Zathura: a Space Adventure

Elf director Jon Favreau's action-packed adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book is great family entertainment. In this intergalactic Jumanji, brothers Jonah Bobo and Josh Hutcherson are taught life lessons when they play a dusty board game found in the cellar that thrusts them into outer space to face meteor showers, a defective robot and lizard-like aliens. The witty script generates laughs from the cryonic freezing of the boys' sister, but there are touching moments too, like the revelation of can-do astronaut Dax Shepard's true identity. Having the entire universe just outside their front door creates huge imaginative scope, while the terrific retro Dan Dare-style design matches the film's refreshing reliance on old-school special effects. Favreau brings a delightful sense of childlike wonder to this stellar comic-book fantasy adventure that offers fun - and scares - for all age groups.