"Zathura" — is it another adventure-filled, soon-to-be classic book by Chris Van Allsburg? Maybe. Is it another blockbuster film? Not likely.

Perhaps actor-director Jon Favreau ("Swingers") was hoping to snag viewers by garnering an interest from fans of "Jumanji," another Van Allsburg book that was successfully made into a movie 10 years ago. Maybe he hoped publicizing the outer space themed, action-packed film would attract a large audience. Whatever his hopes, Favreau probably won't experience the warm reception he had wanted for "Zathura."

Favreau, whose directing credits include 2003's "Elf," already a holiday favorite in many households, was likely aiming for another family hit with "Zathura." Despite delving deeper into fantasy and adventure, "Zathura" has not received much praise.

Instead, the film has received a heap of criticism, mostly because of the plot similarities between "Zathura" and "Jumanji," causing many to deem the new film hackneyed. In both cases, the story revolves around two siblings discovering a board game in a big, old house.

Once the game is begun, fantastic things start happening to the children playing it. In "Jumanji," the house becomes a jungle where rhinoceroses stampede through the living room and jungle men swing from vines. In "Zathura," aliens attack the house, which has blasted off into space, and malfunctioning robots crash through walls.

What these critics have to understand, however, is that both stories share the same author, and there isn't any law that says a writer can't use similar motifs in his books. This leads to two movies that can be remarkably alike in some ways, yet extremely dissimilar in others.

One of the notable differences is in the family dynamics displayed in the two films. In "Jumanji" the two children come to live with a relative after the deaths of their parents. All this brother and sister have is each other, and it is their close bond that becomes an important asset to them in their many dangerous encounters on their way to finishing the game.

"Zathura" takes a more modern approach, which is not necessarily for the better. The movie begins near the end of "Dad's weekend" and the boys, victims of a recent divorce, are sharing the time they have with their dad with his work. Tensions are high between ten-year-old Walter (Josh Hutcherson, "Kicking & Screaming") and six-year-old Danny (Jonah Bobo, "Strangers with Candy") as they constantly compete for the attention of their dad (Tim Robbins, "War of the Worlds").

Blame it on the divorce or other societal factors, but these brothers never seem to stop bickering. The fighting that takes place may hit a little too close to home in a film intended for an audience of young children and their parents. Too much of the movie is consumed by Walter's dislike for his younger brother. Danny, on the other hand, is the adorable little boy who, despite some naughty name-calling, is only seeking his big brother's attention and camaraderie.

In fact, it is Danny's desire for his brother to acknowledge and play with him that brings "Zathura" into their lives. Having been chased into the creepy basement by his big brother, Danny discovers the board game underneath the stairs. When Walter refuses to play, Danny turns the key and presses the button that will turn their lives upside down. The button activates the player's space ship, which moves a designated number of spaces; when the ship stops, a card is spat out saying something like "Take Cover: Meteor Shower."

Not being able to read, Danny solicits Walter's help, but as soon as he reads the card, meteors begin to pelt the house, causing the children to go into a panic. One would think this event would cause a change to take place between the brothers, but as the catastrophes begin to accumulate and the game continues, so does their arguing.

This film takes too long in its conflict resolution and it is only with the introduction of another character that the brothers are finally able to work together and look after each other. Although the numerous special effects used in "Zathura" are quite spectacular, they contribute to the total destruction of a family home. The large number of explosions may please some viewers, but only serves as a moderate distraction from an otherwise mediocre film.

Grade: C