As Jumanji was one of the vehicles to
catapult Kirsten Dunst into celebrity, Zathura
served the same purpose for Kristen Stewart and Josh Hutcherson ten years later.
This was also a chance for director Jon Favreau to try his hand at a
spectacle-filled adventure film prior to delving into the world of comic book
films. Zathura is part of another
interesting trend in the actor-turned-filmmaker’s work; this film followed the
success of Elf, and Favreau’s next
film is a live-action adaptation of The
Jungle Book. I once heard Favreau say that he wants to make movies that his
kids can enjoy, and that seems to be a genre he thrives in.
Zathura is no exception, in some
regards. The action is fantastic, with effects that blend both digital and
practical. It is a space adventure that moves at a furious pace, making for
exciting viewing. Beneath this shiny exterior, the narrative is a bit thin, and
the movie ends with a strange and unconvincing plot twist. Still, it is easy to
see how this level of excitement ultimately led to Favreau directing Iron Man.
Zathura’s narrative takes any even more
simplistic approach than Jumanji to
the story, providing no background for where the game came from. The basic
premise remains the same; two brothers (Jonah Bobo and Hutcherson) start a
board game with drastic consequences at nearly every turn. While Jumanji was a jungle-themed game, Zathura takes us into outer space. After
the first couple of turns, the kids discover that they have sent their entire
home into space while their father (Tim Robbins) is at work, with only their
oblivious older sister (Stewart) along to help. They do receive some assistance
against the onslaught of robot and alien attacks with the arrival of a stranded
astronaut (Dax Shepard).
This 10-year
Anniversary Edition Blu-ray comes with a handful of exclusive new extras, half
of which are mostly promoting the upcoming Goosebumps movie, though they do
discuss Zathura within these extras. There is also a motion storybook of which
is read by the author, Chris Van Allsburg. Also included are the seven
featurettes previously included in the past release, as well as the commentary
track with Favreau and co-producer Peter Billingsley.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 6.5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment