Spiderwick Chronicles Review

The Grace family is forced to move out in the middle of nowhere to a huge inherited house after the father of the three children leave their mother for someone else. The children, twins Jared and Simon, and older sister Mallory, soon discover why it’s been uninhabited for about 80 years - it’s creepy, and strange things keep happening. Jared hears something crawling in the walls, small items they just unpacked go missing, and Mallory wakes up in the middle of the first night in her new home with all of her hair twisted up and tied to the bed railing. Jared discovers a hidden book, Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide, and uncovers the secrets of the world around them… putting his entire family in danger of the ogre, Mulgarath, who’s dying to get his hands on the pages.

This is one of the few instances where I’ve watched a kids’ movie without reading the book first. Mostly because I had never even heard of the books when the movie came out. I don’t like going to movies completely blind, though, so I read synopsis first - which hardly did it justice. Yes, I’m sure the family dynamics are important and heartwarming, but TELL ME ABOUT THOSE GOBLINS! First of all, the special effects are quite impressive. I also had no idea until afterward that the twins were played by one boy - they looked different, sounded slightly different, and totally fooled me.

But for me, the main flaw of this movie was too much humans. I did not get enough of Hogsqueal or Thimbletack, the adorable good-guy fantastical creatures. (I may be biased, since they were voiced by Seth Rogen and Martin Short, both of whom I love.) I didn’t even get to see enough of the goblins, although I did see enough of the ogre to make me need to check my underwear. The story seemed to flow well, but almost too quickly. However, I’m not sure if there would’ve been enough material to split it up into two movies - unless there were an opportunity to explore some of the other fantastical creatures in more detail, such as the sprites. I would’ve been happy to have the plot put on hold to get to see more of them.

The acting in this film is decent, but full of effort. Freddie Highmore, who plays both Jared and Simon, leaves something to be wanted as the lead of the movie. His reactions are mostly weak, his expression fairly unchanging, with his eyes constantly wide and his mouth always hanging open as he plays Jared. But it is a lot to ask of a young boy to play two parts superbly. We’re not all Lindsay Lohans. Joan Plowright, on the other hand, steals the ending as old Aunt Lucinda, Arthur Spiderwick’s estranged daughter. Her eyes exude the brilliance of someone who has most certainly spent her life around sprites and other good creatures, and she doesn’t fall into the trap of seeming maybe-sort-of crazy just because her character was placed in an asylum. She has accepted that other people will never believe her, and finds solace in her private knowledge of the magical world around her.

I don’t know if this will be a repeat watch for me, but it is well done and very beautiful. I’m sure it pleased the fans of the books, and it definitely seems like something both children and adults can fully enjoy. The special features of the DVD are exceptionally entertaining, as well. The director, Mark Waters, takes you on a journey where he explains that the events of the movie are all real, and goes into detail on some of the creatures. This is something that should definitely be played for little kids before watching the movie, because it will totally enhance their experience. You can even set up the movie to play where you can stop throughout and get information on new creatures as they appear. Overall, Spiderwick is a fun, family-friendly film worth checking out at least once.

You like? You’ll like: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Directed by: Mark Waters
DVD Release: June 24th, 2008
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte, Sarah Bolger, David Strathairn
Runtime: 107 minutes

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