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.

After their father is called into work, two young boys, Walter and Danny, are left in the care of their teenage sister, Lisa, and told they must stay inside. Walter and Danny, who anticipate a boring day, are shocked when they begin playing Zathura, a space-themed board game, which they realize has mystical powers when their house is shot into space. With the help of an astronaut, the boys attempt to return home.