The Spiderwick Chronicles [Blu-ray]

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
From the beloved best-selling series of books comes an extraordinary fantasy adventure revealing the unseen world that exists all around us. From the moment the Grace family moves into a secluded old house peculiar things start to happen. Unable to explain the accidents and strange disappearances the Grace children Jared Simon and Mallory start to investigate and find the unbelievable truth of the Spiderwick Estate and the amazing creatures that inhabit it.System Requirements:Running Time: 101 minutesFormat: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY/FANTASY Rating: PG UPC: 097361326146 Manufacturer No: 132614

Amazon.com
A very good adaptation of the popular series of books by Tony DiTerllizi and Holly Black, The Spiderwick Chronicles is one of the few family films in recent years to seamlessly integrate magical elements with a potent drama that will strike a chord with many kids. An exceptionally talented Freddie Highmore (August Rush) plays twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, caught up in a sad shock from their parents' divorce and coping with a decision by their mother (Mary-Louise Parker) to uproot the boys and their sister, Mallory (Sarah Bolger), from New York City to a small town. There, the broken family moves into a spooky old mansion passed on to them by the kids' great-aunt, Lucinda (Joan Plowright), who is spending her twilight years in managed care and whose scientist father, Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), disappeared some 80 years ago. Jared, angry, defiant, and determined to live with the father who seems to have abandoned him, investigates strange happenings and discovers Arthur's secret notations on fairies, ogres, and other mythical creatures that live both in and outside the house. Having no idea where his curiosity is leading, Jared soon finds that he and his family are under siege from goblins and a powerful ogre (Nick Nolte) who wants Arthur's notebook. Suddenly, the boy who is a lightning rod for a troubled family becomes a resourceful warrior intent on saving his loved ones from powerful forces. The Spiderwick Chronicles benefits enormously from a script (partially written by John Sayles) that treats, quite seriously, the emotional pain of its human characters and makes Jared's will to survive the very real engine of an otherwise fantastic story. It helps, too, that director Mark Waters, who brings a warm and knowing touch to outlandish material (Freaky Friday), has a way of making the spectacular elements of The Spiderwick Chronicles genuine enough to stir real excitement and suspense. This is one of the better film adaptations of best-selling fiction for kids in some years. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews: Read 84 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Amazing Graces June 18, 2008
38 out of 42 found this review helpful

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)

1.Helen Grace moves into the Spiderwick Estate with her three kids, Mallory, Simon and Jared. Simon and Jared are twins (played by the impressive Freddie Highmore)
2.It doesn't take the kids long to find a secret room, a locked chest and a book marked "Do NOT read"
3.You can guess what happens next
4.Up pops a tiny Brownie named Thimbletack (Martin Short) who changes into a Boggart when riled up.
5.He gets riled up a lot
6.There's an evil Ogre named Mulgarath (Nick Nolte) who commands an army of Goblins, and really, really wants the aforementioned book
7.The Ogre can change his appearance, and is at his most frightening when he looks like Nick Nolte.
8.During the machinations and shenanigans to protect the book, the kids meet a scene stealing Hobgoblin named Hogsqueal (Seth Rogen) who has a talent for expectorating and a penchant for bipedal, endothermic vertebrate animals that lay eggs (also known as birds)
9.The kids set off on a quest to find the author of the book, Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn)
10.When they get back, they have to quickly work out a strategy for repelling Goblins and an Ogre who looks like the Grinch on steroids.
11.Exciting yet somewhat disturbing altercation ensues
12.Just desserts are served for the grand finale.

The movie is based on the five books that make up The Spiderwick Chronicles, but barely touches book three, Lucinda's Secret and never touches book four, The Ironwood Tree. There are a few small differences, but for the most part the movie captures the spirit of the series.

Relatively short, it's ideal for kids from around ten or so, as there are some mildly scary scenes and one close to the end that could be disturbing until the twist is revealed.

It's also recommended that you get the series for your young `uns. The books are short, easy to read and full of magical and fantastical adventures. Don't forget the follow-up The Nixie's Song (Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1), and the soon to be released A Giant Problem (Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles)

The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles)
The Seeing Stone (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 2)
The Wrath of Mulgarath (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 5)

Amanda Richards, June 18, 2008

3 out of 5 stars

Probably a lot better if you've read the books February 18, 2008
29 out of 46 found this review helpful

Mom and Dad separate and Mom takes the kids to live in a mysterious old house she inherited. Immediately, son Jared discovers a book written by their distant uncle, Arthur Spiderwick; it's all about the fairy world around them and especially evil Mulgarath and his goblins who live just outside their house.

