Watch It

On DVD: Now | On Blu-ray: Now

Zathura Review

Release Date: Nov 11, 2005
Rated: fantasy action and peril, and some language
Runtime: 1 hr. 35 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Director:Jon Favreau
Cast:Jonah Bobo, Josh Hutcherson, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, Tim Robbins. Full cast + crew

Movies.com Critics

4.0

Dave White Profile <h3>Dave White</h3> <p><strong>Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex</strong></p> <br /> <p>Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/dave-white">Read full profile</a></p>

… you get to be 8 years old for 100 minutes. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

4.0

67

out of 100

Metascore^®
Generally favorable reviews
based on a weighted average of all
critic review scores.
50

out of 100

USA Today Mike Clark
Tim Robbins plays the working dad, and the movie misses him once he bails out early.

Read Full Review
60

out of 100

Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust
The movie has a lot of the elements that might make it thrilling and it's visually arresting, but it's missing the emotional connection necessary to make it interesting.

Read Full Review

70

out of 100

Variety Justin Chang
Its unwieldy title notwithstanding, Zathura: A Space Adventure is arguably the best adaptation of a Chris Van Allsburg book to date.

Read Full Review
70

out of 100

The New York Times Stephen Holden
In the enchanted limbo between waking and sleeping, Zathura feels both real and unreal, like a dream you could shake off at any moment.

Read Full Review
70

out of 100

The Hollywood Reporter
Favreau again delivers that rare beast -- a family film that even childless adults can enjoy.

Read Full Review
75

out of 100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
It works gloriously as space opera.

Read Full Review
75

out of 100

ReelViews James Berardinelli
Will work better for younger viewers than older ones. There's not much plot to absorb and there's plenty of action, so this is the kind of spectacle that will appeal to those without long attention spans.

Read Full Review
91

out of 100

Entertainment Weekly Scott Brown
Zathura is a rarity: a stellar fantasy that faces down childhood anxieties with feet-on-the-ground maturity.

Read Full Review
See all Zathura reviews at Metacritic.com

View MoreView Less

For Families provided by Common Sense Media

OK for kids 8+

Sci-fi adventure for the elementary school set.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that the movie begins with typical tensions, resentments, and competitions between two brothers, aged six and 10. Their father is divorced and their teenaged sister is distracted by her interest in boys and parties. The film includes scary music, scary sound effects (crashes, explosions, alien-monster growls), and some images of space-aliens and a big robot attacking the boys that might be frightening for younger viewers. Boys use some obnoxious language ("d--k," "screwed") and violence against the aliens to save themselves.

Families can talk about the relationship between the two brothers: how do they learn to appreciate and take care of one another? How do Lisa or their father fit into or affect the brothers' relationship? How does the absent mother (never seen on screen, though she arrives to pick them up in a car) figure into the family tensions?

The good stuff

Messages: Not an issue

What to watch for

Violence and scariness: Space ships are armed with guns and futuristic missiles, lizardish space aliens are menacing; crazed robot attacks boys; meteors and space weapons blow up the boys' house/space ship.
Sexy stuff: Teenaged sister wears a tight top in preparation for her night out; she develops a crush on a character who turns out to be her younger brother at a later age.
Language: Minor language, including kids' use of "d---k," "screwed," "ass," and "bee-yatch."
Consumerism: Not an issue
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue

Common Sense Media

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

View MoreView Less

Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 3.47

Read all reviews Write a review at Fandango

by Tink18

by tkscooby

by amondragon456

Read all Zathura reviews at Fandango