We live in a world that is dominated by sci-fi adventures, fantasy journeys, and many other genres. Often, it feels like everything is just an adaptation of the next, from the Dune films to Ready Player One, or even to the latest Harry Potter show. There’s an endless amount of content that is being made for movies and television.
But there are sometimes adaptations that go under the radar, ones that don’t become mega blockbusters but really deserve to be. There’s one family adventure sci-fi film that I think deserves far more praise and attention years later.
And that, my friends, is Zathura: A Space Adventure. Or, as it's better known, Zathura, directed by Jon Favreau.
Zathura is set in the Jumanji universe and is a wild ride
If you’ve never heard of Zathura, you might be wondering what the heck it is. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, the author of Jumanji. This book takes place in the same universe with the same concept, except it’s sci-fi and low-key 10 times better.
The movie follows two brothers who discover an old board game in their basement. They decide to play, but the moment they do, their house is suddenly transported to space. Now they have to find a way to survive and get back home, which means finishing the game.
The concept is tried and true: a board game comes to life, and the kids have to find a way out. We saw that with Jumanji, and years later, we saw it again in the latest Jumanji films (though that’s a video game rather than a board game). It’s an exciting concept.
But what makes Zathura so much more interesting is that it takes place in space. It’s a different kind of threat than the children face in real life, like animals or being thrown into a jungle. And that means that you can have a lot more fun with the enemies they face because space is unknown. That can spark a lot of creativity.
From there, you can dive deeper into the game's rules, mechanics, and more.
The young stars are so much fun to watch
The movie also stars several familiar faces, but two of them are interesting to see because it came out before they were famous — Josh Hutcherson and Kristen Stewart.
Of course everyone knows these two from Hutcherson’s time in the Hunger Games franchise and Stewart starring in the Twilight films. But they’ve both gone on create intriguing careers with roles that have separated them from their breakthroughs.
Still, it is so cool to see them in roles like this, before they became household names. Hutcherson does a great job as the lead, Walter, playing an annoying but protective older brother as the movie progresses. Stewart is also great as Lisa, the eldest child in the family, who keeps everyone on track but also has her own interesting story.
I also happen to love Dax Shepard, who plays an astronaut who teams up with Walter and Danny (Jonah Bobo). His character is just hilarious. The cast is small, so everyone gets a chance to shine.
Jon Favreau’s direction is perfect
Jon Favreau has certainly become a big name in Hollywood, mainly because he’s a great director and a great actor. He’s done several major movies and TV shows that have made him even bigger, like Elf, Iron Man, and The Mandalorian alongside Dave Filoni. That series also spawned a whole movie. His influence on the Star Wars universe has been spectacular.
But before his sci-fi adventures at Disney and Marvel and Lucasfilm, he directed films like Zathura, and you can easily tell it’s his work. He has a certain way with his movies: he adds whimsy without taking away from the film's seriousness. And that in and of itself is extremely impressive.
He’s also great at capturing the moment. Even though this is a children’s film, it has a lot of subtlety in its delivery, which makes it enjoyable not only for kids but also for the adults who watch it. That’s what makes Favreau such a great director. For that, it gets my praise.
Are the effects a little wonky for an early 2000s sci-fi film? Yes, but that’s what makes it so fun. With an enjoyable plot and a talented young cast, you can’t really ask for more.
You can watch Zathura: A Space Adventure on Netflix.
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