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Zathura is a spin off of Jumanji, but one that will take you on a great adventure.

When two brothers, Danny and Walter Budwing, ages 6 and 10, are left under the care of their older sister, Lisa, they find themselves bored to death. Lisa isn’t at all vigilant because she prefers spending her time in bed with her iPod. When Danny and Walter get into a fight, Danny hides in the dumb waiter. Walter, thinking it would be great fun to scare the wits out of Danny, sends him to the basement. Once there, Danny, played by Jonah Bobo, comes across an old board game and begs Walter, played by Josh Hutcherson, to play it with him. After much coaxing, Walter agrees.

Zathura is a metal contraption that sparks the boys’ interest. They wind it up, push a button and watch a little car race around the track of the game. When it stops, the game gives out a card that Walter reads to Danny. “Meteor Shower: Take Evasive Action.” As Walter speaks, the meteor shower starts, bursting through the ceiling and plunging through the floor. The boys try to avoid the meteors, but the magic of the film is that the meteors actually avoid the boys. Though the living room is thrashed completely, the boys go unscathed.

Zathura, very similar to Jumanji, is based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, who also wrote the Polar Express. Zathura is the only board game ever made that can take its players into outer space. The allure of the film is very evident during the meteor shower when Danny and Walter don’t receive as much as a scratch when the living room is totaled. Even when they open the front door and find they’ve been transported to outer space, they are able to breathe without the assistance of oxygen tanks and space suits.

Danny and Walter take turns playing Zathura, just as they would playing any other board game. One card reads, “Shipmate Enters Cryonic Sleep Chamber,” which puts Lisa, who is entering the upstairs bathroom, into a frozen state of immobility. Other cards produce humungous alien lizards, an attack from spaceships, a frightening robot that has glowing red eyes and an unwelcome visit to a black hole.

Zathura is an adventure that will thrill kids of all ages. The boys are faced with real problems that need an almost immediate solution. Danny and Walter are the heroes of the film and do an excellent job entertaining their audience. Zathura is a must see for all those who loved Jumanji. Don’t miss it.

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