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By Drew Dietsch
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Controversial statement: science fiction should not be just for adults. Kids love science fiction and should have plenty of movies and TV shows that explore and celebrate the genre without erasing it because of the age of the intended audience. Back in the 2000s, one film tried to do that, but it flopped at the box office and still doesn’t get the full appreciation it deserves today. We hope to change that.
Zathura: A Space Adventure was largely doomed from the start. Based on a book by Jumanji writer Chris Van Allsburg, director Jon Favreau’s sci-fi spin on the “board game come to life” concept worked so hard against him. It was never going to get a fair shake, it was promptly buried at the box office and mostly forgotten about.
Twenty years later, it’s time to admire this clever kid flick for what it is: a fantastic adventure story that not only stands as the best offering in the Jumanji franchise but as a stellar film all on its own.
How Zathura Was Created: A Space Adventure
Jon Favreau is coming off the success of the family Christmas comedy Elves. It had shown how stylish and sharp it could be with a film intended for all audiences. His decision to make Zathura was an attempt to show how he could once again handle all age material with his characteristic wit and charm. This time, he would take special effects and genre storytelling to an even higher level.
Zathura exceeds these elements. Favreau insisted on using as many practical effects as possible. The studios hired Stan Winston – who would also work on Favreau’s next short film, Iron Man – to create the lizard-like antagonists, the Zorgons. These creatures are absolutely amazing.
With CG becoming the norm for creating creatures, Favreau was committed to building real effects that the actors could interact with and react to. Bless him and the many artists who brought the Zorgons to life. They are a huge highlight of the film.
This mindset extends to the entire production side of Zathura. The story mostly takes place in one location (a house), and Favreau has to turn it into a floating spaceship of some sort. It’s pumped and picked apart as the film progresses, and the design behind those aesthetic decisions adds real character to the structure. Favreau shot real models of the house for use in the film.
Add in all the great 50’s sci-fi style craftsmanship that informs the film’s design decisions, and you have a film with a very distinct visual aspect. Favreau knows how to polish effects and make everything feel tactile. It’s a masterful touch.
Zathura’s Script and Score Do So Much Right
Zathura it is not just a technical pleasure. The screenplay by David Koepp and John Kamps does so much right. It strips the story down to a much simpler structure than the original Jumanji by reducing the number of characters needed. It also does a better job of focusing on the young protagonists and their relationships. The play may be simple, but it is extremely effective. And when we learn more about the mysterious astronaut character (Dax Shepard) who appears later, it all pays off thanks to a very smart first act setup.
Zathura also features an actual score by composer John Debney. The opening credits and main theme nail down the mood and intent of the film in the very first moments. There is 100% commitment to the grand adventure feel in Debney’s score.
It takes what could be considered a small film (due to the single house setting) and makes it feel epic. “Underrated” gets thrown around a lot, but it might actually apply to the work Debney does for Zathura.
Zathura’s Perfect Cast includes Kristen Stewart
Zathura knew it had to be an intimate film because of its size. While Lisa’s (Kristen Stewart) attraction to the astronaut suggests a goofy little romance, the real emotional drama of the film is a relationship between two brothers (Josh Hutcherson and Jonah Bobo). Their conflict is simplistic but treated with seriousness.
It helps that the entire cast plays everything pitch-perfect. There is no weak link in the ensemble chain.
Zathura is a children’s film that does not belittle its target audience, either in the story, the characters, or the film production. This is a solid grade A experience for young viewers and kids at heart.
Why didn’t one group support Jon Favreau’s sci-fi movie
When we talk about how a movie “failed,” we’re often referring to its general reception in some way. When it comes to critical reception, Zathura without failing at all. As for this recording, it’s tied on Rotten tomatoes with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle for the best reviewed entry in the entire Jumanji franchise, and Zathura definitely holds up better than that flick.
It wasn’t critics who hated or ignored the film. It was audiences.
Zathura opened in the number two slot on its opening weekend, being beaten by Disney’s Little Chicken in its second weekend at #1. Yes, Zack Braff, as a panicked CG fowl in Disney’s low-tier effort, beat out a film from one of the key architects behind the Amazed Cinematic Universe a The Mandalorian.
Add more fuel to the burning fire Zathura at the box office, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire released the following weekend and Zathura plummeting almost 62% to the #5 slot. That wizard took any possible target audience Zathura he could have hoped for.
Creative Conflict Leads to Bad Marketing
It didn’t help that there was a creative conflict over how to market the film. Allsburg and Favreau said that while the general premise is similar, Zathura it wasn’t the same kind of movie as Jumanji.
Unfortunately, the studio wanted to use the Jumanji name to help market this film. It made people confused or resistant to what looked like “Jumanji in space.” Even now, this very article contributes to tying Zathura for another movie his story really has nothing to do with it.
That is unfair. Zathura doesn’t deserve to be suffocated by Jumanji‘ shadow That movie has a lot of generational nostalgia because of its content Robin Williamsand that attachment could cloud so many who love Jumanji see Favreau’s independent victory. It certainly affected Zathura at the time since audiences saw the Jumanji name attached but without Robin Williams’ contribution on screen, leading to disconnection and lack of interest in the film.
Zathura it should not be left to collect dust in the basement. It needs to be taken out and played. Yes, some things may seem familiar, but they are exciting and dangerous in brand new ways. Flight to the unknown space cadet. There is danger, glory, and greatness out in the depths of space. Zathura is waiting
Zathura: A Space Adventure currently available to stream via rent or purchase Amazon Prime Video.
