"Zathura"

Title: "Zathura"
Director: Jon Favreau
Producer: Michael De Luca, Scott Kroopf, William Teitler, and Peter Billingsley
Editing: Dan Lebental
Composer: John Debney
Starring:
- Josh Hutcherson as Walter
- Jonah Bobo as Danny
- Tim Robbins as Dad
- Kristen Stewart as Lisa

Plot and Critical Review: Two boys, Walter and Danny, discover a space themed board game from the basement, where everything inside it becomes real. The boys are eventually drawn into an adventure when their house is magically hurtled through space.

During the course of the story, the boys must overcome their personal ill-feeling held toward one another in order to survive. They are aided in this by an astronaut (Dax Shepard) who appears as a result of the game. This astronaut is eventually revealed to be an older version of Walter, who had been trapped as a character in the game's world as a result of using a wishing card to cause Danny to disappear- wishing that his brother had never been born-, resulting in him being unable to escape the game as it was no longer his turn and the game could not advance without another player. This back story becomes the basis, although the viewer only sees its role as such in retrospect, of parallels drawn between the two versions of Walter, including a revelation of the back story without mention of his name or that of his brother. He is finally released when Walter, drawing another wishing card, wishes the astronaut had his brother back, resulting in the 'other' Danny appearing. After the future Walter apologises to his brother, the two seem to merge with their other selves (after the astronaut turns back into another version of Walter) now that the future caused by Walter wishing Danny away has been erased.

Accompanying Danny, Walter, and the astronaut is their cantankerous elder sister, Lisa, who while not a player is as vulnerable to the dangers present in the game. She is placed in cryogenic freeze for five turns. She develops a crush on the astronaut, and is thus horrified when she finds out that she fell for an older version of her brother Walter.

The main villains in the movie are the Zorgons; reptilian, biped tool-users who are fond of heat and are attracted to a heat source much like bees are attracted to nectar, because they are cold-blooded. The Zorgons, having burned their own planet to obtain more heat, are nomads who travel through space seeking more to burn and who keep a flock of four-eyed goats on their ship.

Another character, a robot (voiced by Frank Oz), first appears as a wind-up tin toy that quickly becomes life-size. It is supposed to defend the players, but as it is malfunctioning it mis-identifies Walter as an alien life form and begins rampaging through the house. Walter uses a "Reprogram" card on the robot, and it instead sets its sights on the Zorgons. A single Zorgon survives the robot's kamikaze attack and sneaks up behind Walter and Danny as they are wondering where Lisa is. Just as it's about to kill them, it is crushed and killed by Lisa with Danny's piano. Unfortunately, a massive Zorgon fleet arrives and attacks after Walter frees the astronaut and his brother.

Danny eventually completes the object of the game, whereupon the house is drawn into a roaring black hole, which Danny realizes is Zathura. The Zorgon fleet is pulled into the black hole, as are Lisa and Walter. Moments later, they have returned to Earth. All the "pieces" of the game (the house, its furnishing, and the players) have been replaced as they were before the game began. The brothers are thereafter much more cooperative with one another. The boys, and Lisa, retain their memories of the game's events in which they all agree never to speak of Zathura again. As the kids get in the car with their mother and drive away, one of their bicycles which drifted off into space falls back to the lawn.

My Rating: 6.5/10

The "Reel Revelation": "When It Suits Me Best..."

While "Zathura" is a film full of special effects and fantastic space-themed elements which echo the plot-line of its "parent" film, "Jumanji", it also contains very strong elements of compassion, respect and, most importantly, love. We see the apparent lack and sudden appearance of respect and love between Walter and Danny, two brothers who, at the beginning of the film, seem altogether set against getting along with one another. I remember watching the film for the first time and feeling genuinely disturbed by how harshly Walter treated his little brother. Why couldn't they just get along? Walter's hatred toward Danny only seemed to grow as the movie progressed, building and building as Walter continued to push his brother away, using him only as necessary to win the game (for he was certain he alone could achieve victory and save them from destruction). By the end of the film, however, the brothers overcome their differences and enter into a more loving relationship. Thank goodness. The real-world revelation is this: that won't work in the real world!

We've all been in situations in which we've been brought closer to a person or a group of people through hardship or trial. You can probably think of several instances when something tragic or undesired caused your relationships to become stronger. Think back to the horrific events of 9/11; have you ever felt such a strong sensation of united patriotism. Many said that no feeling had been commonly appreciated since John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Yes, hardships can bring us together. Indeed, we are all brought into communion through the Blood of Jesus, a gift given to us as a result of Jesus' sufferings on the cross. But what about the divisions we entertain before those unexpected events occur?

Screenplay writers lean on this very dramatic plot "twist" to heighten the emotion generated within motion pictures. It works, doesn't it?! How many times have you wept or felt your heart soar when enemies embrace one another at the end of a movie, when lovers finally return to one another after their fighting has ceased? It really does work, but it only works on the silver screen.

Jesus calls us to love one another in a way that reflects the love he has for us. He calls us to love one another without reservation and without condition. Jesus calls us to be bold in the way we treat one another; that we might honor our friends and our family with love and devotion, with the respect and admiration they (and all people) deserve. We must not allow ourselves to become so lazy that only when tragic events occur do we experience the urge to make our peace with those we've pushed away. While it is certainly not outside of God's power to bring enemies together through tragedy or even the most curious and unexpected of events, we must be brave and seek reconciliation with one another today. Perhaps God has been working in your heart, bringing someone to mind that you need to make peace with, someone you need to extend your hand to in a sign of love and acceptance. Do it! Do it for your sake, do it for theirs, and let it be done for the glory of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus died on the cross to save us from the eternal consequence of the sins we commit, this is true and we believe it. Then Jesus rose from the bonds of death to secure our salvation and to grant us the grace necessary to live peacefully with one another. Receive that grace today. Receive the gift of the resurrection which God has given to all who will call upon his name; the power to become sons and daughters of God and to love as God loves, with mercy, justice, and unceasing devotion. Receive the gift God has always longed for you to have and to use in your life; the unfailing love of Jesus, the Son of God and our everliving King of Kings.

I wish you good and peace - E.T.