Zathura: Special Edition DVD Review

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Title: Zathura: Special Edition

Region: One

Genre: Children’s Sci-Fi Fantasy

Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, and Tim Robbins

Writers: David Koepp and John Kamps

Based On The Book By: Chris Van Allsburg

Director: Jon Favreau

Feature length: 101 minutes

Extras: Feature Length Audio Commentary With Director Jon Favreau and Co-Producer Peter Billingsley, The Right Moves – The Making Of Zathura Featurette, Race To The Black Planet: A Visual Effects Documentary, The Cast Of Zathura, Zorgons, Robots and “Frozen Lisa” Featurette, Making The Game Featurette, Miniatures And The World Of Zathura Featurette, The World Of Chris Van Allsburg

Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and French Language Dolby Surround Sound

Subtitles: English Closed Captions and English and French Language Subtitles

Packaging: Amaray Keep Case

Chapter Stops: 20

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound

Year of Theatrical Release: 2005/DVD Release: 2006

Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Home Video Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

MPAA Rating: PG

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

At the end of the book “Jumanji” Author Chris Van Allsburg states in the featurette included on this DVD that two child characters leave with the game and their own unresolved issues, which eventually lead him to writing this quasi sequel regarding the adventures these two brothers have playing another game within the box entitled “Zathura.” The feature film does not contain any direct references to “Jumanji” whatsoever other than two kids learn a lot of life lessons and even forgo a possible tragedy by playing a similar game that thrusts them, their sister, and their entire house into the middle of an outer space fantasy adventure. Director Jon Favreau has found success in mixing fantasy and comedy with “Elf” and he does a great directing job here. So much so in fact that in many ways, “Zathura” is a much more concise and entertaining film than “Jumanji” though a bit darker in tone. The special effects for the most part are terrific with the exception of the Zorgons, which look too much like guys in monster suits to suspend disbelief. One almost wishes we never saw them at all outside of a slight glimpse to make our imaginations fill in the rest because considering these were created by Stan Winston Studios, I am shocked at how poorly they come off on screen.

Favreau and Co-Producer Peter Billingsley provide a feature length audio commentary for the DVD, but despite Favreau’s intentions of making a film that relied in a large part upon the method of making effects films in the late 1970s and 1980s, he appears to be looking back with rose tinted glasses since the reliance on older technology doesn’t work as well as it should in the film. Companion featurettes covering the making of the film (11:54), the visual effects (14:55), miniature effects (9:47), creature effects (16:41), and the design for the board game itself (14:00) as well as a casting featurette (12:50) is included but they collectively feel rather soulless and prefabricated. Only the featurette with Author Chris Van Allsburg (12:51) is interesting and that featurette is very much like the featurette include on Warner Home Video’s “The Polar Express: 2-Disc Widescreen Edition” DVD set. The interactive menus are nicely conceived and there is at least one Easter egg featuring the malfunctioning robot too. Just press the left arrow button twice on your remote while the “Play” button is highlighted so that the red “Start” button is highlighted and press “Enter” on your remote control.

The anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) picture quality and English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack are terrific and a French Language Dolby Surround Soundtrack as well as English Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and English and French Language Subtitles is encoded onto the DVD as options. Anyone remember when watching a DVD meant the theatrical trailer would be included too? Well you’ll find a ton of previews that include “The Pink Panther” (1:38), “Stuart Little 3” (1:22), “Monster House” (1:53), “Open Season” (1:34), “It’s A Big, Big World” (1:25), and “The Legend Of Zorro” (: 32) on the DVD, but unless it’s hidden as an Easter egg, no “Zathura” trailer and why not a trailer for “Jumanji” too?

The picture and sound quality are terrific and the film in spite of itself is better than “Jumanji” though unless you have kids or are a fan, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to view “Zathura” over and over again after having seen it once and the effects for the aliens simply suck while the extra value features on the DVD are rather unextraordinary. See it first before you buy it.

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