Zathura: A New Adventure From the World of Jumanji [Special Edition]

Overview

Jon Favreau's adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book Zathura stars Josh Hutcherson and Jonah Bobo as brothers Walter and Danny Budwing. When the boys' father (Tim Robbins) leaves the twosome alone one day, they spend time engaging in the usual fraternal fighting. When the younger brother ends up in the basement, he stumbles upon a board game called Zarthura. The space-travel themed game intrigues him and he convinces his brother to play. Once the game begins, they find that they have left their normal world and are inside the game. The boys must figure out how to get back home.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/14/2006
UPC:	0043396134751
Original Release:	2005
Rating:	PG
Source:	SONY PICTURES
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:41:00
Sales rank:	5,650

Special Features

Closed Caption;Jon Favreau and Peter Billingsley commentary; The Right Moves - The Making of Zathura; Race to the Black Planet: A visual effects documentary; The Cast of Zathura; Zorgons, Robots and "Frozen Lisa"; Making the game; Miniatures and the World of Zathura; The World of Chris Van Allsburg

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Josh Hutcherson	Walter Budwing
Jonah Bobo	Danny Budwing
Dax Shepard	Astronaut
Kristen Stewart	Lisa Budwing
John Alexander	Robot
Derek Mears	Lead Zorgon
Douglas Tait	Zorgon
Joe Bucaro III	Zorgon
Jeff Wolfe	Zorgon
John Debney	Composer

Technical Credits

John Kamps

David Koepp

John Kamps	Screenwriter
David Koepp	Screenwriter
William Teitler	Producer
Michael DeLuca	Producer
Scott Kroopf	Producer
Ted Field	Executive Producer
Louis D'Esposito	Executive Producer
Avy Kaufman	Casting
Mark Ulano	Sound/Sound Designer
Stephen Flick	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Channeling the awe and splendor of Spielberg's early Amblin films, Jon Favreau splendidly expands Chris Van Allsburg's children's tale into a timeless adventure that the whole family can enjoy. More joyful than Jumanji, while less roller-coaster freakish than Polar Express, this adaptation nails the wonderment that both previous films missed out on, while still delivering the thrills and spills that are integral to pulpy space operas. Lizard monsters and '50s-era rockets populate this fantastical world, but the visuals would not be complete if not for the small, tight cast that holds it together. Jonah Bobo is downright adorable as wide-eyed youngest brother Danny, while Dax Shepard has a subtle charm that makes him immediately likable throughout. For his third feature, Favreau proves that he can pull off extravagant action scenes while still keeping the heart of the story intact. The director's humor shines through in various superb ways -- the best being his gleeful approach to demolishing J. Michael Riva's glorious set inch by inch. Despite its lackluster box office and a "believe it or not" reveal in the third act, Zathura taps into an imaginative world that is as wildly charming as it is exciting -- a rare feat for live-action kids' flicks in this day and age.