Rating:

After watching The Spiderwick Chronicles with the family this past weekend, I came away extremely surprised.

I was surprised at how fun this film was. Yes, I know it’s been compared to Jumanji, Zathura, and even Gremlins, but honestly, how many original kids movies are there these days.

I’m also surprised at how badly this film was marketed. I expect that Paramount hoped that the Harry Potter audience would flock to the film (they did not). I remember seeing the trailer in theaters and thinking that this looked like a film that was too dark and intense to take our 4-year old son—who loves Harry Potter—to see.

I could not have been more wrong. It’s a great, fun film for kids and parents to see together. There are a few intense “jump” moments, but overall it’s a very kid friendly film (as it should be).

Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) plays dual roles—in a subtle bit of special effects wizardry—as Jared and Simon Grace. They are joined by their sister Mallory as they move into the house formerly occupied by their Aunt Lucinda Spiderwick.

Strange things begin to happen at the house and Jared receives the blame for all of it. However, it’s not long before Jared discovers the secret of the former house owner Arthur Spiderwick and he unwittingly draws the attention of goblin horde in the neighboring forrest.

Realizing their brother isn’t to blame for all of the weird things happening at the new house, the twin brothers join forces with their sister—who happens to be a fencing champ—to stop the goblins and their leader Mulgarath (voiced by Nick Nolte). The goblins seek Arthur Spiderwick’s guide to the unseen world, for it contains the information they need to destroy all of their enemies and conquer the world.

There are a few heavy handed moments about family, separation and bad parenting, but overall the film sticks to the fantastic plot and gets right to it. The quick pace suits the film and keeps it entertaining. I’d even say it’s more kid friendly than the Harry Potter series of films because of this. There is little chatting and a lot of action.

Overall, it was a great film. Even my wife commented on how much she liked it and for the next few days after watching the film, my son wanted to play Spiderwick (of course I had to be the goblins). That’s a sure sign that he enjoyed the film.

This 2-disc edition has a nice list of extras to keep you entertained after watching the film.

1. Spiderwick: It’s All True – this brief feature with director Mark Waters implies the story is a true. Cute, but not anything amazing.
2. A Spiderwick World – interviews with authors Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
3. Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide – is a digital edition of “the book” with links to scenes featuring specific creature. On that note, the creature effects in the film are particularly strong, especially considering the large amount of screen time they receive. There are quite a few unique creates on display.
4. Making Spiderwick – This feature is about the look and feel of the film, delving into the production work.
5. The Magic of Spiderwick – covers the special effects and CGI work (which I stated above – is quite well done). This was my favorite feature.
6. A Final Piece of Advice – similar to the “It’s All True” feature – the director again returns to tout the realness of the film.
7. Other – There are a few deleted scenes, commercials, and the theatrical trailer (watch it and see how well you think it portrays the movie).

Overall, I’d highly recommend this movie to anyone with kids in the 5+ range that love a good fantasy story. If they’re timid, you may want to hold off until they’re a little older. Good solid acting and good story and great effects make this an enjoyable movie-time escape.

One note, this film seemingly adapts all five books in the Spiderwick series. It’s an odd move. If the film had been more successful, what would the sequel have shown. It’s made me more interested in reading the books in order to see how much the story is expanded upon.