Zathura

Even if you’ve seen Jumanji, this movie is still different enough to stand on its own and be enjoyed but it is rather impossible not to be drawn into a comparison. 
 
Instead of two orphans who miss their parents, there are two brothers who don’t get along because of the differences in their ages (10 year-olds aren’t very patient with kindergartners). The game’s destructiveness is restrained to the house, not an entire town. The bigger surprise is what the game’s conclusion brings. It’s been a while since I saw Jumanji but I think when that game ended, everything went right back to normal immediately and the two adult players were allowed to relive the previous 30 years. Zathura is a bit more preachy about telling children to work together and be nice to each other since they’ll miss each other when they grow older. 
 
Despite it being very predictable, it’s the execution that makes the movie enjoyable and not a waste of 90 minutes. Children under 12 will like it, especially if their parents are divorced and don’t have time for them. Director Jon Favreau did a decent job getting the kids’ acting to be convincing when they’re fighting, running around in fear or explaining to their teenage sister why the house is in space. He doesn’t let the kids be precocious, resourceful Disney characters; they continue to behave like children of the appropriate ages. For example, the kindergartner pushes his luck with his older brother to get his attention like my brother did or what I’ve seen in action with other people’s kids. Again, I would recommend this movie for young children. There’s nothing in it that will give them nightmares or teach them new foul words to demonstrate on the playground.