I assume the target audience for this film is young children, especially those who have enjoyed The Spiderwick Chronicles. As an adult who hasn't read the books, I was confused and bored, despite the beautiful photography and music and the clever CGI effects. There was nothing that drew me in or thrilled me. I think it would have been better if the children had been younger; as teenagers, they looked too old to be cavorting with fairies and scared of goblins. They didn't have enough charisma to make me care about them, and the wonderful David Strathairn was completely miscast as Spiderwick. I think very young children would be scared by the scary creatures zooming around. Great title, but not much here for adults.

3 out of 5 stars

Lower your expectations... February 23, 2008
21 out of 32 found this review helpful

I went into seeing this movie with high expectations. I love the books, and I love their possibilities more, and one of those possibilities was a truly extraordinary movie. But that wasn't what I got.

The plot, what there is of it, hinges around three siblings, Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace, and their rather quick-to-judge mother. When the Graces move into Spiderwick Manor following a divorce, Jared finds a book - a field guide - that he soon realizes should never have been uncovered.

This should have been a great movie. And yet, I could tell from the first few minutes that it wouldn't be. Aside from the many great scenes and moments from the books thrown away (Mallory's kidnap, the mother's kidnap, the various other creatures besides goblins, hobgoblins, and griffins) the acting is relatively stiff, except for the good performances of Freddie Highmore as twins Simon and Jared, and the "batty" Aunt Lucinda. The direction, too, could have been better; as it was it seemed hasty, thrown together, juvenile, and trying-to-be-modern (like Jared's oft-shown cell phone and iPod).

The ending was really quite dumb and had me rolling my eyes as all the young boys in the theater guffawed. I honestly can't remember if the villain was disposed of like that in the books, but if he was, it was done better than in this movie.

Overall, it wasn't a terrible movie, but it certainly wasn't a great one, and it didn't come near the quality of the books. The books simply had more atmosphere, creativity, and overall charm.

Rating: Average

4 out of 5 stars

Fun fantasy flick February 17, 2008
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

The Grace family moves into an old family estate, long uninhabited - or so they think. In fact the house has an inhabitant. More to the point, the woods around the house have their own trolls and gnomes, unfriendly ones, who want something that's inside the house.

So starts this kids' fantasy, with a big element of "the grownups just don't get it." In this case, young Jared not only finds that thing that the invisible ouside beings want, he also perceives their threat first. A kid-empowerment fantasy ensues, with the grownups (including a teen sister in a half-grownup kind of role) finally catching on just barely in time.

If you want a bit of fantasy without overt violence (or not much), and with people keeping their clothes on, you came to the right place. There's a suitably scary buildup at the end, with some great CGI effects like those toad-like outside beings. Maybe it's not memorable, but it's fun anyway.

-- wiredweird, reviewing the theatrical release

4 out of 5 stars

"You Are the Book" June 28, 2008
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

A terrific tale for children, `The Spiderwick Chronicles' shows the plight of a NYC family moving into an old, decrepit house in the country while the children discover an ancient book that brings faeries, ogres, and sprites to life. Led by chief, Mulgarith (Nick Nolte), the ogres try to steal the chronicles from Simon, Jared, (both played by Freddie Highmore) and Mallory (Sarah Bolger) while Hogsqueal (Seth Rogen), a hideous changing forms leader, tries to destroy the children. Enchanting, transporting, and whimsical, 'The Spiderwick Chronicles' aims to please, even as it might be a bit too frightful for the wee little ones.

Merits:

1.) The movie's a whimsical throwback to the stellar Spielberg days of `E.T.' and `Gremlins' with Highmore more than a passing resemblance to Elliott (Henry Thomas). Thumblejack (Martin Short) is a charming (if not high strung) original.

2.) Faeries, ogres, and sprites have their day once more in big screen splendor.

3.) The haunting gives the house a personality, reminiscent of the quality of `Monster House' and `Poltergeist'. Suspension of belief is in high size (as are the special effects).

4.) Excellent portal for the imagination with a good plug for the magical powers of books.

5.) The screen presence of David Strathairn (as past portal figure Arthur Spiderwick) and believable performances all around.

Demerits:

1.) Some of the film's elements are familiar.

2.) It could provide too many nightmares for parents with lingering images of tomato sauce splattered on the walls with holes poked through them. Potential Amber alert false alarms are presented with missing children hunting down ancient ancestors and fighting goblins.

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