10 Underrated Science Fiction Movies You Must See

To once again shoot back in the opposite direction of what came before: science fiction has often been utilised to great effect in family films, from Star Wars to The Iron Giant to WALL-E and beyond. However, Jon Favreau's 2005 family adventure is too often overlooked.

Based on the book by Jumanji creator Chris Van Allsburg, Zathura is a spiritual sequel to the 1995 movie, centred on two quarrelling brothers (Josh Hutcherson and Jonah Bobo) who unwittingly start playing a magical board game which sends their house hurtling into outer space.

This was the movie Favreau made immediately before Iron Man, and it was here that he really honed his use of FX, brilliantly combining classic practical work with judicious use of CGI, incorporating robots, aliens and all manner of interstellar phenomena. It feels as big as any sci-fi spectacular, despite the action being confined entirely to a single house.

For some viewers, there may be some novelty in Zathura now given that Hutcherson and co-star Kristen Stewart have gone to high profile careers. It might also seem like timely viewing right now, in the wake of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

However, there's a pleasant timelessness to Zathura that make it great, family-friendly viewing at any time - and as good a film as any to introduce younger viewers to the wonders of science fiction.