A good movie. It has major name-calling from Walter and Josh. The plot is very clever, and there is a lot of good special affects.
Zathura: A Space Adventure
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Sci-fi adventure for the elementary school set.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 8 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Zathura: A Space Adventure was written by Cynthia Fuchs
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
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- 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?
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More on Zathura: A Space Adventure
What’s the Story?
Six-year-old Danny (Jonah Bobo) is feeling rather shut out by his older brother Walter (Josh Hutcherson), who in turn feels besieged by the demands of a sibling who dotes on him. Older and wiser and increasingly impatient, Walter just wants to be left alone, especially as he's also feeling abandoned by dad (Tim Robbins), working overtime to pay for two homes (he's recently divorced). The boys find distraction in "Zathura," a circa-'50s board game they found in the basement when dad goes to the office and leaves them in the care of their teenaged sister Lisa (Kristen Stewart). The game essentially turns their house into a space ship, floating through the starry sky somewhere near Saturn, buffeted by the occasional meteor shower or malevolent alien. Once they begin the game, the rules assert, Danny and Walter are unable to stop until they "finish," meaning that they need to find the reason they're playing, and, of course, reconcile with one another.
Is It Any Good?
ZATHURA: A SPACE ADVENTURE is a movie most likely to appeal to elementary-school boys. Like the game in Jumanji, another movie based on a children's book by Chris Van Allsburg (also the literary source for Polar Express), this one helps the siblings to work out their conflicts "metaphorically," here by encounters with hostile monsters, a deranged robot, and a "stranded astronaut" (Dax Shepard).
Their adventures are as episodic as the board game scenario suggests: each boy takes his turn. But as Jon Favreau's movie is most interested in the boys' relationship, Lisa is best described as plot device, convenient witness, and occasional instigator for their realizations and efforts. In this, she's aided by the astronaut, who shows up during Danny's turn (he's instructed to rescue this stranger and then attached to the astronaut, who identifies Danny as the one who "spun me"). This provides the younger boy with an eventual conflict, as the astronaut and Walter make different demands. Danny eventually comes to realize that Walter is his brother, no matter how ugly he's been to Danny in the past, and that makes him, as the astronaut observes, "all you have."
Movie Details
Studio: Sony Pictures, Director: Jon Favreau
Run time: 113 minutes
Theatrical release: 11/11/2005, DVD release: 02/14/2006
MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy action and peril, and some language.
Run time: 113 minutes
Theatrical release: 11/11/2005, DVD release: 02/14/2006
MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy action and peril, and some language.
Our Members Say
See all 43 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
A remake of Jumanji, just its in space.
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I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
a good movie but lots of kids swearing and vilonce.
this movie was good but what made me dissapointed was that kids as young as 6 said the worst swears that have only heard mid teenagers say. Also there is lots of vilonce and peril. I would recomend this to kids 8-13. but if your child is JUST 8 years of age i would give a pause but not so much for the vilonce but for the language.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TIMES 10
I love this movie my brothers 8 and 10 who were 6 and 10. We watched it when it premeried on cartoonnetwork and my entire family loves it. we didn't think it was scary and the swear was blocked on cartoonnetwork. Overall awesome movie!!
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Good for 10 and up.
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel when I first got this movie, but after I viewed it I decided that overall it wasn't a bad movie. There is some violence that might scare children under 10. Also there are a few instances of bad language. I also think that the older sister, played by Kristin Stewart, is portrayed as a little uncaring and unresponsible.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Very Scary, but not for now.
I watched this movie when I was 9 or 10 years old. The intensity was very high! There was a TV, but it got destroyed by a meteorite. I did not notice anything else bad.
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
wow
This is a movie that I love!!!
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
great for 9+
I think zathura is a good movie with adventure it is almost exactly like jumunji except this one is in space! it also has twilights own christin stewart
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
After I got past a very inappropriate word being used in the first 2 minutes of the movie, I felt that it was an engaging adventure somewhat appropriate for my 8 year old. The movie is suspenseful more than it is scary, however, I will say that the part with the Zorgon lizard species gets a bit intense. I think younger viewers would be frightened by the constant action. Although I let my 8 year old watch it, I think it is more appropriate for slightly older viewers.
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
Good movie but scary
It is a scary movie and some kids will be very scared by it.
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
Can lead to long-term nightmares
My 6 year old son, who tends to "think too much," was terrified by this movie and actually had recurring nightmares for MONTHS after watching it. It plays a little too scary with that line between dreams and reality for younger kids. Lots of violence and extremely scary images and concepts. Make sure your child can handle this before letting them watch it - even consider watching it yourself first to make "the call."
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I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- My highlights are:
Zathura
Zathura is really good. But... there is some bad language. There are some very funny parts but there are some very scary parts too. But for me, I like it.
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I rate this title off for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
e.g. Perfect for older kids, but not for tweens
Way too scary for my 5-year-old in the theater. We had to go behind the wall in the foyer because it was so intense, but he didn't want to leave. I wanted him to see it had a good ending at least, if was ok with sticking it out, so I agreed to stay. All kids are different, but I thought it was one we could have waited a few years on.
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
great.....
great movie!
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
Great sci-fi adventure
I actually liked this movie. Great special effects and acting. Not scary at all.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is awesome!!!!!!!!!!! Not very scary.
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
some strong language
this movie does have strong language including one d--k so i rate it for 6+
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I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
e.g. You should think twice before going with a tween!
this is illigul
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate language
Terrifying.
I watched this when I was in my mid teens, I think, and it still terrifies me to this day! Would not recommend it for anyone easily scared, especially by space adventures. This may be a spoiler, but Zathura is a black hole-- absolutely terrifying especially after that whole nightmare "game" to get there. I would not let my kids watch this one.
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Sci-fi at its best!
Although not as good as Jumanji, this film is also great. People sould love the aliens and space themes.
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
outer space adventure.
I think this film is great because the place on the outer space. i hope you like it too.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 67% | of parents say it's too violent |
| 50% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
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