The Spiderwick Chronicles
Reviewer: Tim Isaac
Issue 106 August 2008
(1 votes, average: 7 out of 10)
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Don’t read the book!
The Lowdown: After moving into the rundown Spiderwick mansion, young Jared discovers a book called ‘Spiderwick’s Field Guide To Faeries’, with a warning on it not to read it. Ignoring this advice, Jared opens the book and discovers how to access a how fantasy world humans can’t normally see.
Review: Every year brings a slew of kid’s fantasy flicks, each vying to be the next Harry Potter. Most of them fail, largely because you get the impression its adults making safe movies about what they think kids will like, rather than making them about things they actually do like. The Spiderwick Chronicles does better than most, largely because it doesn’t remove all sense of danger. Jared, his twin brother Simon and sister Mallory really do face fantasy peril, which is something that’s been lost from films for youngsters in the past decade or so. It’s a symptom of coddling kids and being afraid to upset parents, but it’s a real shame.
While you do feel they could have gone a bit further with The Spiderwick Chronicles, it mostly works extremely well. Freddie Highmore does a pretty good American accent as twins Simon and Jared, and holds the film together pretty well. There are moments when the CG fantasy world gets a little too hectic for its won good, but largely The Spiderwick Chronicles is great fun. The same can’t be said of the special features, with only a few limp and very short featurettes. The US is getting the option of a far chunkier two-disc edition with loads more features and other bits and pieces. Sadly though we just get the rather limp one-disc edition. But at least the film is good.
FILM: 7
EXTRAS: 3
DVD Info:
Certificate: PG
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mary Louise Parker, Sarah Bolger, David Strathairn
Directed By: Mark Water, 2008
Distributor: Paramount
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 92 mins
Price: £19.99
Special Features:
Scene Selection
‘Spiderwick: It’s All True’ Featurette
‘It’s A Spiderwick World’ Featurette
‘Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide’ Featurette
September 16th, 2008 at 10:47 am
When Helen Grace and her children move into the dilapidated Spiderwicke mansion, her son, Jared, doesn’t hide how much he hates both the house - and his mother for bringing them there. He’s rebellious and angry, so, when he finds a book in a hidden room that has a note saying not to open the book because of the dangers therein, he opens it. It’s a Field Guide to Faeries written by Arthur Spiderwicke and, by opening the forbidden book, Jared puts his family in danger from goblins led by the evil shape shifting Mulgrath, who wants the book at any cost.
Freddie Highmore is excellent as the twins Jared and Simon Grace, he manages to make them into 2 entirely separate believable characters. I’d single out Nick Nolte too, who makes Mulgarath a truly evil character. Kudos also to David Strathairn as Arthur Spiderwicke and Joan Plowright as Aunt Lucinda Spiderwicke who provide some touching moments.
Seth Rogen and Martin Short, who provide the voices for Hogsqueak and Thimbletack, give us some funny lines - especially Rogen!
To summarise, it’s a magical film with dark fantasy tones which should appeal to older kids and adults alike.