're a kid you care just for the marvellous visual images and creative special effects. But as you reach adulthood you cannot excuse the obvious plot holes, inconsistencies and predictability. Sure, the film has a good message about being good to your siblings...however these themes are exactly the same in Jumanji as well as several other pointless films made by Hollywood to attract a young audience and a treasure chest of money.
The problem with this particular film is how by-the-numbers the whole thing is. What dooms a concept like this is that we all know the ending: the game will finish, the characters will overcome their differences and everything will go back to normal. Because the experience is so blatantly predictable this is a 95-minute film you can honestly afford to miss.
The acting is certainly questionable at times. The two little kids are always unfathomably annoying. Jonah Bobo does not bring any life to his role. Each line he delivers sounds forced and rehearsed. Josh Hutcherson isn't any better. Thankfully there are a few adult actors who try their hardest. I think the downfall of the children characters is the way they are written. Their decisions are stupid, dialogue is artificial and the situations aren't handled in a realistic way.
Jon Favreau only succeeds in delivering a mild escapism fantasy. I still expected more from the man who helmed Elf in 2003. That film is by no means perfect. On the contrary it's a lot more fun than this uneven children's film. Zathura: A Space Adventure is kids only territory, with adults prohibited. The kids will certainly find the film to be fun and amusing. If you've passed this age range I suggest you give this one a miss without dwelling on the thought.
4/10
