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Zathura is a science fiction film that you will either love or hate. I rented this film from Blockbuster about 2 years ago and I wanted to see it but was slightly unsure about what I would make of it. A friend told me about it which did actually catch my attention to the film. When I watched it, my expectations were dashed because I truly thought to myself, "Wow! This was actually an amazing film to watch". Zathura is an ultimate adventure that can be quite "awwww" inspiring. I was blown away by how stunning the visual effects, make-up and art direction was. I would say it is one of the most space realistic films I've ever watched. This film is just amazing! When I finished it I was almost left speechless literally. Zathura is a really beautiful and adventurous for the family to sit down and enjoy but I think some children might become a bit freaked out or scared at the Zorgons. Zathura isn't directed by same person who did Jumanji but I think it follows up from the novelist of Jumanji especially because both are very similar types of stories as far as the game playing is concerned. The game types are totally different but they both have a very similar feeling to them. Zathura has a twist but I don't it's a twist you will be greatly shocked by.
I was actually quite surprised by how good the acting was in this film. Jonah Bobo was very good as Danny who is the youngest child in the family. Danny always argues with his older brother Walter which is typical with older siblings to do. I think Danny is the main character of this film because I think he is the most difference-making character. His acting was pretty good for a boy at such a young age. Josh Hutcherson is probably one of the best male child star actors at the moment for delivering top-notch acting. Josh was the best out of the whole cast out of the whole cast of the film. Walter is a very argumentative boy who picks on his younger brother Danny but when they start playing the game and as it goes on, he starts to have a different attitude towards his brother. Walter is the middle child in this film. I liked Dax Shepard as the Astronaut. He did seem a bit weak regarding words at times but he was still a very helpful, understanding and heroic man but has a little secret in the past. Kristen Stewart was good as oldest child Lisa. Lisa accidentally gets herself involved in the game as well because she is asleep in bed in her bedroom while it's going on. That was something I actually forgot in this film when they first started playing the game. Tim Robbins hasn't really played that type of character before. He was okay as the father of Danny, Walter and Lisa. We never know what is name is so he is just referred as "Dad".
The directing was awesome with a slight Kubrick-2001 effect to it. I really like Jon Favreau as a director now especially for science fiction films and for doing Zathura, Iron Man and it's upcoming sequel. The director made it a really experiencing children's film but there are some scenes that would scare them a bit. This film should have been a contender for the Oscar Best Visual Effects with the three actual nominees. It didn't receive any top award nominations but it was nominated for 2 Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy And Horror Films: Best Fantasy Film but lost to Batman Begins and Best Performance By A Young Actor but lost to Dakota Fanning in War Of The Worlds.
I think Zathura is one of my top 10 science fiction films and one of my favourite films of 2005. It has one of my top 10 male child star performances for Josh Hutcherson. Zathura is a very beautiful adventure that I could watch quite regularly. This is better than Jumanji because it is slightly more adult. Love this film and always will.
8/10
