Seems like the target audience here is somewhat of a narrow window. I like fantasy elements in a film, but this isn't really a movie for adults and it's not for young kids either. So we're probably talking about a teen audience that would get the most entertainment value out of it. Even so, there are some cautious elements one might be advised to consider, like demons, pentagrams, black magic and such. Purely from an adult point of view, it was the banter between Jack Black's character and Kate Blanchett's Florence Zimmerman that appealed to me most. They carried on with the kind of non-threatening insults good natured folks throw at each other without becoming offended. The other principal character is ten year old Lewis Barnevelt (Owen Vaccaro), left parentless due to an automobile accident, and winding up in the care of his Uncle Jonathan (Black). Jonthan's huge and eerie house is located in New Zebedee, Michigan, a fictional town based on that of author John Bellairs' own home town of Marshall.
Almost immediately, young Lewis is fascinated by the idea that his uncle is a warlock and his neighbor Florence is a witch in good standing. Lewis begins to dabble in minor aspects of sorcery and tries out some harmless tricks on school mates without their awareness. One friend however, Tarby Corrigan (Sunny Suljic), dismisses Lewis's advice from his uncle to refrain from opening a certain door in the old house to examine what's inside. That is a certain precursor to the events that will unfold, revealing a curse placed on the old house by it's previous owner and magician partner of Uncle Jonathan. Isaac Izard (Kyle MacLachlan), upon his death, left behind a clock hidden in it's walls, ticking it's way backward in time that will eventually erase all history before starting over again.
The elements in the story that will most appeal to young viewers are visual ones by far. The grossest would be the gas expelling flying shrub that looks like a mythical griffin, but with animal parts reversed. A manticore has a lion's body and the wings of an eagle, but with a human face, so the creature here was more of a mixed bag. The exploding pumpkin scenario is continued for maximum effect in the latter part of the story as things come to a head and the Izard curse is dealt with and finally put to rest. One of the things I got a kick out of earlier was when Lewis used an Ovaltine secret decoder ring to unravel a cryptic message. Fortunately, his message was a lot more apropos that the one that upset poor Ralphie in "A Christmas Story". His simply said, 'Drink More Ovaltine'.
Almost immediately, young Lewis is fascinated by the idea that his uncle is a warlock and his neighbor Florence is a witch in good standing. Lewis begins to dabble in minor aspects of sorcery and tries out some harmless tricks on school mates without their awareness. One friend however, Tarby Corrigan (Sunny Suljic), dismisses Lewis's advice from his uncle to refrain from opening a certain door in the old house to examine what's inside. That is a certain precursor to the events that will unfold, revealing a curse placed on the old house by it's previous owner and magician partner of Uncle Jonathan. Isaac Izard (Kyle MacLachlan), upon his death, left behind a clock hidden in it's walls, ticking it's way backward in time that will eventually erase all history before starting over again.
The elements in the story that will most appeal to young viewers are visual ones by far. The grossest would be the gas expelling flying shrub that looks like a mythical griffin, but with animal parts reversed. A manticore has a lion's body and the wings of an eagle, but with a human face, so the creature here was more of a mixed bag. The exploding pumpkin scenario is continued for maximum effect in the latter part of the story as things come to a head and the Izard curse is dealt with and finally put to rest. One of the things I got a kick out of earlier was when Lewis used an Ovaltine secret decoder ring to unravel a cryptic message. Fortunately, his message was a lot more apropos that the one that upset poor Ralphie in "A Christmas Story". His simply said, 'Drink More Ovaltine'.