nubby_G Review of The Spiderwick Chronicles

The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

A decent, fun filled movie that will keep you entertained

[7/10 · 8 February 2008]

I work at IMAX theaters, and we showed an advanced staff screening tonight. Having been surrounded by posters and trailers for Spiderwick Chronicles for months, I was already sick of the film before I even saw it. But I went into it with an open mind, and found myself pleasantly surprised. The plot centers around a broken family that moves into an old house that has been in the family for years, in hopes of "starting over". Freddie Highmore plays two roles, twin brothers Jarod and Simon, and does an impressive job at keeping the two personalities distinct and different. Jarod, the angsty protagonist of the film, discovers a book (titled, the Spiderwick Chronicles) written by his late great uncle depicting in explicit detail the creatures of a "hidden world" all around us. Jarod reads the book, and in the process awakens an evil Ogre and a horde of goblins hell bent on obtaining the knowledge hidden within the book to destroy mankind, and creature-kind as well. The pacing is decent, and the acting works well within the context of the film. Oddly, it's the adult actors that deliver the lamest lines, as they seem profoundly out of place in this otherwise fantasy and child actor filled film. The CGI effects were well implemented too, with various characters and creatures popping up here and there to provide comedic relief, and often, pivitol plot development. The various supporting characters do a great job of keeping things moving, most notable being Jarod and Simons sister, Mallory, played by Sarah Bolger, who delivers a great performance. Having never read the books, I can't make any comparisons, but what I saw in the film I liked quite a bit. Not the most complex of movies, and there are some glaring plot holes here and there, but overall, it holds up pretty well, albeit some wonky script writing here and there.