Movie Review: The Spiderwick Chronicles

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Fantastic acting; entertaining story

Cons: Could scare young kids; couple dropped plot points; special effects not up to par

The Bottom Line:

Such intense action

You'll hang on for the wild ride

Could scare some, though

Next Time There's a Warning: DON'T OPEN THE BOOK!

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I've heard of The Spiderwick Chronicles before. But I honestly didn't know much more about it then the name before I started seeing ads for this movie. I decided it was a movie I had to see, and I'm glad I did. This was one cool fantasy/adventure.

The Grace family is moving from New York to the family estate in the middle of nowhere. It is no one's first choice, but newly single mom Helen (Mary-Louise Parker) has a job in the area. And it allows them a chance to move into the Spiderwick mansion. Helen is related to the Spiderwicks. In fact, she has inherited the mansion, so it cuts down on costs.

Of her three kids, daughter Mallory (Sarah Bolger) and son Simon (Freddie Highmore) are okay with the change. Simon's twin Jared (also Freddie Highmore) is not. He can't wait for his dad to come and get him out of there.

The house is creepy, and right away things start to go missing. Jared hears a noise in the wall that leads to the discovery of a dumb waiter and a hidden room. Exploring further, Jared finds an old book with a warning on the cover. Ignoring the warning, Jared opens the book and starts to read.

It's only after reading the book that Jared realizes what he's done. See, the book contains the secrets of all the creatures that are in the world around us that we can't see, like fairies, goblins, and ogres. And one ogre in particular, Mulgarath (voiced by Nick Nolte), wants that book so he can destroy everything. Now Jared, Simon, and Mallory are in the fight of their lives to find a way to defeat Mulgarath and stay alive. Can they do it?

This movie is an adrenaline fueled ride. It is creepy and intriguing from the first few seconds. That only builds as the movie progresses. I was on the edge of my seat by the end. While I absolutely loved it, it might frighten young kids. I would seriously question whether anyone under 8 or 10 would enjoy it. Of course, you know your own kids best, so judge accordingly.

Even though the movie was a fast paced thrill ride, the plot hangs together very well. I never had a problem following the action or motives of the characters. The ending does seem to gloss over a few small issues, but that's about the only real complaint I have in the story department.

My only other complaint is in the special effects. Naturally, a story of this kind is filled with computer animated creatures. And it's rather easy to tell most of the time that they aren't real. It shows just how spoiled we've become however. 5 years ago, I would have been in awe at how they look. This isn't a huge issue with me because the creatures looked good enough. They weren't distracting or anything like that. We've just seen better recently.

And I've got to praise the actors. All of them do a great job, especially reacting to the special effects. The fact that they can do such a great job always blows me away. Special praise goes to Freddie Highmore and Sarah Bolger who pretty much carry the movie. They are in just about every scene, and do a great job. This is especially true of Freddie who makes both of his characters remarkably difference and very believable.

If you think your kids are up for it, this is a good movie that the entire family can enjoy together. Even if you don't have kids but like fantasy and adventure, The Spiderwick Chronicles will keep you entertained.